Trying to find a more eclectic major, and none seem quite right? Maybe you’ve considered doing an Interdisciplinary Degree, but aren’t really interested in Hotel Management? How about YOU design your own degree and CHOOSE which classes are required?
It may seem fanciful, but it can be done. I’ve done it.
Some schools are openly flexible about there options. Others need to be shown that it is within your right to do so. The first step is to find out which kind of school you are attending. It may take some work to find the right person to talk to – but in general, if you talk to an academic advisor, they can point you in the right direction.
Ask them about doing an Interdisciplinary Degree. They will most likely point out options such as Business/Environmental Studies, Math/Computers, etc. If what you are not looking for is not on their pre-planned list, then ask about it. “What about Physics/Parapsychology? Can I do that?” In general, they will be more open to combinations in which each part of it COULD have been it’s own degree – so they are very unlikely to allow something like “Volleyball/Home Economics” – but if that is your thing, it doesn’t hurt to ask.
If they keep insisting that you can only choose one of the combinations on the list (as they did with me), ask them about having triple focus. “What if I want to do Physics/Biology/Chemistry?” They are likely to tell you that you can only have two, and that you have to choose something off the list.
If they do, this is where you get creative. Have them help you work out which classes would be required for various pairs of your combination (in this case, Physics/Biology, Biology/Chemistry, Chemistry/Physics). Point out that there are a lot of classes in common. Ask about taking all the classes in common and getting a multi-focus interdisciplinary.
At this point, they are likely to point out that you could do an independent or multi-school major. While you may be thinking, “That’s what I asked and you said no” – don’t say it. At this point, they are going to try to help you.
They’ll give you a list of criteria. So many credits from this, so many from that, etc. It is key that they think you can reasonably pull it off in a reasonable amount of time, so go through the list and mark anything you have already completed as a requirement.
Next, mark the classes you WANT as requirements.
Flush it out so that you are getting the number of credits from each section. After completing the last two steps, you’d be surprised at how few you actually need to add at this stage.
Once they approve it, you’ll have to get an academic advisor from each department. Choose people you get along with, as they are going to have to be patient when things such as capstones come into play. Choose one of your advisors as your primary. This person will usually be the one that signs off on things for you.
When you go to do your final capstone, I encourage you to find something that combines all of your chosen schools. While the school will most likely not require it, it is the best way to show that the combination you chose is valid, even post graduation.
And one last piece of advice – make sure to have some idea what you want to do before you start talking with everyone. Confidence will play a big role in convincing them that it is worth their time and effort to help you accomplish your goal.