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Student Designed (Ad Hoc) Majors

Most students gain competence in a coherent field of study through the standard Weinberg College majors. Find out why.

However, a student in the College who has developed curricular interests that might not match the standard majors can consider designing a customized (ad hoc) major under the guidance of faculty, using already existing majors as formal models.

How to Apply for an Ad Hoc Major

A student who wants to develop an ad hoc major will need to take the following steps. Please note that except in very rare circumstances, students pursuing an ad hoc major must be in Weinberg College as their home school.

1. Discuss your idea with your Weinberg College Adviser and with a professor with expertise in at least one of the disciplines included in your prospective field.

Before putting together a proposal you must determine that no existing major and no combination of major(s) and minor(s) can accommodate your special needs and that Northwestern has the courses and the faculty that your alternative major requires. You may need to consult with a number of faculty. You should base your plans on courses that you are confident will be offered on an ongoing basis, and not on the expertise of a single professor, or on the prospect of a string of independent studies. Your program should reflect existing and continuing curricular strengths. It should also be robust enough to survive the departure of any one professor.

Once you have consulted with a Weinberg College faculty member who supports your proposal and is willing to serve as your adviser, you should write a first draft proposal following the requirements below. Once you have a draft, you can schedule a meeting with Assistant Dean Ricardo Court (court@northwestern.edu) to allow him to see and respond to your proposal. He will be able to provide you with feedback that might result in further revision, and additional information about the process as it goes forward. After meeting with a faculty member and your Weinberg adviser, you can also meet with Dean Court at the beginning of the process if you want to discuss your initial thoughts about a possible student designed ad hoc major.

2. Petition the Curricular Review Committee for approval in a letter.

Petitions supported by faculty advisors are not approved automatically. They must be convincing in content and presentation to show that your proposal is intellectually rigorous and practically feasible.

Your ad hoc major proposal should have several sections:

  • The first one-to-two-page section of the petition describes the proposed area of focus and provides essential information about the applicant and their reasons for proposing the major. The object is to persuade the committee that the proposal has been intelligently thought out and discussed with appropriate faculty advisors. Proposals that are insufficiently justified or are poorly written, vague, or sloppily presented will be returned for revisions. Proposals must be carefully prepared and easily read. Remember, the burden of proof is on you, and the committee is not obligated to approve proposals. You should also indicate whether your plan is to complete both your ad hoc major and a standard Weinberg College major. Please also indicate your planned graduation date.
  • The second section of the petition consists of a list or table of courses (or a series of lists and tables) including introductory-level courses and advanced courses for your major. For what constitutes introductory and advanced courses, use as your model Weinberg College major descriptions in the Undergraduate Catalog. 
  • The third section specifies at least two faculty members with whom you have consulted and who approve your program as submitted and will be submitting supporting letters. One letter should be from the professor who has agreed to serve as your adviser for the major. Letters can be submitted as email attachments to court@northwestern.edu with the subject line, "[Your name] Ad Hoc Major, Letter of Support."
  • Supplemental information about your plan may be included in an appendix.

Advice for a Strong Proposal

  • For the courses you have already taken please indicate the quarter completed (e.g. Fall 2017, Spring 2021, etc), so that the committee can see how far you have already gone with your course of study. If the ad hoc is approved the information formatted this way will be ready to share with the Office of the Registrar later.
  • Suggest more courses in the lists of introductory and advanced courses than you actually plan to take, committing yourself to, say, "at least six of the following." Many applicants subdivide the advanced courses by department, proposing, for example, to take at least three out of five listed courses in history, to take at least four or five out of eight English courses, and so on. Subdividing in this way indicates more precisely how you intend to distribute your work, and providing options in each department protects you against closeouts, schedule conflicts, and other contingencies. Remember that you will be able to graduate only within the limits that are specified in your approved proposal. So, make it flexible.
  • Generally, the more polished and comprehensive a proposal is, the more likely it is to win approval. Again, use Weinberg College major descriptions in the Undergraduate Catalog to model the number of courses and distribution of lower and upper levels when designing your major.

Why are standard majors typically enough?

Standard Weinberg College majors, including departmental majors and interdisciplinary program majors, sometimes combined with a second major and/or minor, serve the needs of most students. They have the advantage of following an established curriculum designed by experts in the field with the aim of building your expertise and depth of knowledge. Anyone who needs more information about a Weinberg College major can find details documented online in the Undergraduate Catalog.