Individualized Major Curriculum

Eligibility

1. Incoming freshmen must wait until their second semester at USD to submit a formal proposal for an Individualized Major (IM).  Students must complete 30 units in residence at USD before a proposed IM can be approved.  Students are encouraged to begin thinking about an IM early, perhaps even before they begin classes at USD.  But they should have time to settle in, learn, and explore their options before proposing an IM.

2. Transfer students who have completed at least 60 units prior to enrolling at USD may submit an IM proposal for approval at the end of their first semester in residence.

3. Students must have their IM proposal approved before they complete a maximum of 80 units.  If their IM proposal is not approved prior to reaching that threshold, the student will not be allowed to participate in the program.

4. Students must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 and be in good academic standing for their IM proposal to be submitted and approved.  Any exceptions must be for a compelling reason, and must be approved by both the faculty advisor and Program Director.

Faculty Advisor

Students must seek a faculty advisor early in the process of preparing a proposal.  Advisors must be faculty, usually tenure-track or full-time, but part-time faculty also may serve as IM advisors.  Students should consult with the Program Director during the process of selecting an advisor.  The advisor helps to guide and shape the proposal, and eventually must approve it, in consultation with the Program Director.  Once an IM is approved, the advisor typically will continue to work with the student until the student exits the program or completes the major.  This can be a dynamic, eclectic, flexible, and largely informal relationship, based on regular meetings and/or discussions between the student and advisor throughout the course of the major.

Advisors’ duties include:

1. Assisting students in preparing their proposal.

2. Helping to guide students through the approval process.

3. Evaluating, modifying, and approving/rejecting a proposed major, in cooperation with the Program Director.

4. Advising students through completion of the major (assuming neither party exits), including meeting personally with advisees at least twice each semester to check the student’s progress and to approve their proposed academic schedule for the next semester.

5. Approving any proposed changes to the major, in cooperation with the Program Director.

6. Evaluating, modifying, and approving/rejecting the senior project proposal, in cooperation with the Program Director.

7. Attending the senior project presentation, and determining, with the Program Director, whether the student satisfied the terms and requirements of the senior project.

8. Certifying, with the Program Director, that the student satisfactorily completed all requirements for the major.

Students may, in consultation with the Program Director, change faculty advisors at any time.  Conversely, faculty advisors may decide not to work with a student, for any reason and at any point during the course of the major.  If a student loses their faculty advisor, the student must consult with the Program Director to seek another advisor, and to determine whether the IM program remains a viable option.

Students may, in consultation with their faculty advisor and Program Director, add an optional secondary advisor.  The secondary advisor’s role is purely consultative, and does not involve any formal duties or powers.

Student Proposal

Individualized majors should reflect the values and highest ideals of a liberal arts education.  Proposals must clearly state, explain, and justify a coherent, cohesive, and integrative program of study.

An individualized major must have the depth, breadth, and coherence of a traditional major.  It may not include more than 1/3 of the upper-division course or unit requirements for an existing major, or be, in effect, a “major lite” that avoids certain classes in established majors, or a “sampler platter” in which students select classes from different departments, without a clear, compelling, and comprehensive curricular plan.

The IM is an invaluable opportunity to create a unique course of study that treats something the student is truly passionate about.  Students are encouraged not to tailor their proposed major to a specific career.  Accordingly, the proposed major cannot be narrow, vocational, strictly pre-professional, or focused solely on possible future employment.

Proposals must include, at a minimum, the following information:

1. The specific question or questions that the student will explore and seek to answer during the course of the major.

2. A clear rationale and articulated goals for the major.

3. A list including every individual class proposed for the major, including alternative classes, plus any desirable sequencing.

4. An essay that makes explicit connections among the proposed classes and explains how the individual classes fit together as a comprehensive major.

5. Proposal for a senior integrative project/capstone.

6. Why the proposed major makes sense in terms of what the student wants to accomplish, and how the major relates to their interests, expectations, life experiences, and goals.

7. Why the proposed major cannot be satisfied with any combination of established majors, minors, or other academic programs.

8. How the proposed major promotes the values and ideals of a liberal arts education.

9. A brief initial literature review and annotated bibliography.  (The student will continue to develop this bibliography over the course of the major, and must submit a final, comprehensive literature review/annotated bibliography as part of the senior project/capstone).

10. A current academic transcript.

11. An alternative plan for an established major if the IM proposal is not accepted, or if the student exits the program prior to completing the major.

12. Any other information requested by the academic advisor or Program Director.

In preparing a proposal, students must work closely with their advisor and the Program Director.  With their guidance, students should also consult with additional faculty, academic staff, and other students in the IM program.  Where appropriate, students must consult with pre-professional advisors (e.g., pre-health, pre-law), department chairs, and/or other members of the university community before their proposal can be approved.

Approval Process

IM proposals require the written approval of both the faculty advisor and the Program Director for the student to be accepted into the program. 

Initial approval must come from the faculty advisor.  The advisor’s role is to help shape the proposal, and to make sure that the student understands, and the proposal meets, all program requirements and expectations.  The advisor may accept the proposal, require changes to the proposal, or reject a proposal, at the advisor’s sole discretion. 

