Lasell College encourages students to be creative and inquisitive learners and to take responsibility for the direction of their education, as well as their future careers. The Individualized Major is for students who wish to pursue interests that are not emphasized in any existing major at the College, but that can be encompassed in a unique combination of courses from two or more disciplines.

Students wishing to pursue an Individualized Major must write a plan during their freshman or sophomore year to explain the purpose of the Individualized Major and show how each course selected fits into the plan. The Individualized Major should be planned in consultation with an advisor in one of the departments included in the major, and the plan must then be approved by the Dean of Undergraduate Education. There are four parts to the application for an IDS/Individualized major: 1) explanation of purpose and goals for the individualize major; 2) list of all proposed major requirements, as well as core curriculum requirements and unrestricted electives, with total credits totaling at least 120; 3) a brief rationale for each course required for the major; 4) a program planner, showing the sequence of courses completed and to be completed.

Students in the Individualized Major may complete the Field Experience and Capstone Seminar requirements within one of the departments within the major or by participating in the Internship Seminar IDS 399, Field Experience IDS 400, and the Seminar in Humanities HUM 419 and 420. Plans should consist of all major and Core Curriculum requirements, including a minimum of 42 Arts and Sciences credits.* Plans should incorporate at least 15 credits at the 200 level and at least 9 credits at the 300 level.

By planning early in consultation with an academic advisor, students may be able to reduce the time it takes to complete a bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary Studies/Individualized to 3 or 3½ years.

Recent examples of Individualized majors include Green Business and Peace and Justice Studies.

Please contact the Dean of Undergraduate Education for more information.

* This requirement may be fulfilled by any combination of Anthropology, Art History, Biology, Chemistry, Criminal Justice, Economics, English, Environmental Studies, Foreign Language, Geography, History, Mathematics, Music, Philosophy, Physics, Political Science, Psychology, Science, or Sociology courses. Selected courses in other departments may fulfill the Arts & Sciences requirement. The Dean of Education can approve these in consultation with the appropriate department chair.