Asking my University about adding a new major?

[Not.a.Doc]

This question might be a little irrelevant to premed, but I am still interested in hearing your thoughts about this:

I decided to transfer to a small private school, which does not offer the major of my choice (Philosophy) but they do offer a minor in it, or a concentration in it through the interdisciplinary studies major.
The thing is that I want to add it as my second major, but this school does not allow double majors.

Now, I wonder, if I should go to the dean and ask about adding a Philosophy major and letting me double major? I was particularly inspired by a TED talk called: "100 days of rejection" (If you saw it) and think it might actually happen if I work with one of the faculty members into creating the program. It might also leave a lasting impact on the school. Since it is a small private school that tries to attract new students and expand itself, I feel like they can benefit from adding a Philosophy major.

What do you think? Should I go for it? I mean I have nothing to lose but my time.
I want to know, has anyone ever done this? Is this even a realistic ambition?

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[kraskadva]

This question might be a little irrelevant to premed, but I am still interested in hearing your thoughts about this:

I decided to transfer to a small private school, which does not offer the major of my choice (Philosophy) but they do offer a minor in it, or a concentration in it through the interdisciplinary studies major.
The thing is that I want to add it as my second major, but this school does not allow double majors.

Now, I wonder, if I should go to the dean and ask about adding a Philosophy major and letting me double major? I was particularly inspired by a TED talk called: "100 days of rejection" (If you saw it) and think it might actually happen if I work with one of the faculty members into creating the program. It might also leave a lasting impact on the school. Since it is a small private school that tries to attract new students and expand itself, I feel like they can benefit from adding a Philosophy major.

What do you think? Should I go for it? I mean I have nothing to lose but my time.
I want to know, has anyone ever done this? Is this even a realistic ambition?

Unrealistic. You'd need to to have several other folks with you, also asking for the same major, as well as a documented interest from many people going back several years in order to project future interest, to even get them to consider opening it as an independent major. And that only if they already have the faculty/staff in place to open another department.
You can ask, but you may just be the 1st of the 100+ rejections needed before they feel a need to even consider it.

 

[Not.a.Doc]

Unrealistic. You'd need to to have several other folks with you, also asking for the same major, as well as a documented interest from many people going back several years in order to project future interest, to even get them to consider opening it as an independent major. And that only if they already have the faculty/staff in place to open another department.
You can ask, but you may just be the 1st of the 100+ rejections needed before they feel a need to even consider it.

I appreciate the honest response! They do have the faculty and staff as they offer it as a minor/major concentration through the interdisciplinary studies major.
As they already kind of offer most of the classes needed for a major, I wonder how hard it might be to list it as an actual major in itself rather than a concentration.

 

[kraskadva]

I appreciate the honest response! They do have the faculty and staff as they offer it as a minor/major concentration through the interdisciplinary studies major.
As they already kind of offer most of the classes needed for a major, I wonder how hard it might be to list it as an actual major in itself rather than a concentration.

Depending on what state you're in, there are a lot (more or less) of regulatory steps to open a new major. Which are expensive and time consuming. So schools don't invest in that process unless there is a clear and consistent interest in adding that particular subject as a new major.
My first degree was in Philosophy; through alumni channels, I know how tough it is to attract students to that area in the current educational environment. And at my current school, I work with the administration a lot, and know the budget/enrollment/regulatory issues that most LACs are dealing with at the moment. They're not keen to open new majors without clear returns on the investment.

 

[Pagan FutureDoc]

Best course of action would be to express interest in it. It won't happen for you but if enough people express interest in a certain major a school will seriously consider it

 

[Not.a.Doc]

Depending on what state you're in, there are a lot (more or less) of regulatory steps to open a new major. Which are expensive and time consuming. So schools don't invest in that process unless there is a clear and consistent interest in adding that particular subject as a new major.
My first degree was in Philosophy; through alumni channels, I know how tough it is to attract students to that area in the current educational environment. And at my current school, I work with the administration a lot, and know the budget/enrollment/regulatory issues that most LACs are dealing with at the moment. They're not keen to open new majors without clear returns on the investment.

This school offers a fashion design major, what kind of return on the investment they get for that? This is not like we are in New York City here.
There are some majors with 10 and less students applying to (Such as: applied mathematics and biochemistry), so I feel like this school might be flexible.

 

[Not.a.Doc]

Best course of action would be to express interest in it. It won't happen for you but if enough people express interest in a certain major a school will seriously consider it

Still got like 2.5-3.0 years at this school, and maybe stay for my master's.

 

[kraskadva]

This school offers a fashion design major, what kind of return on the investment they get for that? This is not like we are in New York City here.
There are some majors with 10 and less students applying to (Such as: applied mathematics and biochemistry), so I feel like this school might be flexible.

Tuition money is their ROI. Doesn't matter if their alums get jobs in the field of their majors. So long as they pay for the 4 years of tuition.
Majors with low enrollment are definitely getting the eye for cuts, and those chairs are feeling the pressure to increase enrollment and completion.
But again, unless you're the 100th+ person to ask for a philosophy major in the last 5 years, they're probably not going to even consider it. And if they did, it would be a 2+ year process to open that as an independent major anyway.

 

[candbgirl]

Why are you transferring some place that doesn't have your major? If you absolutely want Philosophy just minor in it.


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[raiderette]

It takes more than one or two professors to develop a department. It is possible that the school hires part-time or adjunct staff for their philosophy classes.The school has determined that their curriculum. Fashion design is a popular major, especially since the popularity of Project Runway. Meanwhile, philosophy is the major that is held up as the useless major of smart, unemployed millennials. Explore the interdisciplinary major and see if you an get the depth of knowledge that you desire at the school.

