Guidelines
Faculty and students should keep in mind the following guidelines when submitting a proposal for an interdepartmental major, minor, or certificate.
General Requirements
Interdepartmental (IPA) majors require a minimum of 40 credit hours of core courses.
Titles of proposed programs (majors and minors) should be brief and general in nature, e.g., “Modern China”, not “Contemporary Problems in Chinese Society.”
Students may use some 100-level courses, but the major or minor consists primarily of upper-level work. Normally, language courses at the intermediate level or above may be included.
Cross-listed courses will be considered according to the parent department of the course.
Courses Outside of the School of Arts and Sciences and the Hajim School
Traditionally, no more than two courses taken outside the School of Arts and Sciences and the Hajim School of Engineering and Applied Sciences may be included in an interdepartmental major’s core program, although there are exceptions (study abroad programs, etc.).
Course Overlap
Up to two courses used to fulfill requirements in another major or minor may be used towards the core of an interdepartmental major.
Faculty Advisors
Faculty advisor endorsements are important to the proposal but do not guarantee acceptance.
Faculty Advisors for Interdepartmental Majors
Interdepartmental majors require two faculty advisors who are:
- From different departments
- In some way connected to the core courses proposed
And at least one faculty advisor who:
- Holds the rank of assistant professor or higher
- Is from the School of Arts and Sciences or the Hajim School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
Divisional Area
The majority of core courses determines the divisional area (humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences) of the interdepartmental program.
Upper-Level Writing Requirement (ULW)
Students must take two designated writing courses in each of their majors.
For the purposes of interdepartmental programs, upper-level writing courses may not be shared between an interdepartmental major and another major.
Proposal Rejections
A proposal might be rejected if it:
- Is a watered-down version of something that currently exists in the curriculum (major, minor, certificate)
- Consists of courses from only one department
- Is pre-professional in nature (e.g. accounting, physical therapy) as determined by the committee
- Contains too many courses from outside the School of Arts and Sciences and the Hajim School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
- Has essays that are poorly written
- Poorly justifies the reasons for proposing the interdepartmental program
A proposal might also be rejected if the student has:
- Not yet completed any of the proposed courses
- Done poorly (less than C average) in the proposed courses