Exploring Majors (and Minors)
Each department's pages within the catalog present its academic focus and summarize the requirements for the major. Department websites will also include this information, along with supplemental materials that will give you a more in-depth view of the field. You should read these materials for all the departments you are considering.
First, some perspective:
Remember, you are choosing a major: you are not planning your entire life. In the short term, be aware that more than half of your courses will not be required by your major. In the longer term, be aware that Bryn Mawr graduates in every major go on to have interesting careers in many different fields, some directly related to the subjects they studied, others not. Using the Career Exploration tools selected by Career and Professional Development can help you see how many interesting answers there may be to the question "What are you going to do with that?"
Starting Your Exploration
- What subjects/classes do I enjoy most? And what subjects/classes do I do well in? (Note that these may not be the same!)
- What types of assignments interest me? Which ones do I enjoy doing the most?
- What conversations (in print, online, with peers, elders, and/or younger people) do I want to be part of and contribute to?
- What topics in current affairs do I care about?
- What topics could I spend hours learning about?
- What big questions draw my attention over time?
- What kinds of scholarship do I admire?
If you haven't already, review majors available at Bryn Mawr and Haverford and choose a handful that focus on topics and approaches that incorporate some of the areas you’ve identified above. Include both those that you have taken courses in and those that you have yet to study. This will give you a chance to think broadly about the types of fields that exist while thinking through which might be a good match for you.
- Browse through Fields of Study and the major requirements on respective webpages.
- Attend major information sessions.
- Set up a one-on-one meeting with a prospective major adviser or two.
- Set up your Sophomore Plan meeting with your dean to talk through your options.
Students with deep interests in more than one field of study often consider double majoring, and around 20 percent of each class do so. There are some areas of study for which double majoring is quite common, such as languages.
For most double majors, junior and senior years are devoted to courses in the two major subjects, many of them upper-level. If both majors require a year-long senior conference sequence and a substantial thesis, a double major may be especially challenging. A minor or a concentration may offer some of the same advantages as the double major, but with fewer requirements.
If you would like to major in two subjects, it is best to plan ahead. You must obtain prior approval from both major advisers as well as your dean. Before you initiate the formal application process, you should meet with major advisers in each department to make sure you understand that department's major requirements, as well as its minor requirements. Discuss the possibility of double majoring. If the two majors are in related fields, find out what the department's policy is regarding double-counting courses towards both majors. The College ordinarily permits up to three such double-counted courses.
If, after meeting with both major advisers, you're confident that you want to major in both subjects, you should begin the application process.
Note: If one of your proposed majors is at Haverford, you must follow both colleges' sets of procedures.
An independent major is a coherent, structured plan of study consisting of introductory through advanced courses in a recognizable field within the liberal arts. It is not simply a combination of courses in several fields. An independent major must be constructed largely from courses offered at Bryn Mawr and Haverford. There should be a culminating thesis or capstone project that explores and critiques scholarly and/or creative work. Interested students should attend the information session in the fall of the sophomore year.
In designing an independent major, students must enlist two faculty members to serve as advisers. One, who acts as primary adviser, must be a member of the Bryn Mawr faculty; the secondary adviser may be a member of either the Bryn Mawr or Haverford faculty.
Most students interested in this option submit their online application materials in the spring of the sophomore year, in order to meet the deadline for declaring a major. A small number of students seeking to change to an independent major or to add a second, independent major apply in fall of junior year.
Students should keep the following in mind when considering an independent major:
- Seek advice early in the process. Most students begin meeting with potential faculty advisers and their dean in the spring of the freshman year to discuss the feasibility of their plans. Be aware that faculty sabbatical schedules can complicate finding faculty members available to advise you for your junior and senior years.
- Have a back-up plan. Students should enroll in one or two courses each semester that will go towards an established major in case they cannot find faculty advisers or their independent major proposal is not approved.
- Be aware of drawbacks. Students pursuing independent majors do not usually have a cohort of fellow students following the same pathway. Having an independent major can be a somewhat isolating experience, especially in the senior year. Students planning to incorporate advanced Swarthmore and Penn courses into their major plans should be aware that they may not get into those courses, as Swarthmore and Penn students have first priority.
BiCollege cooperation allows Bryn Mawr students to major at Haverford, and Haverford students to major at Bryn Mawr. At Haverford, major declaration is limited to the spring semester, so Bryn Mawr students will not be allowed to officially declare a Haverford major until the spring. Haverford also does not use the same online process as Bryn Mawr does. Please reference information and instructions here.
If you are debating between the Bryn Mawr and Haverford departments in a particular field, be sure to talk with faculty members and declared majors in each department.
Many students choose to make a minor or a concentration part of their academic program. Although these terms are frequently used interchangeably, there are some distinctions between them.
A minor is essentially what its name suggests it is: a smaller version of a major. A minor usually consists of six courses within a department or program (or occasionally, across different departments). Each department or program specifies particular requirements for the minor, but generally a minor includes work both at the introductory and advanced level. A student may pursue a minor regardless of their major.
Please note that some programs offer minors, even though they do not have established majors.
Although a minor is not required for graduation, it is subject to some of the same rules as majors. Students may take courses in their minor CR/NC. However, they may not count a course towards a minor if their grade in the course is below 2.0.