Major and Minor Programs in the College of Arts and Sciences
Major Programs
Traditional and Interdisciplinary Majors
Individualized Majors
Minor Programs
Electives
Interdisciplinary and Supporting Courses
Major Programs
Trinity offers an approach to majors that provides interdisciplinary support and enhances each program of study. This approach creates an essential link between the liberal arts, the major, and a selected professional focus.
When choosing a major, a student is encouraged to select a self-designed focus area. For example, a sociology or psychology major may want to focus on a career in health care or corporate management, and select related internship experiences; a history major may choose to focus on public policy, law, education, or preparation for a graduate program. This creates a broad range of professional options for each Trinity student and an enriched academic environment for the community.
There are three approaches to the major program: the traditional major in one discipline, the interdisciplinary major, and the individualized major. The specific requirements for receiving a degree in each discipline will appear with program descriptions. Students should declare their major during their second academic year.
Traditional and Interdisciplinary Majors
Traditional and interdisciplinary majors in the College of Arts and Sciences provide students with in-depth knowledge and skills in a focused area of study. The following majors are offered:
Individualized Majors
Individualized majors are unique because they are not structured by a program or combination of programs. Instead, they grow out of an individual student's interest in a particular problem, a given profession, or a period, place, or theme to be approached from multiple points of view. Individualized majors must be designed with and supported by a faculty advisor, in accordance with the student's abilities and goals. They must also show coherence and continuity of purpose.
Students considering individualized majors must consult with their faculty advisor, who can provide detailed information about the application, development, and evaluation of such a proposal. The Committee on Curriculum and Academic Policy for the College of Arts and Sciences must approve the proposal for implementation of an individualized major. Proposals are usually submitted during the sophomore or early junior year. Applications may not be submitted after the beginning of the second semester of the junior year.
Minor Programs
Students may be interested in pursuing a focused area of study outside of their major program of study. The academic programs in the College of Arts and Sciences provide for this interest by offering program minors in the following areas:
* Offered in conjunction with the School of Education
In addition, students have the opportunity to develop and design individualized minors that reflect their personal or professional interests. Students who wish to take advantage of this option should work with Program Chairs in order to be sure that requirements are met. Individualized minors may be new configurations of courses or programs of study that have been previously approved, such as Bioethics or Children, Family, and Public Policy.
Electives
Students choose electives from programs complementary to their major. In consultation with an advisor, students can choose electives that reflect personal interests or career goals. Professional studies courses may be taken in a variety of fields; internships also offer job-related field experience and learning.
Interdisciplinary and Supporting Courses
The College of Arts and Sciences offers a wide array of courses that are interdisciplinary in nature, as well as supporting courses that in certain cases serve to fulfill the General Education Curriculum requirements. For descriptions of such courses that are not listed as part of a major or minor program, including interdisciplinary and supporting courses, see the Interdisciplinary and Supporting Courses page in this catalog.