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Self-Designed Major
Request InformationDEGREE
Bachelor of Arts
PROGRAM ADMINISTRATORS
Jonathan P. Munson, Director/Professor
(914) 323-1317
jonathan.munson@mville.edu
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.
Click here for more instructions and to fill out the form for a self-designed
major or minor. All materials should be submitted to the chair of SASCC