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Self-Designed Major
Request InformationDEGREE
Bachelor of Arts
Manhattanville offers 45 programs for our undergraduate students to major and/or minor in. If your interests lie outside or between existing areas, you can propose a self-designed major or minor.
Youth Advocacy, Italian Studies, and Film Directing are just a few examples of the majors current and recent Manhattanville students have designed for themselves. Each self-designed program is unique to the student who designed it, but all self-designed majors are interdisciplinary, involving courses from two or more departments. Students who self-design their major select faculty advisors from the various departments their major touches on. Each self-designed major also needs to be approved by the School of Arts of Sciences Curriculum Committee (SASCC).
Before you can begin your journey as a self-designed major, you will meet with your faculty advisors and design your program. Then you'll need to propose your program to the School of Arts and Sciences Curriculum Committee (SASCC) for consideration and approval.
In order to have your self-designed major considered by SASCC, you must complete the following:
Consult with three faculty members (at least two of whom are full-time) from at least two different departments, including those from which courses are drawn. Signatures must be obtained from at least one faculty member in each of the departments from which courses are selected. The signatures indicate support of the proposed major. Together these faculty members will act in lieu of a regular department chairperson.
Write a carefully thought-out rationale for the self-designed major. This essay should be of sufficient length to persuade SASCC of depth and validity of the proposed program of study. Indicate the reason for including each course and how courses chosen
relate to each other. This rationale must be signed by each of the faculty members acting in lieu of a single major department chair.
Provide a list of all courses that will be used toward the self-designed major, including a senior evaluation. (Most self-designed majors require at least 12 courses.) Again, the list must be signed by each of the faculty members acting in lieu of a single major department chair.
Students are encouraged to discuss their plans for a self-designed major as early as possible with the chair of SASCC and the faculty members who support the plan.
Self-Designed Minors are also possible, and require the support of two faculty members, a rationale, and a list of courses.
Follow the instructions and fill out the self-designed major form here, and the self-designed minor form here. All materials should be submitted to the chair of SASCC.