How It Works

Are you eligible?

To be admitted to the Individualized Major you will need 45 completed college credit hours and a cumulative GPA of 2.0. Admission to the major is a separate step from admission to the University of Louisville — if you are not yet a UofL student, apply to the university first.

Designing your program

You'll choose three to five concentrations and combine them into a unified, inter-related course of study. One of your concentrations must be satisfied by an approved College of Arts & Sciences minor.

Additional concentrations may draw from units outside the College — Business, Education and Human Development, Engineering, Law, Music, Nursing, Public Health and Information Sciences, or Social Work. However, no more than 30 semester hours of coursework taken outside the College of Arts & Sciences may count toward the degree.

Every program must also meet the General Education and minimum hours requirements of the College of Arts & Sciences, including at least 50 hours at the 300, 400 or 500 level. Some courses can be cross-counted between General Education and your concentrations.

Students identifying Middle Grades Education as their goal may substitute a state-approved Teaching Field for the department minor.

Full degree requirements are on the Program Page

Your Proposal

Your proposal for your Individualized Major must be a minimum of 500 words. Most are about 2-3 pages in length, double-spaced. It should be a personal statement of your vision of your career plans and how your unique abilities equip you to pursue these plans.

The draft may be reviewed by either the Individualized Major advisor or, for more specific feedback on your writing, by the University Writing Center. Once you have a finished draft of your proposal, email an electronic copy to Frank Kelderman (frank.kelderman@louisville.edu) for preliminary approval and to schedule your admissions meeting.

Proposal for the Individualized Major

• Create a title for your program that unifies your concentrations ( e.g., Global Medicine, Arts Administration, Political Journalism).
• Provide a brief personal statement explaining your background, interests and influences. Define the general goals of your program: educational and/or professional. How does the Individualized Major (vs. a single discipline) better serve your intent?
• What academic departments and/or outside colleges will be used? How is each relevant to the goal? How are these concentrations interrelated? Use examples. Include any life experience. Specify how your chosen concentrations work together to support your goal.
• Are you preparing for graduate or professional school? A specific career field? What are your future goals? How are you uniquely qualified to pursue this field and to be successful within it?

The university encourages and supports research and internship opportunities. When you are writing your proposal, please include any research or internship opportunities you feel would enrich your undergraduate experience.