Interdepartmental Major
The Interdepartmental Major is a Bachelor of Arts degree option offered by the College of Arts and Sciences. The Interdepartmental Major allows students to combine two areas of study without requiring students to complete all courses required for each major. The major program requires the approval of two separate department Chairpersons and the Dean's Office.
See additional information about the Interdepartmental major.
Download the Interdepartmental Major Checksheets.
Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies
An option that offers a great deal of flexibility is the Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies (BALS). The degree is designed for students who have need and justification for developing their own undergraduate major program within the 124-credit minimum. This degree differs from the regular Bachelor of Arts degree in that it requires 60 credits at the 300-level or higher. The most significant difference from the more conventional degree, however, is that, instead of a major, students pursue a sequence of courses of their choice that are consistent with their stated educational goals.
Advisement and planning are essential in formulating such a proposal. Students are urged to seek advice from faculty members and the Program Director as they work on drawing up their programs. The screening committee requires the applications to carry the signature of three faculty members including the candidate's primary advisor. Proposals should be submitted to the Program Director by October 15 or by March 15.
Please visit the Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies for more in-depth information about the program, requirements, applying and advisement.
Dean's Scholar
While the educational needs of most undergraduates can be readily satisfied through the selection of an appropriate major or combination of major(s) and/or minor(s), the University recognizes that for a select subset of unusually talented and motivated students, this will not be the case. Such exceptional students, driven by an overarching passion or curiosity that transcends typical disciplinary bounds and curricula, often have intellectual aspirations that would be difficult to accommodate within four years by conventional means. These interests may lead to broad interdisciplinary explorations of an issue, or to more intense, in-depth studies in a single field at a level akin to graduate work. In either case, such studies are likely to require an unusually large amount of individualized work, extensive interaction with faculty mentors, and often the academic resources of more than one college.
Because students in this program require administrative arrangements that can be made only at the college level, the students are designated as the responsibility of the college dean, hence the designation "Dean's Scholar" in recognition of the special efforts made on their behalf by the college.
Please visit the Dean's Scholars page for more information about the program, policies, how to apply, and more.
