Do you have a passion for an area of study in which Brandeis does not offer a major or minor? Are you dedicated, organized, and a creative thinker? If so, an Independent Interdisciplinary Major might be for you. Never heard of an IIM? Academic Services describes it as a track that “offers students with interdisciplinary, intellectual interests the opportunity to design a course of study not available in the regular curriculum. Each IIM is designed around a topic, theme, issue, or set of questions that cannot be adequately addressed within the context and combination of existing majors or minors.”
Past IIMs have included:
- Communication and Media Studies
- Conflict and Cooperation Studies
- Developmental Studies
- Cognitive Science
- Global Hunger and Food Security
- Gender and Sexuality Studies
- Social Justice Social Change
- Urban Education
- Politics, Philosophy, and Economics
- Theater and Social Change
- Visual Culture
The process to pursue an IIM involves a lot of preparation and research. First you must pick you area of study. You should then research schools with similar programs to see how their major is structured. You then have to write a proposal that describes why your area of study is relevant, and how you will go about pursuing it. This includes your proposed curriculum as well as a written portion that petitions your major. You must also find three faculty members to compose your committee, and who will help guide and advise you throughout your IIM.
If you have a passion, make sure to follow it. An IIM will help you gain foundational academic understanding of an area of interest not otherwise offered by the university. To get the fact sheet about IIMs at Brandeis, click here.