Make​ ​It​ ​Your…​ ​Major?!

By Brielle​ ​O’Brien​ ​‘20
Staff​ ​Writer

Did​ ​you​ ​know​ ​that​ ​if​ ​Merrimack​ ​doesn’t​ ​have​ ​a​ ​major​ ​catered​ ​to​ ​your​ ​specific career​ ​goal,​ ​than​ ​you​ ​can​ ​actually​ ​just​ ​create​ ​one?​ ​This​ ​is​ ​perfect​ ​for​ ​people​ ​who​ ​are double​ ​majoring,​ ​because​ ​one​ ​specific​ ​major​ ​sometimes​ ​isn’t​ ​always​ ​entirely​ ​geared towards​ ​one’s​ ​career​ ​path.​ ​Merrimack​ ​actually​ ​allows​ ​you​ ​to​ ​build​ ​your​ ​own​ ​major​ ​from scratch​ ​by​ ​combining​ ​courses​ ​that​ ​the​ ​school​ ​offers.​ ​However,​ ​you​ ​must​ ​then​ ​get approval​ ​from​ ​the​ ​head​ ​of​ ​all​ ​departments​ ​first,​ ​and​ ​lastly,​ ​the​ ​Dean​ ​of​ ​Students.​ ​In talking​ ​to​ ​freshman,​ ​Mairead​ ​Lyons,​ ​about​ ​her​ ​future​ ​career​ ​goals,​ ​my​ ​eyes​ ​were opened​ ​to​ ​a​ ​whole​ ​new​ ​opportunity.​ ​“I​ ​had​ ​the​ ​complete​ ​opposite​ ​problem​ ​from​ ​most freshmen”​ ​started​ ​Mairead.​ ​“Most​ ​freshmen​ ​go​ ​into​ ​college​ ​not​ ​knowing​ ​what​ ​they​ ​want to​ ​do​ ​with​ ​their​ ​lives​ ​and​ ​have​ ​no​ ​direction;​ ​I​ ​knew​ ​exactly​ ​what​ ​I​ ​wanted​ ​my​ ​career​ ​to be,​ ​but​ ​the​ ​majors​ ​that​ ​they​ ​offered​ ​just​ ​didn’t​ ​specifically​ ​correlate​ ​with​ ​that.”

Mairead​ ​went​ ​on​ ​to​ ​say​ ​how​ ​easy​ ​the​ ​process​ ​has​ ​been,​ ​and​ ​the​ ​guidance​ ​that she​ ​has​ ​received​ ​so​ ​far​ ​has​ ​been​ ​overwhelmingly​ ​helpful.​ ​“Once​ ​I​ ​knew​ ​what​ ​direction​ ​I was​ ​going​ ​in,​ ​it​ ​was​ ​a​ ​breeze,”​ ​Mairead​ ​started.​ ​“Basically​ ​I​ ​started​ ​off​ ​analyzing​ ​the majors​ ​and​ ​minors​ ​that​ ​they​ ​did​ ​offer​ ​here,​ ​and​ ​narrowing​ ​down​ ​which​ ​ones​ ​would​ ​be most​ ​beneficial​ ​to​ ​my​ ​career​ ​path.​ ​I​ ​think​ ​i’ve​ ​finally​ ​settled​ ​on​ ​‘Politics​ ​of​ ​Women​ ​and Gender​ ​Studies.’​ ​You​ ​have​ ​to​ ​start​ ​with​ ​two​ ​or​ ​more​ ​focuses,​ ​and​ ​combine​ ​them​ ​in​ ​your title​ ​so​ ​that​ ​the​ ​objective​ ​of​ ​the​ ​major​ ​is​ ​stated​ ​clearly.​ ​You​ ​then​ ​pick​ ​a​ ​minimum​ ​of​ ​nine courses​ ​and​ ​explain​ ​why​ ​they​ ​will​ ​help​ ​with​ ​your​ ​future​ ​goals​ ​and​ ​relate​ ​to​ ​the​ ​created major.​ ​After​ ​you’ve​ ​done​ ​that​ ​and​ ​explained​ ​how​ ​the​ ​major​ ​itself​ ​is​ ​going​ ​to​ ​further​ ​you toward​ ​your​ ​path,​ ​you​ ​just​ ​need​ ​to​ ​get​ ​finalized​ ​approval.​ ​I​ ​actually​ ​just​ ​finished​ ​my self-proposed​ ​plan​ ​so​ ​I​ ​can’t​ ​give​ ​you​ ​any​ ​insight​ ​on​ ​how​ ​that​ ​will​ ​go,”​ ​Mairead​ ​says laughing,​ ​“But​ ​so​ ​far​ ​my​ ​professors​ ​have​ ​been​ ​nothing​ ​but​ ​encouraging​ ​and​ ​helpful​ ​so​ ​I can​ ​only​ ​imagine​ ​that​ ​the​ ​rest​ ​of​ ​the​ ​process​ ​will​ ​just​ ​be​ ​smooth​ ​sailing.” ​ ​​ ​The​ ​program​ ​allows​ ​you​ ​to​ ​pick​ ​whether​ ​the​ ​major​ ​is​ ​a​ ​BA​ ​or​ ​BS​ ​degree,​ ​and​ ​must​ ​be at​ ​least,​ ​but​ ​not​ ​limited​ ​to,​ ​36​ ​credits.​ ​

If​ ​you​ ​or​ ​someone​ ​you​ ​know​ ​may​ ​be​ ​interested​ ​in this​ ​specialized​ ​interdisciplinary​ ​program​ ​tailored​ ​to​ ​your​ ​specific​ ​academic​ ​needs​ ​than visit​ ​​

http://www.merrimack.edu/academics/self_designed_major.php​​ ​​for​ ​more​ ​information.