L&S MAJORS

The Value of a Liberal Arts Education

The College of Letters and Science, through more than seventy majors, offers you a wide variety of ways to view the world; to analyze facts, situations, and ideas; to draw conclusions based on different points of view; to find new ways to solve problems; to spark new interests and unsuspected talents; and to acquire the tools and skills necessary for articulate thinking and judgment. This liberal education aims to nurture your abilities to marshal evidence, organize ideas, think logically, and present conclusions clearly and persuasively, all of which matter in every walk of life.

The College of Letter and Science offers a tremendous breadth of knowledge with more than seventy majors across the Arts and Humanities, Biological Science, Physical Science, Social Science and Interdisciplinary fields. Consult the list of majors to begin to explore the possibilities.

What is a Major?

A major defines a framework for the student's studies. It is the sum of coursework, as outlined by learned faculty, necessary to establish:

• An understanding of the breadth of the body of knowledge in a discipline, or several discipline in a interdisciplinary programs,
• Competence in the fundamental skills and methodologies of the discipline(s) and
• Understanding and skill at an appropriate depth in various aspects of the body of knowledge.

Take some time to read the descriptions of major and their required courses in the General Catalog to get a sense of what you will study. All majors have prerequisite courses that give student background knowledge and a working vocabulary related to the field. The number of prerequisites and how many must be completed before one can officially declare varies from major to major.