The IM Proposal
Eligibility
A student must have a minimum GPA of 3.00 to be eligible to submit an IM proposal.
Timeline for Preparation and Approval
An IM must be declared and approved by the Individualized Program Board and the CAS Dean no later than the second semester of the sophomore year or four full semesters before graduation (e.g., for students matriculating with advanced standing). Normally an IM cannot be declared before the second semester of matriculation.
- An IM proposal must be submitted within the first six weeks of a semester to be considered by the committee during that semester.
- The student is responsible for preparing the IM proposal.
- The proposal requires the written endorsement of both mentors who agree to continue to provide support to the student as he/she progresses through the major.
Faculty Mentorship
An IM requires the mentorship of two faculty members. The primary mentor will be a full-time member in the department or major that provides the most of the credits in the IM. The co-mentor will be a full-time Faculty member from a different department or major that also provides credits in the IM. Both mentors must endorse the IM proposal, approve the capstone integrative project proposal and grade the project. The mentor will act as the official academic advisor, but the student’s course schedule requires the signature of both mentors. No faculty member can be a mentor or co-mentor for more than two IM majors at any given time.
At the completion of every semester, the mentors and student will prepare and file a report to the Individualized Major Program Board. This report will evaluate progress within the major and will include a one or two page reflection from the student with regards to the integrative accomplishments of the previous semester (e.g., integrative methodologies, knowledge and insights across disciplines). Progress will be evaluated both in terms of completing courses and maintaining a C average in major and required courses.
Content
The IM proposal consists of a narrative, title and brief catalog-style description of the proposed major program, and a list of courses along with a timetable for taking the courses. In the narrative, a student should discuss:
- How the IM will meet his/her academic and learning goals and outcomes.
- How the student and mentors will assess whether the student’s academic and learning goals and outcomes have been accomplished.
- How the chosen list of courses will adequately comprise the proposed IM.
- How the chosen title is related to the course list and accurately reflects the course content of the IM.
The IM title should succinctly and accurately reflect the curriculum content of the IM. If it is necessary to use the name of a major department/program in the title, written permission from the chair of the department is required. The catalog-style description is limited to 50 words.
Curricular Requirements
The minimum number of credits in an IM is 36. The typical IM will have a core of no less than 15 to 18 credits coming from one academic department/major in the College of Arts and Sciences, and at least half the credits of the major must be from CAS departments/majors. No more than half of the credits for an IM can be from a single existing major program of study. The IM requires the completion of a 3- to 6-credit integrative capstone project which should synthesize the disciplines represented in the IM and reflect the nature of the IM.
Details about the Individualized Major, including curriculum requirements, selection of mentors, proposal outline, mentor form and other aspects related to the program, are available from the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.
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