Skip to main content

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Updates | More Information

  • Library
  • Giving
  • Directories
  • Events
  • Directions
  • information for...
    • Current Students
    • Faculty and Staff
    • Parents and Families
    • Undergraduate Admissions
    • Graduate Admissions
Home
  • About
  • Academics
  • Admissions
  • Financial Aid
  • Student Life
  • Alumnae/i

You are here

  1. Home ›
  2. Dean's Office ›
  3. Majors and Minors ›
  4. Designing an Independent Major Program

Dean's Office

  • Course Load
  • First-Year Advising
  • Accelerated Graduation
  • Sophomore Plan
  • A.B. / M.A. Program
  • Juniors and Seniors
  • Special Arrangements
  • Majors and Minors
    • Major Information Sessions
    • Double Major
    • Independent Major
      • Application Materials and Deadlines
      • Major Ideas and Proposals
      • Expectations of Major Advisers
      • Application Evaluation Process
      • Progress in the Independent Major
    • Minors and Concentrations
    • Updating Your Major: For Juniors and Seniors
  • Academic Opportunities
  • Satisfactory Academic Progress
  • Leaves of Absence
  • Academic and Community Integrity
  • For Faculty
  • Staff
  • Student Assistance Fund
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Open Space Conversations

Designing an Independent Major Program

The Independent Major at Bryn Mawr is an option for students whose interests cannot be accommodated by an established major.

An independent major is a coherent, structured plan of study consisting of introductory through advanced courses in a recognizable field within the liberal arts. It is not simply a combination of courses in several fields. An independent major must be constructed largely from courses offered at Bryn Mawr and Haverford. There should be a culminating thesis or capstone project that explores and critiques scholarly and/or creative work. Interested students should attend the information session and meet with Dean Michelle Mancini in the fall of the sophomore year.

In designing an independent major, students must enlist two faculty members to serve as advisers. One, who acts as primary adviser, must be a member of the Bryn Mawr faculty; the secondary adviser may be a member of either the Bryn Mawr or Haverford faculty.

Interested students should submit their application materials in the spring of the sophomore year. See the link concerning application materials and deadlines for further information.

Students should keep the following in mind when considering an independent major:

  1.  Seek advice early in the process. Most students begin meeting with potential faculty advisers and Dean Mancini in the spring of the freshman year to discuss the feasibility of their plans. Be aware that faculty sabbatical schedules can complicate finding faculty members available to advise you for your junior and senior years. 
  2. Have a back-up plan. Students should enroll in one or two courses each semester that will go towards an established major in case they cannot find faculty advisers or their independent major proposal is not approved.
  3. Be aware of drawbacks. Students pursuing independent majors do not have a cohort of fellow students following the same pathway. Having an independent major can be a somewhat isolating experience, especially in the senior year. Students planning to incorporate advanced Swarthmore and Penn courses into their major plans should be aware that they may not get into those courses, as Swarthmore and Penn students have first priority.

Members of the Independent Major Committee:

  • Miriam Bernstein '21
  • Manar Darwish (Bi-Co Arabic Program and Middle Eastern Studies)  
  • Astrid Lindenlauf (Classical and Near Eastern Archaeology)
  • Michelle Mancini, Dean's Office
  • Veronica Montes (Latin American, Iberian, and Latina/o Studies)
  • Bethany Schneider (English)
Apply for an Independent Major
Seeing Your Dean
Follow us on Instagram
Instagram

Related

  • Fellowships
  • Study Abroad

From the Registrar

  • Registration
  • Credit/No Credit
  • Transfer Credit
  • About Final Exams
  • Checking Your Grades
  • College Requirements
  • Monitoring Your Progress

Student Support

  • Academic and Student Support
  • Access Services
  • Counseling
  • Health and Wellness Center
  • Pensby Center
  • Residential Life
  • Student Activities
Undergraduate Dean's Office
Eugenia Chase Guild Hall, Lower Level
Phone: 
610-526-5375
Fax: 
610-526-7560
deansoffice@brynmawr.edu

Office Hours
9am-5pm Monday-Friday
 

  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Youtube
  • Instagram
  • About
  • Academics
  • Admissions
  • Financial Aid
  • Student Life
  • Alumnae/i
  • Library
  • Giving
  • Directories
  • Events
  • Directions
  • Jobs

Report a website issue

Web Accessibility Policy

Privacy Policy

Bryn Mawr College 101 North Merion Ave Bryn Mawr, PA 19010-2899
(610) 526-5000

Copyright © 2021

Give Now