10.12. Interdisciplinary and Individually-Tailored Educational Opportunities

Cross registration through ARCHE (see Sec. 6.8.5., Sec. 6.9.4. and Sec. 10.6.) provides a powerful way of augmenting the rich curricular opportunities available at Oglethorpe by allowing our students to leverage curricular options available at 18 other public and private colleges and universities in and near the metro Atlanta area.

A second option for expanding curricular opportunities is to work with a faculty mentor to develop an independent study. Independent studies can be employed to do advanced research in biology, study Southern writers, produce technically and conceptually sophisticated paintings and other works of art, or any of myriad other possibilities. Independent study also provides a way of looking at interdisciplinary areas (archeology, for example) which are not a formal part of the Oglethorpe curriculum. Please consult Sec. 6.15. for further requirements and explanations.

While Oglethorpe has a variety of major and minor programs, students who wish to major (or minor) in relatively untraditional areas have the option of creating an independently planned major (or minor). A recent graduate, for example, developed an independently planned major which combined business administration with art. She subsequently served a one-year apprenticeship at Sotheby’s in London. Please see http://oglethorpe.edu/academics/individually-planned-major/ for some further recent examples of interesting independently planned majors, as well as relevant application forms. See Sec. 9.22. of this Bulletin for additional requirements and explanations.

Finally, it is possible to simultaneously exploit ARCHE cross registration, independent studies and independently planned majors and minors to develop an educational program that is strategic, unique and personally fulfilling. Students should work closely with their academic advisors in planning and executing such initiatives.