Individually Designed Major B.S.Ed.

Program Overview

Your Personalized Interdisciplinary Academic Experience

Are you a student interested in creating your own interdisciplinary academic path exploring your career interests with children, families and communities?

Would you like to engage in practical experience and research to learn about conditions, innovations, programs and policies that shape educational experiences?

The Individually Designed Major (IDM) in Education is an interdisciplinary program that allows you to connect CESS courses with University-wide courses to create an unique major aligned with your interests and goals. 

Experiential Learning and Capstone Project

Innovative, research-informed coursework provides many opportunities to learn collaboratively with your peers in the classroom and through practical experience in a variety of diverse field settings. 

In addition to working with local community partners, you can engage explore research interests and study abroad opportunities in the U.S. and throughout the world.

Your capstone will focus on a culminating project or thesis advised by an academic mentor.

Degree Requirements

Student Success Spotlight

“I was stuck between a bunch of different things that I wanted to study and didn’t feel that I fit in any mold of a classic major. I really wanted to be able to carve my own path.”

Carving an Individualized Path of Success

Previous IDM Degree Titles

• Advancing Educational Systems with Integrative Health Practices
• Aiding Children Through Outdoor Education and Therapy
• Examining the Intersection of Behavioral Management and Child Life Specialist Professions
• Food Sustainability and Environmental Education
• Holistic Disability Education and Disability Culture Studies
• Integrative Health and Wellness
• Society, Human Development, and the Emergent Multilingual Students
• Supporting Children and Families Using Trauma Informed Practices
• Cultivating Holistic Wellness Through Social-Emotional Educational Practices, Trauma-Informed Social Services and Integrative Health Coaching

Contact Us

Reach out to our Student Services Office if you are interested or have questions. We would love to hear from you.

• Email: cessstsv@uvm.edu
• Call: 802-656-3468

Admissions

Apply, Visit, or Request Information

Admissions

How to Get Started

Step 1: Explore:

Schedule an appointment to discuss your goals and to create a preliminary proposal addressing the following questions. (Note: First year students wishing to pursue the CESS Individually Designed Major may enter as Undeclared, and then work collaboratively with the IDM Program Coordinator to identify interests, develop their proposal and course sequence, and identify a faculty advisor.)

• What is the overarching theme of this major? How would you describe your major, and what does it encompass?
• How does this major relate to the overall focus of the College of Education and Social Services (CESS)?
• What makes your major distinct from other majors within CESS? If possible, identify potential coursework that you would like to complete that aligns with your major theme and academic aspirations.
• How do you imagine the individually designed major advancing your career aspirations? Along with answering the questions, review your existing coursework to see how it aligns with the IDM academic requirements.

Reach out to our Student Services Office:

• Email: cessstsv@uvm.edu
• Call: 802-656-3468

Step 2: Develop and Submit Your Proposal

Use our application form to submit your preliminary proposal.

With guidance from the the IDM Program Coordinator, you will identify faculty advisors and mentors to guide your academic journey. Collaboratively, you will enhance your proposal and create a plan, complete with proposed courses, to submit for formal approval by the Program.

Step 3: Initiate

When approved, you will be admitted into the IDM and assigned an academic advisor to support and guide you in your program.