9.26. Individually Planned (IP) Majors and Minors

Programs offered:

  • B.A. in [Title of IP Major]
  • B.A.L.S. in [Title of IP Major]
  • Minor in [Title of IP Minor] (TU)

A student who wishes to pursue a course of study not included in one of the available majors or minors may petition to receive permission to complete an Individually Planned (IP) major or minor. To apply for an IP major or minor, the student, in consultation with his/her/their academic advisor, must complete an application, available at enrollment services and also online at https://oglethorpe.edu/academics/individually-planned-major/. This application should be submitted by the end of the second semester of the student’s sophomore year and will not be accepted within one year of the student’s projected graduation date. The application must specify the following:

  • The major’s or minor’s coverage and definition.
  • An “area of concentration” (the principal discipline in which the Individually Planned major’s or minor’s courses reside) and “other fields of study” (those disciplines which also contribute required courses to the major or minor, thereby emphasizing its interdisciplinary nature).
  • The observed or expected conceptual linkages among the area of concentration and the other subject(s) included in the major or minor.
  • The expected outcomes of the completion of the major or minor in terms of the student’s intellectual growth and plans for graduate study or career.

The application must be approved by the student’s advisor, the chairperson of the division in which the proposed major’s area of concentration is housed and by the provost or associate provost. Once the requisite approvals are gathered, the student will submit the completed application to enrollment services. The registrar will notify the student and the student’s advisor of the acceptance of the proposal.

B.A. in [Title of IP Major] (see Sec. 8.5.1. for a complete list of B.A. graduation requirements)

  1. Completion of at least 36 semester hours beyond TU Core requirements (see Sec.7.1.1.). At least 16 semester hours of the major must be completed in courses above the introductory level in one particular discipline. This discipline will be defined as the major’s area of concentration.
  2. Additional requirements and things to note:
    • A cumulative grade-point average of 2.0 or higher is required for all courses contributing to the IP major.
    • Course work that is included in the IP major may not be counted toward a second major or a minor.

B.A.L.S. in [Title of IP Major] (see Sec. 8.5.2. for a complete list of B.A.L.S. graduation requirements)

The requirements are identical to those for the B.A. Independently Planned Major (see above), except that 36 semester hours beyond the ADP general education requirements (see Sec. 7.2.) are required.

Minor in [Title of IP Minor] (TU)

  1. Completion of at least 20 semester hours beyond TU Core requirements (see Sec.7.1.1.). At least 8 semester hours of the minor must be completed in courses at the upper level in one particular discipline. This discipline will be defined as the major’s area of concentration. Of the remaining 12 semesters hours included in the minor, another 8 semester hours must also be at the upper level.
  2. Additional requirements and things to note:
    • A cumulative grade-point average of 2.0 or higher is required for all courses contributing to the IP minor.
    • Course work that is included in the IP minor may not be counted toward a second major or a minor.