Spring Break
Choosing your major, keeping your cool
Take the time to explore your interests
Features | 11/13/07
Posted online at 1:26 AM EST on 11/13/07
Dear Eleanor,
All of my friends have majors except for me. I feel like I'm way behind where I should be in my collegiate career, and I don't really know if I'm interested enough in any subject to major in it. So far, I have tried to knock off some requirements and take classes that seem interesting. Am I doing OK, or am I way behind schedule?
Thanks for the help,
Undergrad Seeking Excellent Major
Hey USEM,
Yes.
No, really. That sounds good. You seem to have it under control.
You want more? OK, I'll break it down for you.
As a member of the class of 2010, you need to take 32 classes or the equivalent number of credits and fulfill the requirements for one major to graduate.
There are 11 requirements: USEM, UWS, the four school requirements (Science, Social Science, Humanities and Creative Arts), and either two writing-intensive courses or one writing-intensive course and one with a focus in oral communication. You also need a 30-level or higher course in a foreign language, a non-western and comparative studies-labeled course and a course in quantitative reasoning.
Most majors require about nine courses, so that's 20 that you need. And just for fun, let's say that you want to go abroad. So that's 24 courses filled, which leaves eight electives.
What does this all mean? Well, all first-year students take their USEM and UWS within their first two semesters, and almost every course counts for at least one requirement. So even if you take your USEM, UWS and six creative arts courses that won't count toward your eventual major, it is feasible to finish all the rest of the University requirements, plus an entire major, go abroad, and still have an extra elective lying around during your final three years.
Now this is an extreme example, since Brandeis is pretty cool about double-counting-allowing one course to fulfill more than one requirement. Many departments have courses that fulfill unexpected University requirements that would count toward a major as well. For example, courses that count toward an Economics major can also fill the quantitative reasoning, social sciences, humanities and non-western requirements. What's more, you can fulfill University and major requirements while studying abroad.
All of my friends have majors except for me. I feel like I'm way behind where I should be in my collegiate career, and I don't really know if I'm interested enough in any subject to major in it. So far, I have tried to knock off some requirements and take classes that seem interesting. Am I doing OK, or am I way behind schedule?
Thanks for the help,
Undergrad Seeking Excellent Major
Hey USEM,
Yes.
No, really. That sounds good. You seem to have it under control.
You want more? OK, I'll break it down for you.
As a member of the class of 2010, you need to take 32 classes or the equivalent number of credits and fulfill the requirements for one major to graduate.
There are 11 requirements: USEM, UWS, the four school requirements (Science, Social Science, Humanities and Creative Arts), and either two writing-intensive courses or one writing-intensive course and one with a focus in oral communication. You also need a 30-level or higher course in a foreign language, a non-western and comparative studies-labeled course and a course in quantitative reasoning.
Most majors require about nine courses, so that's 20 that you need. And just for fun, let's say that you want to go abroad. So that's 24 courses filled, which leaves eight electives.
What does this all mean? Well, all first-year students take their USEM and UWS within their first two semesters, and almost every course counts for at least one requirement. So even if you take your USEM, UWS and six creative arts courses that won't count toward your eventual major, it is feasible to finish all the rest of the University requirements, plus an entire major, go abroad, and still have an extra elective lying around during your final three years.
Now this is an extreme example, since Brandeis is pretty cool about double-counting-allowing one course to fulfill more than one requirement. Many departments have courses that fulfill unexpected University requirements that would count toward a major as well. For example, courses that count toward an Economics major can also fill the quantitative reasoning, social sciences, humanities and non-western requirements. What's more, you can fulfill University and major requirements while studying abroad.
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