In the Individual Major Program, “interdisciplinary, integrative studies” refers to the intentional combination of diverse subject matters, resources, and methodologies. Individual Majors are often experiential in nature, blending classroom learning with laboratories, studios, internships, and/or study abroad, and applying knowledge and understanding gained in one context to another. And, they can potentially be civic opportunities, building bridges between academic learning and public conversations, contributing to connections among the college campus and business communities, schools, farms, government bodies, churches, arts programs, and other organizations. Students who develop individual majors are both intentional and reflective about their learning; they plan how they will integrate their diverse educational experiences in pursuit of their educational goals, and they are explicit about the connections they have made among those experiences.
Intended Learning Outcomes
- Integrative Thinking – the ability to draw on more than one disciplinary perspective in approach to chosen area of study.
- Communication Skills – the ability to express ideas clearly and complexly in one or more chosen media.
- Understanding – the ability to recognize and articulate meaningful questions in the chosen area of study.
- Self-Reflection – the ability to reflect on individual learning within self-designed independent major.
Requirements
- Individual majors draw on and integrate three or more disciplines.
- Individual majors are made up of at least 10 courses or experiences, including IM 392 (or the 391/392 sequence), which is devoted to an integrative Senior Capstone Project.
- Individual majors culminate in Public Presentation and a Web Portfolio.
- Individual majors must have the support of a Faculty Advisor.
- Individual majors may NOT simply duplicate an existing program at the college.
See more information from the catalog here.
Typical Timeline
Students considering an Individual Major typically submit their Proposals as sophomores, so during their first year on campus, they should…
- Work through our First-Year Info Sheet.
- Meet with Individual Major Program staff.
- Take a look at the Registrar’s First-Year Registration Guides, including the guide for future Individual Majors.
- Have conversations with formal and informal advisors on and off campus in order to clarify interests, identify relevant courses, and articulate potential pathways.