Choosing a college major usually means picking from a list of subjects already offered by a university. But at one US college, students have the option to build an individualised area of study by combining their academic interests.
Gettysburg College offers an Individualized Major programme that allows students to create an interdisciplinary course of study with guidance from faculty members. Under the programme, students can bring together subjects from different academic areas and develop a course of study around their interests. The programme is designed for students whose academic goals may not fit into one of the college’s regular majors. Students work with faculty members to plan their courses and create a study programme that meets the college’s requirements. The proposal is then reviewed and approved by the college.
The college has highlighted examples of individualised majors in areas such as Forensic and Criminal Psychology, International Political Economy and Philosophy of History. This means a student interested in more than one subject does not necessarily have to choose just one traditional major. Instead, they can combine related areas into a structured academic programme.
