Independent Major

Offered by the Independent Major Committee

Contact: Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs, 171 Rhodes Hall, (607) 255-7414

The independent major is designed for students whose educational objectives vary and may not be met pursuing traditional academic options in the college. In addition to the 75 credits required to fulfill the Common Curriculum, this major consists of an engineering primary area (32 credits) and an educationally related secondary area (16 credits) for a minimum of 123 total credit hours. The primary area may be in any subject area offered by schools or departments of the college; the secondary area may be in a second engineering subject area or in a logically connected non-engineering area. The combination must form an engineering education in scope and substance and should include engineering design and synthesis as well as engineering sciences. Each program includes the standard common-curriculum requirements and approved electives.

Students should apply to the independent major during the sophomore year. A student should seek assistance in developing a coherent program from professors in the proposed primary and secondary areas (an advisor in each area is required). The program must also be approved by the Independent Major Committee. If approved, the program is the curricular contract to which the student must adhere. Due to current enrollment and advising limitations, the independent major cannot accept any students with Computer Science as either their primary or secondary areas of study.

Because no single standardized curriculum exists, the independent major is not accredited by ABET. Independent major students who intend to seek legal licensing as a Professional Engineer should be aware that this nonaccredited degree program will require additional education, work, and/or experience to qualify for eligibility to take the Fundamentals of Engineering examination and may affect acceptance into some engineering graduate programs.