For some students, the Interdisciplinary Major Program (IMP) is a long forgotten opportunity they read about in a brochure during orientation. For others, it may be an idea they've flirted with inconclusively. For program participants, it's an opportunity to synthesize elements from their favorite departments at the University with a singular academic goal - to pursue an individualized major which is unique.
There are many majors in the College which are considered "interdisciplinary" because of their varied subject matters. The American Studies major, for example, allows students to draw from multiple departments to fulfill requirements. American Studies students take classes in history, media studies, English and other departments to "look at the various elements that make up [this] culture," according to the program's website.
Other students, however, create their own individualized major. By pursuing this interdisciplinary route, they are free to explore a combination of courses in three chosen departments, which are ultimately unified to fulfill the student's own personal academic goals.
Shawn Lyons, director of the program and association dean said, "If you can't major in it, you pursue it."
Dean Lyons explained interested students propose a major plan during their second year, which requires the applicant to explain the benefits he can gain from pursuing an interdisciplinary major rather than a pre-existing major. "It should have three parts to it, and it should have your own vision of how you are going to use these particular studies."
The program requires a 3.4 GPA for admission and is an Honors program, meaning it requires students to complete a thesis during their fourth year to graduate, Dean Lyons said.
The number of students pursuing the option is relatively low compared to other majors - no more than eight students graduate this semester from the IMP.
"The number is low because most students are satisfied with the selection in majors," Dean Lyons said. "Most people don't want to create their own majors," he added, highlighting the challenge which creating their own major tracks presents to most students.
Second-year IMP student Laura Lyons designed her program to draw from media studies, history and arts administration courses.
"It's definitely not for everyone," she said. "It requires you to be extremely self-motivated and really passionate about what you want to learn and what you want to do."
Arts administration is a blooming program in the Architecture School, which Dean Lyons said has been the most popular of the IMPs recently.
"[I'd] generalize it as the economic side of the arts today," Dean Lyons said. "I've had students that are interested in dance, and how dance companies survive, [and] how theatre survives in today's economy."
Current IMP student Lyons said she's always been interested in media studies, history and arts administration, so doing the proposal really made her articulate her academic goals and explain what skills she would get from each department.
Lyons said completing her major requires more than 42 credit hours, which is greater than the average 30, but "it's in three different disciplines so it doesn't feel overwhelming. It's pretty much like having three minors."
Because her three areas of study are related, Lyons said her interdisciplinary major has helped her develop a deeper understanding of all course material.
"In all my classes, all my readings, I can cite each in my other classes, everything's really cohesive, and it makes sense to not limit myself to one discipline," she said. "They really are very interrelated. And it just made the most sense to me. I really like the freedom to be able to pursue what I want."
Third-year Echols scholar and former Cavalier Daily writer Courtney Hartnett is also pursuing the IMP track in a major she has titled Echols Interdisciplinary Writing. English classes serve as the foundation for Hartnett's major, but she said media studies, drama and music courses complement English classes.
"Essentially what I did was pick as many different writing courses as I could," Hartnett said, referencing the news writing, poetry writing and playwriting courses she has taken in the English department.
Hartnett is an avid writer who has worked in many different publications. She said coming to the University she wanted to double major in English and Neuroscience, but quickly realized "with my pre-med requirements, I didn't have enough time to do all the analysis that's associated with the English major, as well as focus on my writing as much as I wanted to."
Classes geared toward her major in her supplementary departments, such as a filmmaking course in media studies, have helped her with the storytelling aspect of creative writing.
"The documentary production course was one that kind of fit within other creative processes," Hartnett said. "You are forming a story, but not in the traditional sense."
Fourth-year College student Aashish Edakadampil is pursuing an interdisciplinary major he titled Transnationalism Through Film. He chose classes from film studies, drama and literature which allow him to "convey stories and learn effective techniques to do the same," he said in an email.
As an international student whose native language is not English, Edakadampil said he is interested in using storytelling to "bridge gaps and create a common ground."
Interdisciplinary majors allow students to pursue "a dynamic and flexible academic" goal, Edakadampil said.
"I would encourage any student who has a vision that extends beyond the definitions of one department to consider the interdisciplinary program, if he or she wishes to make an official degree out of that blend," he said.
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