Individually Designed Major (BA)

The Individualized Major must be a coherent program of study that crosses disciplinary lines by combining courses from at least two disciplines. Any Individualized Major should adhere to the same principles of breadth, depth, and liberal-arts centered inquiry that the faculty has established for existing majors. Specific requirements include:

• At least 32 and no more than 56 semester hours;

• no more than 32 semester hours from the same disciplinary prefix;

• at least 12 upper-division semester hours and at least 12 lower-division semester hours;

• at least 4 Writing-centered semester hours, and

• an integrative senior capstone.

If the Individualized Major is a second major, no more than 50% of the coursework from the first major may be counted towards it.

Proposals for Individualized Majors must be submitted no later than the end of the sophomore year—or, for students who have transferred in more than 48 semester hours, no later than the end of the first semester at Willamette.

Exceptions may be considered on a case-by-case basis for students declaring an Individualized Major as a second major, or under other extraordinary circumstances. Students seeking an exception should consult with the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Associate Dean for Curriculum and Student Success.

The Individualized Majors proposal form includes instructions on how to develop the proposal with two tenure-track faculty and a representative from the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Dean's office. The form should be used for both student-created majors and pre-approved majors.