Majors

The most comprehensive and authoritative source of information about the major is the University Catalog.  The following information is supplementary.

Students normally declare a major in the second semester of their sophomore year.  Transfer students with junior standing may wait a semester after matriculation, but must declare a major before the second semester.

Upperclass students who are not in a major or unacceptable to another major department are not eligible to continue at the University.

A.   Kinds of Majors:

1. Department Major:  The student must maintain at least a 2.0 average in work taken in the department.  Any additional requirements for entry and completion of the major precede the list of departmental course offerings in the University Catalog.  More complete information may be obtained from the appropriate department chairperson.

2. Double Major:  Same as above, except that a student majors in two departments and meets requirements of both.  No more than 22 units of credit may be taken in both departments together.  If majoring in these departments leads to different degrees, the student must elect whether to receive a B.A. or B.S. 

3. Multifield Major:  See Multifield Program below.         
4. Interdisciplinary and Combined Majors:  See University Catalog.

B.   Declaring a Major:  Before the second semester registration for fall courses, sophomores (students who are expected to earn 17 units or more by the end of that semester) receive a current copy of their academic transcript from the advising office.  At the announced time (mid-February, usually), students make an appointment with the chairperson of their intended major department and present their transcript to the chairperson.  If they are accepted, the chairperson will fill out a major declaration card which the student then takes to the advising office, Whitman 160.  The student is assigned an advisor in that department.  Students should consult with the faculty member they wish to have serve as their advisor before declaring a major.

Students who have earned the appropriate number of units and have not declared a major or completed a petition to postpone declaring a major are put on dean’s hold and are not permitted to register for courses for the following semester.  They will also be considered for academic suspension by the Academic Standing Committee.

A double major completes the process in both departments, and a copy of the student’s transcript is retained by both departments.  A double major declaration card must be filed with the advising office, Whitman 160.

B.  Changing a Major:  The student takes a copy of his or her transcript to the chairperson of the new department and requests the chairperson to sign a new declaration of major card.  The chairperson of the previous major department signs the card and the student takes it to the advising office for processing.  The student’s advising folder is sent to the new department.

C. Loss of Major:  A student loses standing in the major if at any time the cumulative grade point average in the department falls below 2.0.  A student who is dropped from a major must be accepted in another department (or gain probationary acceptance in the same department) or face suspension from the University.

If a double major loses a major in one department, the student remains a major in the other department. 

D.   Academic Minors:  All students have the option of declaring an academic minor in addition to their academic major.  The rules and regulations are as follows:
1. A student may elect no more than two minors.
2. A student may not declare a minor until he or she has declared a major. 
3. A student’s minor field may not be the same as the major field.  Students, however, may major in one foreign language and minor in a second.            
4. Any courses taken in the minor field beyond the maximum number required for the minor will count toward graduation.                  
5. A minor consists of five to seven courses, as defined by the department or program.
6. A minor declaration card must be filled out and signed by the chairperson of the minor declared.  The student must take the completed card to the advising office, Whitman 160, for processing.

Information about academic minors can be found in the University Catalog. 

Majors—Multifield
The multifield major program is designed for students who wish to study intensively in a multidisciplinary field but cannot achieve this goal through an existing departmental or interdisciplinary major.  The multifield program provides an opportunity for students to design their own program of study to reflect strong interest in subjects not covered by existing academic departments.

A student intending to pursue a multifield major must submit a proposal for an individual plan of study to the Multifield Major Committee.  The proposed program must detail an integrated plan of study for the junior and senior years that incorporates coursework from a minimum of two departments or fields.  The proposal must be signed by at least one faculty member in each field, one of whom will serve as the student’s primary academic advisor.  This advisor has the same responsibility as a departmental advisor.  After the proposal has been approved by the Multifield Major Committee, any subsequent changes from those courses specified in the proposal must be approved by the student’s advisor and submitted in writing to the committee.

A proposal for a multifield major should be submitted during the student’s sophomore year.  The latest a student may submit a proposal is the 3rd week of the second semester of the junior year.

A student entering the multifield program must fulfill distribution, unit and grade point average (GPA) requirements for graduation.  A student must have a 2.0 overall GPA to be admitted to the program and must maintain a 2.0 GPA in the multifield major to continue in the program.  Certain departmental major requirements particular to each of the fields within the major must be satisfied in order to graduate with a multifield major.

A proposal for a multifield major is both a description of the academic plan and a commitment to adhere to the objectives stated in the plan.  A proposal must contain:

1. A narrative section that describes the academic purposes of the program.  The description must include a specific, detailed explanation of the question or area of interest which is the focus of the proposal.  Also, the narrative must clearly and coherently demonstrate how the courses included in the proposal constitute an integrated, in-depth study of the question or interest.  Proposals that evidence an ambiguous focus and randomly selected courses from unrelated fields of study are rejected.               

2. A completed Form A, obtainable from the chairperson of the Multifield Major Committee, which lists:
a) a minimum of two fields of study;    
b) a minimum of four semester units in each field;        
c) at least one advanced semester unit (300-level or above) in each field;
d) a total of at least six advanced semester units within the chosen fields of study. Form A must include the signatures of faculty sponsors in each field listed. One of these faculty sponsors must be designated as the primary academic advisor.
3. A current academic transcript.

Students choosing the multifield major program are encouraged but not required to pursue an interdisciplinary, independent project, Multifield 489 and/or 490, as part of the major.  This project allows the student to pursue independent work in his or her area of interest as defined by the original proposal and should demonstrate the interrelationships among the fields comprising the multifield major.  The project can be submitted as one of the six advanced semester units and its focus should be described briefly in the proposal.  Projects are normally undertaken during the senior year. 

A student may graduate with honors from the multifield major program.  Honors for the multifield major require a 3.5 grade point average in the multifield major, satisfactory completion of an interdisciplinary, independent project (Multifield 490), and the presentation of its results in an academic forum.  The student must also receive the recommendation of his or her advisors.