Welcome to St. Marys College of Maryland.
At St. Marys we are all learners, dedicated to creative and intellectual exploration in a community revolving around our students. We invite you to engage fully in the exciting academic life that we create together and to challenge yourself to work toward excellence in all that you undertake. My staff and I wish to provide you with the support you need to be successful in your endeavors. Dont hesitate to call on us.
- Larry Vote, Provost
Students at St. Mary's have designed their own majors in subjects as diverse as Neuroscience; Psychology, Media, and Marketing; Islamic Studies; and Environmental Communication. A student-designed major can be a great way to build bridges between disciplines, appealing to a student's own interests by making connections in a meaningful, academically rigorous fashion.
For more information, contact Professor Ruth Feingold, Assistant Dean of the Core Curriculum and Academic Advising.
The Student-Designed Major must be a coherent program of study that crosses disciplinary lines by combining courses from at least three disciplines. One of the disciplines must be chosen as the primary discipline to provide a coherent focus for the major. The major should adhere to the same principles of breadth, depth, and liberal arts-centered inquiry that the faculty has established for existing majors.
Early in your sophomore year, as you are finishing your Core Curriculum requirements, meet with an advisory committee of two faculty members (from two different disciplines) to present your ideas. Work with them to design a program of at least 48 credit-hours, chosen from at least three disciplines. Your major must include an 8-credit St. Mary's Project (SMP)—again, of your own design. Before finalizing your proposal, meet with Professor Feingold to discuss the goals and and outline of the proposed major.
Admission to the major is granted through the submission of a propsal to the college Curriculum Committee, which meets twice annually (in the middle of Fall and Spring semesters) to review proposals. In order to ensure a carefully planned and executed curriculum, students must submit their proposal before they have completed 56 credit-hours. Make sure you know the deadline for submission in the semester you're completing your proposal!
Throughout your degree, your major will be supervised by an advisory committee made up of the two faculty members you have elected to work with, in addition to a representative from the Office of the Core Curriculum. One member of the committee will become your acadmic advisor, and the entire committee will meet once a year to monitor your progress.
To earn a bachelor of arts degree with a student designed major, a student must satisfy the following minimum requirements:
A. General College Requirements (see “Curriculum” section).
B. A minimum of 48 credit-hours of course work for the major, shosen from at least three disciplines. One of these "disciplines" can be a recognized Cross Disciplinary Study Area.
The 48 hours of coursework must include:
Note: any students receiving Veterans Administration (VA) education benefits must have their student-designed major and course of study submitted to and approved by the SAA (Maryland Higher Education Commission, as the State Approving Agency) before certification to the VA.
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18952 E. Fisher Rd
St. Mary's City, MD 20686-3001
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