Degree Plan Instructions

The Degree Plan is used for the Special Major. BLS students with special interests may work with a faculty advisor to design a Special Major. This option allows a student to develop a major by selecting at least thirty-nine (39) credits from at least two different academic disciplines. A minimum of fifteen (15) credits required for the major must be earned at UMW, and at least twenty-one (21) of these credits must be taken in courses designated 300-or 400- level at the time the credits are earned. Classes taken at the 200-level at another institution, which transfer into University of Mary Washington as 300- or 400- level equivalents may not count in the twenty-one (21) credit hours. No more than six (6) credits that count toward the major may be earned as Individual Studies. Additionally, no major courses may be taken on a pass/fail basis.

In order to have a special major considered for approval, the student must prepare a special major proposal (Degree Plan), signed by the faculty mentor to be submitted to the BLS Committee. The student must submit 10 hard copies of their Degree Plan and an electronic copy with appropriate signatures to the BLS office one week prior to the BLS Committee meeting.

The proposal (Degree Plan) must include the following:

• A title for the field of concentration
• A written rationale (approximately four paragraphs in length) of the major’s core idea or theme
• A list of the courses to be included
• For each course included in the major itself, a brief rationale explaining how the course fits with the core idea or theme of the major.

After the Special Major has been approved by the BLS Committee, students must obtain written permission from the advisor and BLS Committee in order to make any course substitutions.

For your convenience see Sample Degree Plan.