To participate in the Student-Designed Major program, you must submit a proposal to your SDM committee no later than the spring semester of your sophomore year (click here for full proposal guidelines). Students who study abroad in the Spring semester of their sophomore year can opt for an extended deadline of October 1st of their junior year, provided they have another declared major.

Each student candidate has a committee comprised of your two faculty advisors, and two College administrators including the Associate Dean of Faculty. Your proposal will contain the following: an intellectual rationale, and a semester-by-semester plan detailing your courses, and an unofficial transcript. Once your proposal is submitted, your SDM committee will discuss it and may suggest revisions. Once the proposal is approved, it is sent to the College Curriculum Committee for final approval.

The SDM requires that you complete 30 credit hours of coursework, including at least 24 hours at the 300 and 400 levels. As with all other majors at Saint Mary’s, you must complete the Advanced Writing and senior comprehensive requirements (unless you do these in a second major.)