Appalachian Studies Topical Major

Students who have multiple interests or interests that do not fall into disciplinary departmental areas may select a topic for concentration instead of a disciplinary major.

Topical majors offer academic flexibility and allow students to cut across departmental and college lines in constructing meaningful and imaginative programs.

Courses in several disciplines and in the various interdisciplinary programs might be selected to pursue special interests. Appalachian Studies is one area available for a topical major.

A student interested in pursuing a Topical Major in Appalachian Studies needs to first find an Appalachian Studies Affiliated Faculty member who will serve as her/his Topical Major Advisor. Under the guidance of the Topical Major Advisor, each student must write a proposal for a course of study, which must be approved by the Topical Major Advisor and the Undergraduate Committee.

The student must have a cumulative grade-point standing of at least 2.5 to be accepted to the topical major. The specific requirements of the topical major are that the student must meet University and College requirements, must enroll in and complete at least 30 credit hours after formal admission to the Topical Major, and complete the 42-hour field of concentration requirement, worked out with the Topical Major Advisor. Except for electives, all of the student's work must be generically related to the topic. In addition, the student must complete in the senior year a comprehensive paper or project that serves to integrate his or her topical field. Frequently, it is advantageous to write this paper in the context of an independent work course or a seminar, with the instructor's approval. The paper or project must be presented to the faculty major advisor and have the approval of the Director of Undergraduate Studies for Topical Study no later than the week before finals during the semester the student intends to graduate. For more information, contact the Arts and Sciences Topical Major Advisor in the College of Arts and Sciences (251 Patterson Office Tower).