If the advisor approves the proposal, the advisor and Program Director will schedule an open meeting, at which the student must appear in person to present, explain, and justify their proposal, and answer any questions that the advisor, Program Director, and/or any other key parties might have.

Following this presentation, the Program Director may: 1. approve the proposal; 2. reject the proposal; or 3. require that the proposal be revised and resubmitted.  Any subsequent changes require both the advisor’s and Program Director’s approval before the student can be admitted to the program.  At any time prior to final approval, the advisor and/or Program Director may request additional revisions and/or consultations.

If the advisor rejects a proposal outright, the student may seek another faculty advisor, in consultation with the Program Director.  If the Program Director rejects a proposal, the student may appeal to the College Dean’s office.

Once the Program Director approves the proposal and the student is formally admitted to the program, the student’s proposal becomes a formal agreement.  Any subsequent changes must be approved by the faculty advisor if the changes are minor (e.g., single course substitutions), or by both the advisor and Program Director if the proposed changes significantly alter the IM’s approved terms.  The student must inform both the advisor and Program Director of any proposed changes to the major.  The Program Director has the right to determine whether proposed changes are significant and require the Program Director’s approval.  The student may appeal an adverse decision regarding proposed program changes, first to the Program Director, then to the College Dean’s office.

Senior Project/Capstone

All IM students must propose, prepare, and present a senior project/capstone.  Students should propose a final version of their senior project during their junior year.  They must obtain the approval of both their advisor and the Program Director by the end of their junior year, and begin work on their project no later than the first semester of their senior year. 

During the second semester of their senior year, students must enroll in an IM senior project course, to be taught by the Program Director or other qualified instructor.  This course will meet at the Program Director’s discretion, and is intended to provide students with a scholarly community of peers, where they can work on their presentations, seek help, share ideas, and provide each other with constructive feedback and encouragement.  While taking this course, IM students will complete their projects, make their public presentations, and complete all remaining requirements for their major.

There should be considerable flexibility in the form and substance of the senior project.   Students may propose, among other possibilities, a traditional research project, a comprehensive exam, an artistic performance, a novel, a play, a video, or a community engagement project.  Thoughtful creativity is encouraged, but the project must be academically defensible and intellectually rigorous.

Regardless of the project’s form, all senior projects must, at a minimum, include the following:

1. The student must make, in person, a formal public presentation to display, explain, and answer questions about their major and senior project.

2. There must be a significant research component, even if the project is performance or media based.

3. The project must be interdisciplinary and integrative, drawing from different disciplines and/or theoretical perspectives in a meaningful way.

4. The student must present a comprehensive literature review/annotated bibliography, compiled over the course of their major.

5. The student must write a thoughtful and reflective intellectual autobiography, including a meditation upon their work and lessons learned during the course of the major.

Other Requirements for Completion of the Major

Students assume full responsibility for developing, defending, and completing their major and all major requirements in a satisfactory manner.  In addition to meeting all of the terms of their approved major, students must:

1. Complete all Core Curriculum requirements.

2. Complete a minimum of 30 upper division units in the major, taken for a letter grade.  Lower division preparatory work is left to the discretion of the student, advisor, and Program Director.

3. Maintain at least a 2.7 average GPA in the major and overall.

4. Earn a C- or better in each upper division course for the major.

5. Complete at least 2/3 of the upper division units for the major on campus, in off-campus classes taught by USD faculty, and/or in approved courses taught through USD-affiliated study abroad programs.

6. Include at least one methodology and/or theory course, as determined on a case-by-case basis by the student, advisor, and Program Director.

7. Count no more than three units of independent or directed study toward the IM requirements.

IM students may double major, but are strictly limited to one IM major.  A second, traditional major is possible, subject to the approval of the faculty advisor and Program Director.  There can be no double-counting of any upper division units between an IM and a traditional major or minor.

Tracking, Certification, Transcripts, and Diplomas

1. Tracking.  Students are responsible for tracking their own progress through the major.  They may be assisted by their faculty advisor, the Program Director, and the Registrar's office.

2. Probation and Exit provisions.  If a student fails to make satisfactory progress in fulfilling major requirements, or fails to meet one or more eligibility requirements for the IM program, the faculty advisor and Program Director may either place the student on probation and require the student to demonstrate that they can satisfy all requirements for the major in a timely manner, or they may dismiss the student from the IM program and require the student to declare a different major.  The student may appeal a program dismissal decision to the College Dean’s office.

3. Certification.  Following the senior project presentation, the faculty advisor and Program Director must certify that the student has met all program requirements for the major.  The student may appeal an adverse decision to the College Dean’s office.

4. Transcripts. Based on information provided by the student and Director, the Registrar will list the title of the student’s individualized major on the student’s official transcript, along with a brief textual description of the major. The transcript must also flag the specific courses that comprise the major.

5. Diplomas. The student’s diploma should list the title, either in full or in abbreviated form, of the individualized major. If this is not possible, then the diploma, then the diploma should state that the student earned a BA with an Individualized Major.