BS Individual Major at University of Wisconsin-Madison

Programme overview

Students who wish to pursue a special intellectual problem or academic path not adequately covered by existing majors can work with advisors and faculty to create an individual path of study to meet their goals. The individual major must involve courses from several programs, must be at least as rigorous as existing majors, and must be targeted at a special intellectual problem or academic need identified by the student. The individual major must be approved by a faculty committee and the CALS Curriculum Committee.

Faculty: College of Agricultural & Life Sciences | Duration: 120 credits | Study mode: full-time | Location: Madison, WI, United States

What you will study

The degree requires 120 credits in total. Learning outcomes: Students will develop learning outcomes as part of the individual major proposal process in consultation with their faculty mentors and an assistant dean. Review the Provost's website for guidelines on developing learning outcomes.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

Applies to College of Agricultural & Life Sciences, not specific to this major: Individual majors must be approved by a faculty committee and the CALS Curriculum Committee. Approval is not guaranteed, so students should consider alternative options carefully. Students are strongly encouraged to consult with an assistant dean in the Office of Academic Affairs early in their undergraduate career to discuss the process, planning, and feasibility of completion. The process to request to pursue an individual major is outlined below. The student selects a three-person faculty committee from departments offering courses in the proposed major. The major advisor is from a CALS department that offers many of the courses in the proposed individual major. No more than two members of the committee can be from a single department.

Tuition is charged per credit, so the total depends on the modules you register for each year. Current fees are listed in the official fee schedule.

First-year entry terms: Fall (Early Action and Regular Decision) and Spring. Transfer entry terms: Fall (Priority and Regular Decision) and Spring.

First-year Fall Early Action: application deadline November 1, materials deadline November 9, decision on or before January 31. Fall Regular Decision: application deadline January 15, materials deadline January 22, decision on or before March 31. Spring Regular Decision: application deadline October 1, materials deadline October 15, decision on or before December 31. First-year fall and spring applications open August 1. Early Action is non-binding.

Transfer Fall Priority: application deadline February 1, materials deadline February 16, decision on or before March 31. Fall Regular: application deadline March 1, materials deadline March 15, decision on or before April 30. Spring Regular: application deadline October 1, materials deadline October 15, decision on or before December 31. Fall transfer applications open December 1; spring transfer applications open August 1.

Apply via the Common Application or the Universities of Wisconsin Application. The application fee is $80 US and is non-refundable; fee waivers are available for applicants with financial hardship. ACT and SAT scores are optional for students applying for admission through the spring 2028 term (application deadline October 1, 2027).

Explore more study programmes

Arts & Humanities