Type of Degree
B.A., Minor
School or College
Program Format
On-campus, Full-time
Program Overview
Why an IDM?
Sometimes your academic journey takes you off the beaten track. If you know what you want to do, but haven’t found the right program for it, UVM’s College of Arts and Sciences gives you the option of designing a major or minor that closely fits your particular interests and career objectives.
If you find a promising academic route that lies along on the margins of different disciplines, an interdisciplinary major or minor may be right for you.
Nondepartmental, interdisciplinary studies
In CAS, the Independently Designed Major (IDMajor) and Minor (IDMinor) are non-departmental, interdisciplinary options for students with academic interests that are not met by the programs currently offered. An IDM may not be a program of narrow professional training. Rather, the goal of an IDM should be intensive investigation of a broad area of human knowledge which is not covered by a single major discipline, or reflected in a grouping of loosely associated courses. With their faculty sponsor, students pursuing an IDM will craft a coherent curriculum that allows the student to concentrate on a unique area of study; for the ID Major, this will culminate in a "capstone" senior project research paper, project, or thesis.
Curriculum
INDIVIDUALLY DESIGNED MAJOR
An Individually Designed Major (IDM) must consist of at least 36 credit hours (including at least six at the 3000 level or above). The proposal must include 18 hours of required core courses at the 2000 level or above, which are integral to the idea of the major. These 18 hours must include a 3-credit senior tutorial/senior project, in which the student submits, to a Committee of three or more professors, a paper or an equivalent project that demonstrates the essential coherence of the IDM. The evaluation committee will include the student's advisor and at least one representative from another academic department with courses included in the core of the IDM. A 6-credit College Honors project may be substituted for this tutorial requirement.
The balance of the major requirements is to be chosen from an approved list of elective courses and should include at least 18 hours.
Normally, no more than 6 hours of Readings and Research may be applied toward the completion of an IDM. No more than 6 credits of internship, independent study, and/or undergraduate research may be included in the major. No more than 12 credits may come from subject prefixes offered outside the College of Arts and Sciences.
No more than 18 hours of the proposed major may be completed or begun at the time of application.
Approval of an Individually Designed Major does not release a student from the other normal requirements of the college, e.g. 1) no more than 45 hours in any one department can count toward graduation credits; 2) no more than 24 hours outside the College can count toward graduation credits; 3) the student must fulfill the normal distribution of studies requirements.
INDIVIDUALLY DESIGNED MINOR
An Individually Designed Minor (IDM) must consist of at least 18 credit hours. The proposal must include 9 hours of required core courses at the 2000 level or above, which are integral to the idea of the minor.
The balance of the minor requirements is to be chosen from an approved list of elective courses and should include at least 9 hours.
Students pursuing an Individually Designed Minor may also elect to pursue 2 additional credits (for a total of 20).
Normally, no more than 6 hours of Readings and Research may be applied toward the completion of an IDM. No more than 6 credits of internship, independent study, and/or undergraduate research may be included in the major. No more than 6 credits may come from subject prefixes offered outside the College of Arts and Sciences.
No more than 9 hours of the proposed minor may be completed or begun at the time of application.
Only one course may overlap between a major and a minor or between two minors.
Approval of an Individually Designed Minor does not release a student from the other normal requirements of the college, e.g. 1) no more than 45 hours in any one department can count toward graduation credits; 2) no more than 24 hours outside the College can count toward graduation credits; 3) the student must fulfill the normal distribution of studies requirements.
Requirements
More
Questions about Individually Designed Majors or Minors?
Please contact the IDM advisor of the Academic Studies Committee.
Paul Deslandes, Associate Dean and Professor of History
E-mail: idmcas@uvm.edu
Program Overview
Why an IDM?
Sometimes your academic journey takes you off the beaten track. If you know what you want to do, but haven’t found the right program for it, UVM’s College of Arts and Sciences gives you the option of designing a major or minor that closely fits your particular interests and career objectives.
If you find a promising academic route that lies along on the margins of different disciplines, an interdisciplinary major or minor may be right for you.
Nondepartmental, interdisciplinary studies
In CAS, the Independently Designed Major (IDMajor) and Minor (IDMinor) are non-departmental, interdisciplinary options for students with academic interests that are not met by the programs currently offered. An IDM may not be a program of narrow professional training. Rather, the goal of an IDM should be intensive investigation of a broad area of human knowledge which is not covered by a single major discipline, or reflected in a grouping of loosely associated courses. With their faculty sponsor, students pursuing an IDM will craft a coherent curriculum that allows the student to concentrate on a unique area of study; for the ID Major, this will culminate in a "capstone" senior project research paper, project, or thesis.
Curriculum
INDIVIDUALLY DESIGNED MAJOR
An Individually Designed Major (IDM) must consist of at least 36 credit hours (including at least six at the 3000 level or above). The proposal must include 18 hours of required core courses at the 2000 level or above, which are integral to the idea of the major. These 18 hours must include a 3-credit senior tutorial/senior project, in which the student submits, to a Committee of three or more professors, a paper or an equivalent project that demonstrates the essential coherence of the IDM. The evaluation committee will include the student's advisor and at least one representative from another academic department with courses included in the core of the IDM. A 6-credit College Honors project may be substituted for this tutorial requirement.
The balance of the major requirements is to be chosen from an approved list of elective courses and should include at least 18 hours.
Normally, no more than 6 hours of Readings and Research may be applied toward the completion of an IDM. No more than 6 credits of internship, independent study, and/or undergraduate research may be included in the major. No more than 12 credits may come from subject prefixes offered outside the College of Arts and Sciences.
No more than 18 hours of the proposed major may be completed or begun at the time of application.
Approval of an Individually Designed Major does not release a student from the other normal requirements of the college, e.g. 1) no more than 45 hours in any one department can count toward graduation credits; 2) no more than 24 hours outside the College can count toward graduation credits; 3) the student must fulfill the normal distribution of studies requirements.
INDIVIDUALLY DESIGNED MINOR
An Individually Designed Minor (IDM) must consist of at least 18 credit hours. The proposal must include 9 hours of required core courses at the 2000 level or above, which are integral to the idea of the minor.
The balance of the minor requirements is to be chosen from an approved list of elective courses and should include at least 9 hours.
Students pursuing an Individually Designed Minor may also elect to pursue 2 additional credits (for a total of 20).
Normally, no more than 6 hours of Readings and Research may be applied toward the completion of an IDM. No more than 6 credits of internship, independent study, and/or undergraduate research may be included in the major. No more than 6 credits may come from subject prefixes offered outside the College of Arts and Sciences.
No more than 9 hours of the proposed minor may be completed or begun at the time of application.
Only one course may overlap between a major and a minor or between two minors.
Approval of an Individually Designed Minor does not release a student from the other normal requirements of the college, e.g. 1) no more than 45 hours in any one department can count toward graduation credits; 2) no more than 24 hours outside the College can count toward graduation credits; 3) the student must fulfill the normal distribution of studies requirements.
More
Questions about Individually Designed Majors or Minors?
Please contact the IDM advisor of the Academic Studies Committee.
Paul Deslandes, Associate Dean and Professor of History
E-mail: idmcas@uvm.edu