 

[LoveBeingHuman:)]

Your time is better used otherwise

 

[deleted480308]

This school offers a fashion design major, what kind of return on the investment they get for that? This is not like we are in New York City here.
There are some majors with 10 and less students applying to (Such as: applied mathematics and biochemistry), so I feel like this school might be flexible.

Maybe you should major in business if you think that argument is relevant to the school

 

[kraskadva]

To be devil's advocate for a moment, and forgive me that undergraduate education is not my area of expertise, I recall several people in my past, either as classmates and/or saw them coming thru as medical school applicants, have similar stories of getting a new major created for themselves. However the circumstances may be different from the OP. It seems that this is common threads to these new major creation/assigned was

1) A faculty member support/sponsor/mentor in the area
2) sufficient course offerings and/or independent study with faculty related to the "new" major.
3) A "repackaging" so to speak of these existing courses into the major

It wasnt that these individuals were trying to change the schools formal offerings but rather get permission for themselves for this, so there was no need to a group of students to petition for this. To be clear, the OP would need to petition for himself for his own educational use; it wouldnt be a formal school offering policy that would require possible regulatory hurdles for the school's educational charter, which are usually for the degree offered, not the major.

I really do not think it would be a huge hurdle for the OP to try as the above. Of course, dean may deny it for a number of reasons including goes against long standing "no double major" policy or that sufficient minors/concentrations exist. I would start by discussing this with a faculty member two and I would go to them with at least an outline of what you think the course structure of such a major would be.

Sure, that is a possibility at a sizeable enough school (Dunno how big OPs school is, but sounds like they do offer this option). Generally that would translate into an interdisciplinary "major" with a concentration in the desired area. So, paperwork-wise, the transcript and the student themselves may say i.e. "Philosophy major", but the diploma will read "BA in Liberal Arts" or BA in Interdisciplinary Studies", because that's the legal, accredited designation of what they did.
To get "BA in Philosophy" printed on the diploma, the school would have to regularly graduate a significant number of students under the Interdisciplinary label before they would even begin the process of accrediting a new, self-standing major.
So OP could do this (cobble together coursework for an Interdisciplinary degree), s/he just wouldn't get Philosophy printed on the diploma. And it's unclear if that school even offers enough courses to qualify Philosophy as a potential major. Possibly, since it's already available as a minor, but I'd guess probably not.

At my current school, Exercise Science was a case like this. where it graduated 15-20+ students every year under Interdisciplinary studies, before being opened as a self-standing major through the Biology Department. Molecular Genetics went through the process 20 years ago. Environmental Studies is currently going through the same process to be come self standing under Geology. But in all cases, there was a faculty member who saw the opportunity, recruited and guided students for 10+ years, hired faculty/added enough courses to the catalog to fill out the hours requirement for a major, and finally got enough momentum for it to actually happen. It's a long process.
OPs school may already be looking into it, since it is a minor. Or maybe Philosophy was a major in the past, but has been downsized to a minor only after lack of enrollment (I've seen this happen too). In which case, there would be next to no chance that they would reopen it as a major.

 

[Not.a.Doc]

Maybe you should major in business if you think that argument is relevant to the school

Business is not my strongest side as you can see.

 

[Not.a.Doc]

Can I go to graduate school in Philosophy if I only minor in it? (Georgetown combined MD/MA)

 

[deleted480308]

Can I go to graduate school in Philosophy if I only minor in it? (Georgetown combined MD/MA)

do you want to be a doctor or an afjunct philosophy professor?

 

[Not.a.Doc]

do you want to be a doctor or an afjunct philosophy professor?

This is just something I want to do for myself because of personal reasons. It would be nice to keep all doors open too.
Is this even possible?

 

[deleted480308]

This is just something I want to do for myself because of personal reasons. It would be nice to keep all doors open too.
Is this even possible?

on a physician salary, could you pay for a philosophy PhD? yes

Will you likely care enough then to bother? no

You will be a rare bird indeed to do both...

 

[kraskadva]

What am I saying that I have had students come thru who get approval for a major not formally offered by the school, so their degree/transcript majored in Philosophy, cytology, sexology, or comic studies or whatever. I just think it isnt that hard to try and see this and giving the OP some framework to do that in

My guess is that those students came from large universities, where there were enough courses already available to allow them to do that. A small LAC like OP's talking about would probably not offer that possibility. But sure, it can never hurt to ask. And the best person to start with would be whoever is heading up Interdisciplinary Studies, as they would be in a position to know the most about the options available at that particular school.

Also, while I am familiar with the general process of all this, I'm not an administrator myself. And there are 4000+ colleges across the 50 states, as well as dozens of accrediting bodies. So the details of all this can vary state to state, school to school, and discipline to discipline. I never said it was impossible for someone to talk a school into creating a novel major just for them. Only that it was unlikely given the school and situation that OP described. Again though, never hurts to ask.

 

[kraskadva]

Can I go to graduate school in Philosophy if I only minor in it? (Georgetown combined MD/MA)

Yes. Either a combined program (MD/MA, though there are very few that let you do Philosophy as the MA) if you can get accepted to one, or separately.
I think what the other posters are having trouble wrapping their heads around, is why you want that. It's not a typical pathway, but that doesn't mean there's anything wrong with it. It'll just be more work for you.

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

This sounds like way more time than it is worth. Here is a little secret: once you finish undergrad no one gives two farts what your major was unless you are trying to teach in that field, or it is something specialized like accounting where the major teaches you how to function in that field.

 

[cactusman]

Are you considering doing Philosophy as your only major? Because if I were a school administrator, I would wonder why it was worth creating a new major for you if it's just your second major, and you could already do a minor and some additional courses.

 

[Goro]

do you want to be a doctor or an afjunct philosophy professor?

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

do you want to be a doctor or an afjunct philosophy professor?

This post is super underrated.