威斯康星大学麦迪逊分校

The individual major provides undergraduates with an opportunity to develop a unique course of study; one that is interdepartmental and not reflected in existing degree programs. Completion of the individual major does not lead to a professional license or certification, although graduates may be interested in pursuing alternative educational careers or graduate work. Graduates earn a B.S.–Education degree.

Selection of Major Coursework

Select courses that support the program narrative, in consultation with the major advisor; see below. All courses in the major must be from School of Education course offerings. All credits in the major must be completed after admission into the program (IME classification).

Additional requirements regarding the major are:

• To ensure depth and breadth of study, no more than two-thirds of the total credits in a major can be taken from any one department (i.e., if a major is 36 credits, no more than 24 credits can be in one department).
• A sequential development of courses must be planned in consultation with the major advisor and committee, and must be approved by the committee. The course sequence must include beginning through advanced levels of work as prescribed by the credit distribution.
• At least 20 of the IME credits must be at the intermediate or advanced levels (generally numbered 300 or above, but this varies in some departments).
• Courses in the School of Education completed prior to admission to the IME classification may not be used toward satisfaction of the 36–42 credits in the major without the faculty committee and associate dean's approval. The credits may count toward the 120 credits required for graduation.
• Degree candidates must complete at least 15 credits of upper-level major coursework in residence on the UW–Madison campus.
• An individual major which essentially parallels an existing departmental major will not be accepted.
• Directed study credits (e.g. 399, 699) are acceptable, but each course must be accompanied by a statement that includes a description of the focus of study, the requirements for successful completion of the credits, and a discussion of the applicability of content to the proposed individual major. Usually no more than 3 credits of Independent Study will be allowed. Approval of the associate dean is required in order to exceed three credits.
• Students must complete prerequisites for all courses and, in some departments, may be required to complete foundational courses.

Elective Credits

Elective credits make it possible to pursue additional areas of interest. Many students, for example, use their elective credits to complete an additional major from the College of Letters & Science. Some use this second major to complement their individual major, while others select second majors that are completely unrelated to their first. Elective credits are necessary to reach the minimum of 120 credits required for the degree.