The SDM has three parts:- A core of at least 24 hours of formal course work (no
independent
study or
"readings in" hours in the 24), with a minimum of
12 hours of upper division courses, to be determined by you and
your faculty committee and approved by the Faculty Council - 6 hours of independent study, also approved by your committee
and the
Faculty Council
- A senior project or thesis which sums up or typifies the SDM
Students must also complete all University and Plan 1 College
requirements, including
the University Studies Program, and maintain a cumulative grade
point average of 2.8. The Admission Process
Begin application for the SDM program at least 3 semesters
before you
plan to graduate. To qualify for admission you
must have a 3.0 grade point average. To apply, first make an
appointment with the SDM
advisor in the Dean's Office of the College of Arts and Sciences.
The advisor will explain
the program and help with the application process. Before this
meeting, prepare a brief,
preliminary description of the focus of the major and an explanation
of why
it cannot be attained through existing systems (such as double
majors or a
major/minor combination). If you have not selected a faculty
member to be your primary advisor, the SDM advisor can suggest
faculty with expertise in
the areas in which you wish to study.
Next, meet with your primary faculty advisor, who will help you
prepare the
application. In addition to completing the application form, you
will prepare a one- or
two-page rationale for the particular focus and a list of at least
24 hours of formal
course work (including a minimum of 12 hours of upper division
courses) through which you will explore that focus. The main
faculty adviser writes a
letter of support for the proposal which is submitted with it.
In consultation with your primary faculty advisor, select two
additional faculty members
with expertise in your areas of interest. The three faculty members
will serve as your
advisory committee for the SDM, and all three must sign the
application form.
Return your completed form, rationale, and projected course of
study to the SDM advisor
in the A&S Dean's Office. The Faculty Council, which reviews
applications, will review
your application, meet with you, and approve or deny admission or
suggest
revisions. The Council will be
especially concerned with your proposed major's coherence and with
your ability to do
independent work. Evidence of strong motivation and effective
self-direction will be an
important consideration. If the Council approves your proposal, you
are then admitted to the Self-designed Major, and the courses
listed in
your proposal are entered into On-Course as those required for
your major,
along with successful completion of the senior project. The Senior Project
The most creative and demanding part of the SDM is the senior
project, a substantial
original work which shows what the major has enabled you to
accomplish. The project
should:- Synthesize the components of the major
- Offer original insights into the central focus of the major
- Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the academic
foundations on which the
project is built.
Many projects are research papers, usually around 40 pages in
length. However, the
senior project may take the form of a performance, exhibition,
composition, or whatever
other expression is appropriate to your focus. An exhibition may be
the appropriate
outcome of a study of the relations between insanity and the visual
arts in European
cultures. A performance might be the result of an interdisciplinary
study of
seventeenth-century musical instruments. Projects other than
research papers must be
accompanied by a substantial essay describing and documenting the
ways in which the
project explores the major.
Before beginning your senior project, you must develop a proposal
and present it to
your faculty committee and the Faculty Council for approval. Your
faculty
.committee should be
consulted throughout your project's development. Then, no later than
the middle of the
last semester before graduation, you must submit the project to your
faculty for
evaluation. The committee then makes a recommendation to the SDM
Faculty
Council, who will meet with you. If both your faculty committee and
the
Faculty Council approve your senior project (and you have
successfully
completed all the courses in your SDM major with the required 2.8
cumulative
gpa), you are recommended for graduation. Senior Project Acceptance Form. |
