Office & Contact Information

1207 Social Sciences & Humanities Building (Undergraduate Education & Advising office); Advising

The Major Program

The Individual Major, an integrated program composed of courses from two or more disciplines, is designed by the student and is subject to approval by the faculty advisor and appropriate college committees. This major enables a student to pursue a specific interest that cannot be accommodated within the framework of an existing major. It must clearly and specifically meet the student’s educational goals as well as meet university and college academic standards.

Student Proposal

Prior to submission of proposal, student must meet the following criteria: minimum overall GPA or 3.0 as well as a minimum GPA of 3.0 in all preparatory courses for the selected major. A student who wishes to propose an individual major must submit the proposal to the Faculty Committee on Individual Majors in the College of Letters & Science prior to reaching 120 units. The proposal must be submitted by the end of the fourth week of the quarter. This proposal will consist of (1) an essay, identifying the specific educational and professional objectives, including an indication of why the objectives cannot be met within existing majors, (2) a list of courses planned to complete the major, and (3) faculty advisor recommendations. The proposal will be reviewed and a decision provided the quarter of submittal. It is important that you carefully review the information in the Individual Major Handbook.

Honors Program

By the fourth week of the last quarter of the junior year, students potentially eligible for high or highest honors at graduation (see Dean's Honors List & Graduation with Honors), may petition the Individual Majors Committee for tentative acceptance into an honors program.

Final admission will depend upon the Committee's approval of a senior thesis prospectus that has been agreed upon by the student and faculty advisor. The prospectus must be presented to the Committee by the end of the fourth full week of instruction of the first quarter of the senior year. Graduation with high or highest honors will be conditional upon both the maintenance of the required grade point average and the satisfactory completion of the senior thesis project. Students who anticipate doing a senior honors thesis should allow up to 3 units of independent study in the program during each of two quarters in the senior year as course options.

Major Advisor (Selected By Student)

Principal Advisor. A faculty member in a teaching department or program in the College of Letters & Science in the major field of emphasis.
Secondary Advisor. A faculty member from a secondary area of interest.

The major requirements below are in addition to meeting University Degree Requirements & College Degree Requirements; unless otherwise noted. The minimum number of units required for the Letters & Science Individual Bachelor of Science is 45.