<p>Anyone have any experience in doing so? When we visited with Dr. Morgan at the Honors College last fall, she had mentioned that this was option but seemed to allude to be a bit cautious on taking this road. At the time, our D was thinking of psychology as a major, so it was not on the radar. Now, she has become super duper interested in a particular area of research and study (planetary geology) based on her year-long H.S. senior research project class in astronomy/astrophysics. She is working now with a planetary geologist from the Smithsonian studying Mars. UA offers physics with an astrophysics track, but she is thinking of developing her own major with a bit less physics emphasis, and more astronomy and geology emphasis. We are interested in feedback from anyone who has tried the “create your own major” option, difficulties, results, etc. Thanks!</p>
<p>We haven’t tried it but when D2 met with Dr. Hornsby about the Blount Undergraduate Initiative, he strongly encouraged her to look at the New College program to design her own major: [Home</a> | New College](<a href=“http://www.as.ua.edu/nc/]Home”>New College – College of Arts & Sciences)</p>
<p>I would proceed with caution. Have no direct experience with this but some options offered at UA work better in theory than in practice. Ask anyone who has tried to get a definitive answer as to what is actually required to graduate with a dual degree.</p>
<p>If you’re talking about New College, it works very well. </p>
<p>It has been around for a very long time and they are very good about the whole process.</p>
<p>[Home</a> | New College](<a href=“http://www.as.ua.edu/nc/]Home”>New College – College of Arts & Sciences)</p>
<p>New College is the University of Alabama’s commitment to providing personalized higher education for those students who need and desire that special attention. We are an interdisciplinary liberal arts program where students craft individualized courses of study consistent with their interests, aptitude, temperament, and skills. Each student, with the assistance of a faculty mentor, builds a course of study that includes traditional coursework, community-based learning, undergraduate research opportunities, and self-directed study. We believe our emphasis on student choice and responsibility promotes the creativity, flexibility and adaptability necessary for effective participation in the emergent communities of the future.</p>
<p>*</p>
<p>In my belief the cautions apply to trying to seek employment with such a degree.</p>
<p>Most degrees are accredited by an outside organization that offers validation that students have achieved certain competencies. When creating your own major the program will not be accredited and not have that outside validation. These organizations have spent years and years, sometimes decades and decades considering the competencies necessary in their fields and designing requirements that demonstrate those competencies. Even if students don’t believe certain skills are necessary in a certain field, these degrees have been evaluated over time to make sure students gain the skills they will need in the field. Employers can look at courses students have completed and consider the competencies they have shown, but most don’t, most take the easy way out and have those outside sources do that for them. Its easy for them to say if your program is accredited by an accepted organization in their field they accept it, if it is not accredited, then they don’t. Now that doesn’t apply to every employer out there and there will be exceptions, but it is true enough that the cautions are necessary.</p>
<p>Now if your D is planning on going on to get a graduate degree, then the cautions are not as necessary. An academic program will more closely look at the courses completed and the competencies gained during such a program when considering whether to accept students into their graduate program. Then when later seeking employment, the graduate degree will be the one that is considered by employers.</p>
<p>Accreditation
The University of Alabama is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033-4097; telephone 404-679-4501) to award bachelor’s, master’s, educational specialist, and doctoral degrees.</p>
<p>The design your own major is done within New College, which is within the College of Arts and Sciences.</p>
<p>other accreditations</p>
<p>UA Accreditation
The University of Alabama is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033-4097; telephone 404-679-4501) to award bachelor’s, master’s, educational specialist, and doctoral degrees. In addition, selected programs have been accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design; American Speech-Language-Hearing Association; American Psychological Association; National Association of Schools of Music; National Association of Schools of Dance; National Association of Schools of Theater; AACSB International-The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business; Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communication; American Library Association; Alabama State Department of Education; Liaison Committee for Medical Education; Alabama State Board of Health; Accrediting Council for Graduate Medical Education; National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education; Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Education Programs; Council on Rehabilitation Education; National Association of School Psychologists; Accrediting Board for Engineering and Technology; American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences; Council for Interior Design Accreditation; Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs; Commission on Accreditation for Dietetics Education; American Bar Association; National League for Nursing; Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education; Council on Social Work Education; and Commission on English Language Program Accreditation.</p>
<p>Thanks y’all! If D pursues this planetary geology focus of study via developing her own New College major, or for that matter, goes with the physics/astrophysics emphasis major already offered at UA, she’d most likely be looking at graduate school regardless. Employment in the particualr field after a 4 year degree probably won’t be an option. UA doesn’t offer a specific major in astronomy. If it did, she’d probably major in astronomy and minor in geology. Just trying to look at all the options. Thanks again.</p>
<p>I think Astronomy is a track in the Dept of Physics and Astronomy.</p>
<p>[Physics</a> Major / Minor Requirements](<a href=“http://physics.ua.edu/ugrad/MajorTracks.html]Physics”>http://physics.ua.edu/ugrad/MajorTracks.html)</p>
<p>While the New College is certainly accredited, there might be issues with a self-designed major being considered equivalent to majors that are created by the academic department and cross-checked for compatibility with similar majors at other schools. Some New College majors, notably linguistics, have achieved the latter status and will soon not be New College majors as UA is in the process of making them distinct majors.</p>
<p>Unless things have changed, New College students officially major in Interdisciplinary Studies, which is denoted on their degree. The specific version of Interdisciplinary Studies is noted elsewhere.</p>
<p>UA is great about allowing students to take double/triple majors and/or adding some minors to create a desired program of study. If a combination is readily available that fits almost all of your desires, I would recommend choosing that over New College.</p>
<p>^^ Thanks to both of you. In doing some more homework, it seems that the physics/astrophysics major with perhaps a geology minor may be the best way to go. She’ll discuss it more when she talks for the first time with her academic advisors later this year.</p>
<p>At least one of the faculty members in the Geology Department is active in the Mars research. Maybe should contact him.</p>
<p>[Ryan</a> C. Ewing Geological Sciences](<a href=“http://geo.ua.edu/faculty-staff/ryan-c-ewing/]Ryan”>http://geo.ua.edu/faculty-staff/ryan-c-ewing/)</p>