University of Wisconsin-Whitewater

Individually Designed BA

This program is intended to foster creativity and to allow students to pursue vocational goals that may not be served by the College of Arts and Communication's conventional majors and minors. Students creating an Individually Designed Major or Minor (IDMM) will create with an advisor a rigorously designed program of existing UW-Whitewater courses. IDMM programs will contain a strong interdisciplinary component. The purpose of the IDMM process is not to form special majors or degrees that the University is not authorized to offer. There are three options:

Bachelor of Arts (B.A. - 36 credits). This program is more generally focused on courses from a single department, though it may be more broadly interdisciplinary. Students may use no more than 24 credits from any one department, and at least half of the credits must be from courses within the College of Arts and Communication. The program must include a demonstration of writing proficiency: a passing grade in ENGLISH 370 is recommended, but consult advisor. At least 18 credits must be completed after the plan is approved. The student must also declare a minor.

Bachelor of Arts (B.A. - 54 credits). This program is, by definition, broadly interdisciplinary. Students may use no more than 24 credits from any one department, and at least half of the credits must be from courses within the College of Arts and Communication. The program must include a demonstration of writing proficiency: a passing grade in ENGLISH 370 is recommended, but consult advisor. At least 27 credits must be completed after the plan is approved. No minor is required.

Minor (24 credits). Use of more than 15 credits in any one department requires approval by that department as well as the department of the student's major. At least half of the credits must be from courses within the College of Arts and Communication. At least 12 credits must be completed after the plan is approved. The majority of the courses should be 300 or 400 level courses.

GPA Requirements. A GPA of 2.5 is required to declare an IDMM major. A GPA of 3.0 in the major is required for graduation.

Timeline. Students declaring an IDMM major should generally do so by the end of their sophomore year to avoid delays in degree completion. Those declaring a minor should do so by the end of their junior year.

Application Deadlines.

September 30 in order to be able to register for Spring classes.
February 28 in order to be able to register for Fall classes.
Application Process

1. Choose an advisor with expertise or background in your area of interest. The advisor must be from the College of Arts and Communication, though you may find it helpful to consult with other faculty and the Associate Dean of the College as well. At this point, you will also want to familiarize yourself with the application materials. 

Major Application
Minor Application
Process Flowchart

IDMM student check sheet

2. Define your goal(s). With your advisor, articulate your goal(s) and formulate a rationale for the proposed major/minor. Usually this will require some discussion between you and your advisor. Once your educational goal is well defined, you can develop the specific programs.

3. Design your program. With your advisor, select the courses for the major/minor that will best meet your educational goal. (Note: You may find it helpful to consult with appropriate faculty members from the various departments whose courses you include in your program.)

4. Assemble your proposal. This consists of:

a)  A title for your IDMM program.
b)  A rationale and listing of goals. This written statement will help keep the program on track as you progress. You should include a comment about your employment objectives or educational plans after graduation and should describe how the IDMM satisfies your needs better than one of the traditional majors/minors offered by the University. 
c)  A chart of the courses included in your program indicating the semester you have taken them or plan to take them. This chart must include alternate courses that you can take if planned courses prove to be unavailable.
d)  A listing of the courses-including alternates-in your IDMM program, with a short description of how each course fits into your goals
e)  Learning Objectives. This is a learning map/chart relating the courses in your program to the four IDMM learning objectives and a fifth learning objective you define yourself. Note that not every course must address every objective, but the IDMM Committee will be examining your materials to verify that all objectives are addressed somewhere within your program plan and that each course addresses at least one objective.
f)  Academic Advising Report. A printed copy of your current AAR.

5. Submit your proposal to the College Office (CA 2030) for approval by the IDMM Committee. The Committee will A) approve the program, B) return it to you and your advisor with suggestions, or C) disapprove your proposal. Once an IDMM program is approved, it is, in effect, a learning contract between you and the College. Any changes in the program must be recommended by your advisor and approved by the IDMM Committee. To complete the program an exit interview and/or portfolio presentation to the IDMM committee is required to demonstrate the satisfaction of learning objectives.