Applying for an L&S Individual Major
The following document discusses the process of applying for an Individual Major in the College of Letters & Science.
Before a student submits an application for an Individual Major, they must meet with an L&S academic dean to review eligibility. Schedule an appointment by emailing lsdeans@saa.ls.wisc.edu or calling (608) 262-0617.
Applications for the Individual Major are accepted up to Friday of the fourth week of classes in the fall and spring semesters only. Applications received after that deadline will be reviewed during the following fall or spring term. Individual Major applications are not reviewed during the summer.
The application must include:
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A summary of the conversation with the L&S academic dean who reviews eligibility for the L&S undergraduate Individual Major;
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A cover letter from the student to the Faculty Committee on Individual Majors describing the area of interest, explaining why the academic goals of the Individual Major cannot be achieved through an existing major or combination of majors and certificates, and discussing the Individual Major's applicability to future goals and plans;
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A list of courses that will be included in the major along with a narrative explaining how the courses included on the list apply to the proposed Individual Major program (NOTE: students can use a maximum of two (2) courses completed prior to getting the Individual Major approved as part of their list of courses);
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A letter of recommendation and support for the proposal from a tenured faculty member in L&S willing to serve as advisor for the proposed Individual Major; and
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The student's current academic record (unofficial transcript).
Additional supporting materials may also be included. Students must submit the original completed application with all supporting documentation in an electronic format to L&S Undergraduate Academic Deans' Services via email (lsdeans@saa.ls.wisc.edu).
Each Individual Major application is reviewed by a committee of three faculty members from the College of Letters & Science, each representing a department related to the proposed major. The faculty committee evaluates the proposal for coherence, appropriate breadth and depth, and similarity to existing majors. The committee may approve the proposal as submitted, recommend modifications, reject the proposal altogether, or reject it with an invitation to revise and resubmit in a later semester. The committee's decision is final. Committee approval is necessary for the student to declare the Individual Major.
Students may propose to complete an Individual Major with Honors by appending an Honors in the Major proposal to the regular Individual Major proposal.