Frequently Asked Questions

What kinds of courses create an individualized major or minor?

The major is intended to fit your interests within a unified plan of study. Ten courses that you like do not necessarily add up to a major. Instead the major should lead to a connected body of knowledge in a field of study.

Interdepartmental programs are for students whose interests do not fit inside a single department. Some proposals are turned down because students have unwittingly constructed a “watered-down” version of a major, one which appears to circumvent a few required courses in an existing major.

Your faculty advisors, as well as advisors in the Multidisciplinary Studies Center (MSC), will help you talk over these issues. Strive for models of coherence and cohesiveness.

Can I use courses taken outside Arts, Sciences & Engineering (AS&E) for an individualized major or minor?

For an interdepartmental major, students historically have been permitted to use up to two courses outside Arts, Sciences & Engineering (AS&E) as part of their core course list. This includes courses taken outside of AS&E and courses taken outside of the University of Rochester.  

For an interdepartmental minor, no more than one course may come from outside AS&E.

Can I use courses taken outside of the University of Rochester (AS&E) for an individualized major or minor?

For an interdepartmental major, students historically have been permitted to use up to two courses outside Arts, Sciences & Engineering (AS&E) as part of their core course list. This includes courses taken outside of AS&E and courses taken outside of the University of Rochester.  

All courses for an interdepartmental minor must come from within the University of Rochester.

What level of courses can I use?

You may use some 100-level courses, but the major or minor consists primarily of upper-level work. Your proposal should use include intermediate level courses or above.

Can I have course overlaps with an individualized major or minor?

Up to two courses used to fulfill requirements in another major may be used toward the core of an interdepartmental major. 

No courses for an interdepartmental minor may overlap with courses from another major or minor.

How do I choose faculty advisors?

One common way students choose their advisor is by asking a faculty member whose courses helped inspire their individualized major or minor. An advisor in the Multidisciplinary Studies Center can brainstorm other possibilities with you. 

Faculty advisors will assist you in the development of your proposal. At least one of the advisors must hold the rank of assistant professor or higher. Faculty advisors should in some way have a connection to the proposal. 

Interdepartmental majors require two faculty members advisors. The faculty advisors should come from different academic departments. 

An interdepartmental minor requires only one faculty advisor.

Can an interdepartmental major or minor fulfill a divisional requirement?

If the majority of your proposed courses fall within one of the divisions (humanities, natural sciences, or social sciences), your interdepartmental program can be used to fulfill a division. For the purposes of interdepartmental programs, the home department that offers the course determines which divisional area the course may count towards.

What is the time frame for declaring an individualized major or minor?

You’re expected to have an officially declared major by the time you have earned 64 credit hours, normally by the end of the sophomore year. Proposals are carefully reviewed and evaluated by the CIIP once a semester, in April and November.

The deadlines for submitting a completed proposal are: March 30 and November 1. Seniors are not eligible to apply for interdepartmental programs.

How do I fulfill the upper-level writing requirement?

Courses designated as fulfilling the writing requirements of other departments, as well as individualized upper-level writing courses, may be used. You may also designate an independent study course in the major as partial fulfillment of the requirement.

For the purposes of interdepartmental programs, upper-level writing courses may not be shared between an interdepartmental major and another major.

Are changes permitted to an interdepartmental major or minor after it’s been approved?

Yes. If you need to make changes to your proposal after it has been approved by the committee, you will need to fill out the Request for Changes form available on the interdepartmental website, and follow the request changes process.

Can students with individualized interdepartmental majors graduate with research honors?

See the interdepartmental honors page for more information.

What are the criteria for graduation with distinction?

The bachelor’s degree with distinction is awarded to students with a sufficiently high grade point average within the major: 3.4 with distinction, 3.6 for high distinction, and 3.8 for highest distinction. Only core courses, not supplemental courses, are counted.

It is possible for students to earn the degree with both distinction and research honors.