G. Self-Designed Minors

Guidelines Relating to the Curriculum

Faculty Handbook Revision March 24, 2003

Students may design an self-designed minor focusing on a theme or topic from the perspective of several disciplines. Self-designed minors are smaller programs of study than a major and must be interdisciplinary. They must approach a topic or theme in a way that is not pursued within an existing Knox program.

The Curriculum Committee has delegated approval of self-designed majors to the Registrar for those proposals which adhere to the following guidelines and include the signature of a faculty sponsor:

1. Self-designed minors are interdisciplinary programs which cannot be pursued through an established minor.
2. Self-designed minors are programs of study that have intellectual integrity, and whose course requirements exhibit coherence and sequencing of knowledge.
3. An self-designed minor consists of a minimum of five and a maximum of six credits; courses from at least two different departments or fields of study must be included; no more than 3 credits can be from any one department or field of study. No more than 2 credits in the self-designed minor may overlap with a student?s major and/or other minor.
4. Normally, no more than one-third of the credits in the minor may be at the 100-level; at least one 300-level credit is recommended.
5. Self-designed minors are intentional and planned, not retrospective. A substantial portion of the minor must remain to be completed at the time the minor is approved.
6. An self-designed minor may not be declared prior to the declaration of a student?s major and no later than the fall of his/her senior year.
7. Students propose an self-designed minor using the Self-Designed Minor Proposal form, which requires the signature of a faculty sponsor. The signed form is submitted to the Registrar.