SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
Eastern Connecticut State University
Connecticut's Public Liberal Arts University

 






The Individualized Major:  Your Pathway to
New Interdisciplinary Careers



Can't find the major that meets your educational goals?

Are you highly motivated and self-directed?

Consider developing your own Individualized Major!


The Individualized Major Plan is a student’s self-designed interdisciplinary plan of study, which consists of courses from two or more disciplines and results in a B.A. or B.S. degree.  The self-designed plan of study allows the student to take courses in areas that naturally complement each other in today’s workplace and to develop a strong educational base in at least one subject to facilitate entrance into a graduate program.







The goals of an Individualized Major are to: 

 

a) enhance the student’s ability to integrate method and content from two or more academic disciplines while meeting his/her educational interests and career objectives; and,

b) provide the student with flexible career skills to meet the challenges of a society undergoing rapid technological change. Students who choose to develop an Individualized Major must demonstrate their ability to gain proficiency in the chosen fields of study.  Thus, students must have a minimum GPA of 2.7 to apply for the Individualized Major and must obtain a minimum grade of C in courses counted towards the major.


The Individualized Major shall consist of at least 36 credits, a majority at the 300-level or higher, taken in two or more disciplines.  At least 18 of the 36 credits shall come from one discipline and consist of courses designed for departmental majors.  Students may apply no more than 6 credits of Independent Study/Internships/Field Placement coursework towards the 36 credits in the major.  The Independent Study should be directly related to and reflecting the interdisciplinary theme of the proposed plan of study. 

 

Students completing an Individualized Major can receive either a B.A. or a B.S., which will appear on the student’s transcript as “B.S. (or B.A.) - Individualized Major in (insert here title of major’s focus as indicated on the student’s Plan of Study).”  The discipline in which the student proposes to take the most credits in his/her plan of study decides whether the student receives a B.S. or B.A., and indicates from which School the student will receive the degree.  The discipline acts as a “home department” for the student.  The responsibility of fulfilling graduation requirements rests with the student, who must follow all University guidelines for degree applications and graduation.

 A student planning to pursue an Individualized Major must:
  • develop a Plan of Study that consists of at least 36 credits in two or more disciplines (see Eligibility Requirements below);
  • select two faculty advisors (one from each of the disciplines in which most credits will be obtained, as    outlined by the proposed Plan of Study) to supervise the student’s progress until completion;
  • submit the proposed Plan of Study for review and approval signature to:  1) his/her Faculty Advisors;
    2) Department Chair of each department in which the student is taking 15 or more credits towards the major; and, 3) to the Dean of his/her School who will forward the original to Registrar’s Office.
  • In the event revisions or changes are required, the student must file an Amendment/Substitution Form to the Individualized Major Plan with signatures of faculty advisors and the Dean.

The Dean informs the student of whether the plan of study has been approved and of any modifications recommended by the reviewers, before the end of the semester following submission of the proposed plan of study. 


 Eligibility requirements for a student pursuing an Individualized Major include:
  • file a Plan of Study with the Registrar’s Office no later than the end of the semester in which he/she has accumulated 60 credit hours;
  • if admitted to ECSU as a transfer student with 60 credits or more, he/she must file a Plan of Study with the Registrar’s Office no later than the end of the second semester of enrollment;
  • in no case will an Individualized Major be approved in the final semester of a student’s attendance.

Listing of some Interdisciplinary Majors:
Cognitive Neuroscience; Environmental Studies; Psychology of Video Communication; Multimedia Writing

Forms

Individualized Major Plan
Amendment/Substitution form to Individualized Major Plan


Contact Information:

Dr. Leslie P. Ricklin, Chair, Individualized Major Committee
Phone: 860-465-5229, ricklinl@easternct.edu

 Dr. Carmen Cid, Dean, Arts and Sciences,
Phone: 860-465-5295, cid@easternct.edu

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