Writing a Description

Every major at the UW provides a description, a glimpse into what the major is about. In this regard, Individualized Studies majors are no different. The description fleshes out the theme, exposes the elements from which the theme is built, and shows how these elements connect. Your description should elaborate on the main idea as expressed in your theme. It should discuss your educational goals, the way in which your proposal will meet these goals, and the interrelationships among the courses you are including in your major.

Some students choose to include in the description a discussion of their motivations for creating the major and/or their plans for applying the major in the world of work. This is fine, but keep in mind that the description is not a personal statement but an intellectual exercise meant to establish the academic integrity of the proposed major.

In creating your major, take caution that it is neither too broad nor too narrow. A good major description will define the edges of your area of study so it is easy to tell if a given topic falls within it or outside of it. It should also sync with your course list and your theme in such a way that they all agree. That is, if your theme is "Multicultural Marketing" but you don't include any culture courses, or if you include courses about only one culture, then either the theme or the course list needs to be changed.

For examples of major descriptions, visit any catalog page from the list of majors the UW offers. Also, a sample proposal for a Medieval Studies major is available, to show you what an Individualized Studies proposal should look like.