Schools With Most Interesting Majors

College Search & Selection
1

<p>From Professor Dan Gordon, UMass Amherst</p>

<p>The domains of knowledge are infinite but colleges generally offer just a finite set of choice for majors.</p>

<p>Some college, however, allow students to design their own.</p>

<p>A student at Indiana University created a major in "Enigmatology"--the study of puzzles. He is now a famous crossword puzzle editor for the New York Times.</p>

<p>UMass Amherst has one of the largest design your own major programs. Recent examples are "Addressing Trauma," "Artistic Entrepreneurship," "Religion and Creative Writing," "Neuroscience, Human Behavior, and Society," and "Social Justice and Outdoor Education." Graduates who design their own major are often successful because they have been studying what they love, and have shown a high level of motivation throughout their studies. Employers like students who have demonstrated a passion for their studies.</p>

<p>For info on the UMass program: News</a> - Design My Major</p>

<p>For an overview of individualized major programs across the country: UMass</a> Amherst: IMP</p>

2

<p>Some fairly unusual majors/minors/programs at the University of Chicago:</p>

<p>“Big Problems” (an Interdisciplinary Program, not a major)
Comparative Human Development
Early Christian Literature
Fundamentals: Issues and Texts
History, Philosophy, and Social Studies of Science and Medicine (HIPS)
Law, Letters, and Society
Medieval Studies
Public Policy Studies
Tutorial Studies</p>

3

<p>“A student at Indiana University created a major in “Enigmatology”–the study of puzzles. He is now a famous crossword puzzle editor for the New York Times.”</p>

<p>IU would be a good place for such a major. Lilly Library, the rare books library at IU, has a fascinating and extensive collection of puzzles.
[Guide</a> to the Collections: The Lilly Library: Indiana University Bloomington](<a href=“http://www.indiana.edu/~liblilly/overview/puzzles.shtml]Guide”>http://www.indiana.edu/~liblilly/overview/puzzles.shtml)</p>

4

<p>in this kind of economy, creating your own major is the last thing you want to do…</p>

5

<p>A recent article on the Chronicle of Higher Education suggested that graduates of self-designed major program have a stronger track record getting prestigious fellowships like the Fulbright, and that employers like these students too. </p>

<p>This article is not available online without a paid subscription. But this other article called “Jobs of the Future” covers some of the same ground. “The [self-designed major] program attracts students who seem to be adept at anticipating trends and employment opportunities.”
[Cashing</a> In Her Chips](<a href=“http://www.umassmag.com/2008/Spring_2008/features/jobs.html]Cashing”>http://www.umassmag.com/2008/Spring_2008/features/jobs.html)</p>

<p>I have also posted elsewhere on how to choose a major that is both practical and expressive of what you love. [Choosing</a> aMajor - Open - Design My Major](<a href=“http://■■■■■■/9iZkfX]Choosing”>http://■■■■■■/9iZkfX)</p>

<p>I like the previous post because it raises a critical question about what is useful in today’s economy. I think creative people with initiative will generally succeed, regardless of their major. So any major that encourages creative instincts and project-based initiative could be a good one.</p>

6

<p>Obviously this will vary with field, but in the sciences, employers couldn’t care less what specific major you had in college. The experience that you gained from the courses and extracurricular activities (jobs, lab work, volunteer work etc) were what mattered, not some word on a transcript. I don’t understand why the economy would be relevant to this.</p>