Centre College

	Print this flyer (PDF) Self-Designed Majors at Centre College Although Centre offers many traditional majors, you can make your education uniquely yours by creating your own major. Your program could include faculty- approved, self-designed courses and/or independent study. Self-designed majors are one more way that Centre's personal education sets you up for extraordinary success.
	Unlimited Choices In a sense, you can major in anything at Centre with a self-designed major. Bethany Pratt '10, came to Centre College for the personal education but couldn't decide on any of the traditional majors offered by the College. Instead, she opted to focus on her passions for sustainable resource use and humanities by creating a self-designed major. "Many of the environmental concerns of today stem from human use and abuse of our natural resources," Pratt says. "As a student and environmentalist, I'm interested in learning about the complex relationship that humans have developed with their environment." Using the College's environmental studies minor as a foundation, Pratt designed a comprehensive curriculum that will prepare her to address what she calls "a growing resource crisis." Pratt says, "Science alone can't solve all the problems facing our world today; however, through blending science and elements of the humanities, a more comprehensive and lasting approach to conservation can be achieved." Her major, titled "Environmental Studies: Sustainable Resource Use," will pull heavily from courses listed in the biology and anthropology/sociology catalog, but will integrate credits from the history and English programs. And Pratt will have plenty of time to take numerous studio art courses as well as study abroad in Mexico and Australia.
			Since she was fascinated with the Middle East, Morgan Smith '10 (left) created a self-designed major in Middle Eastern studies. Here she prepares dinner with a friend while studying abroad in Turkey.
			While several colleges across the country offer environmental studies majors, Pratt says that her experience designing a personalized education plan at Centre has additional benefits. "Having to create my own major has pushed me to concisely verbalize my aspirations and have the courage to present my dreams to others," Pratt says. Other recent self-designed majors include Design and Culture, Social Justice Studies, Urban Development Studies, Studies in Creative Writing, Diversity Studies, Japanese Studies, Religion and The Performing Arts, Medieval Studies, and Public Policy.
	Click on the PDF below for information on creating a self-designed major. Self-Designed Major Guidelines and Forms (PDF) For further information about Centre, write, call, or e-mail Admission Office 600 West Walnut Street Danville, Kentucky 40422 1-800-423-6236 admission@centre.edu www.centre.edu updated 09/22/2008 by rusnak@centre.edu