2007-08 - Pitzer College

36 ACADEMIC OPPORTUNITIES ACADEMIC OPPORTUNITIES 37
midterm of the first semester of the junior year (the same date that standard major
declarations are due). If the Curriculum Committee has not approved the proposed major
by the end of the first semester of the student’s junior year, the student must choose and
complete an existing major. The Curriculum Committee will consider a late proposal only
if it is strong enough to meet the criteria listed below without need for revision. A late
proposal must be accompanied by a petition addressed to the Curriculum Committee
that provides a clear rationale for why it is late.
Special Major forms are available in the Registrar’s Office and contain two components:
1. An explanation for the Special Major including:
• Title: The title must correspond with the course list and rationale for the major.
• Purpose: Proposals must state the goals to be achieved through the
implementation of the desired major and explain why these goals cannot be met
with existing majors.
• Coherence: The proposed courses must demonstrate a cohesive, feasible and
organized program of study, and explain how the courses work together to
achieve the desired goals.
• Mastery: The proposed major must exhibit sufficient depth and rigor, including
a substantial number of advanced courses. For interdisciplinary special majors,
the course list should include advanced work in each discipline.
• Capstone: The proposal must discuss plans for a synthesizing paper, project,
seminar or thesis. The course list should include a full-credit independent study
devoted to completion of this thesis or project, or explain how an existing
advanced seminar would serve this purpose. The capstone experience should
integrate the knowledge gained through the special major.
2. Course List: A completed Major Declaration form must be included, listing both
educational objectives and a course list, including a minimum of 10 courses for the
proposed special major. The course list should match the explanation for the Special
Major and should be consistent with curricular capabilities of The Claremont Colleges.
Honors in a field of major may be awarded to an outstanding student in recognition of
academic excellence. Each field group for regular or combined majors (or both academic
advisers in the case of special majors) may decide whether to award honors and establish
specific criteria for honors. Honors in combined majors may be awarded for the
combined major itself, but not for any one of the majors that the combined major
comprises. Normally, all students who are awarded honors must have attained a
cumulative GPA of at least 3.50 while registered at Pitzer College. In addition, students
must have completed a thesis, seminar, independent study, or some other special
program, which has been designated in advance as a possible basis for honors. During
the fall semester of each academic year, field groups (or both academic advisers in the
case of special majors) will send to their majors and to the Academic Standards
Committee a formal statement of their requisites for honors. Final honors
recommendations will be submitted to the Academic Standards Committee at least one
week prior to graduation. The approved list of honors candidates will be submitted to the
full faculty for final approval.
Minors
Minors are currently offered in the following fields:
Anthropology Gender & Feminist Studies
Art History
Art History Linguistics
Asian American Studies Mathematics
Biology Media Studies
Black Studies Music
Classics Philosophy
Dance Science, Technology & Society
Economics Sociology
English/World Literature Spanish
Environmental Studies Theatre
Academic minors will be available only in existing majors and only when the relevant
field group chooses to offer one. In addition, students may choose existing minors at the
other Claremont Colleges provided that the fields are not offered as majors at Pitzer. The
availability of this alternative is contingent on the willingness of a professor at the other
college in the relevant field to serve as a minor adviser. (For example, a student could
minor in geology because it is formally available at Pomona and is not a major at Pitzer.
On the other hand, if economics at Pitzer chooses not to offer a minor, a student cannot
minor in economics just because Pomona has a minor in economics available.)
The specific requirements for a minor are designed by the relevant field group, approved
by Curriculum Committee, and approved by College Council. The requirements for a
minor should include at least six letter-graded courses. Students cannot design “special”
minors and students cannot select more than one minor. There should be no overlap
between courses comprising a student’s major and his/her minor. An exception could be
made in the case where a specific course is required for both the major and the minor, if
the field group offering the minor approves.
Students will have a minor adviser (a professor in the relevant field group offering the
minor). The minor adviser’s signature is needed on two forms: one declaring the minor
and listing proposed courses, and one certifying the minor prior to graduation. As with
majors, minors should be declared by the middle of the junior year. The minor adviser
will not need to sign off on courses each semester; the adviser’s role is to give advice on
the minor itself such as choice of courses.