The Individual Major in the College of Letters & Science is a method of fulfilling the major requirement for students whose interests bridge departments and disciplines in ways not accommodated by an existing major. The Individual Major must consist of a coherent pattern of courses in more than one department or recognized interdisciplinary program in the College of Letters & Science and must be approved by a committee of appropriate faculty from the College of Letters & Science.
Getting approval to pursue an Individual Major is never guaranteed. Thus, students should discuss alternative majors with their academic advisors and be willing to pursue them. Students interested in learning more about the Individual Major should contact L&S Undergraduate Academic Deans’ Services to set up an appointment with the coordinator for the Individual Major prior to starting this process.
How to Get in
| Requirements | Details |
|---|---|
| How to get in | Application required. Meeting the requirements listed below does not guarantee admission. |
| Courses required to get in | None. Students can use a maximum of two courses completed prior to getting their Individual Major approved as part of their proposed major curriculum. |
| GPA requirements to get in | Minimum 2.000 University GPA. |
| Credits required to get in | Students must receive committee approval by the first semester of their Junior year. |
| Other | To be eligible to apply, students:
|
| Semester | Deadline to apply | Decision notification timeline |
|---|---|---|
| To apply for a fall start | Friday of the fourth week of preceding Spring term. | By the end of the eighth week of preceding Spring term. |
| To apply for a spring start | Friday of the fourth week of preceding Fall term. | By the end of the eighth week of preceding Fall term. |
| To apply for a summer start | This program does not accept applications to start in the summer. |
Applying for an Individual Major
Please see this site for information on how to apply for the individual major: Applying for an L&S Individual Major.
University Requirements
All undergraduate students must complete both the following Core General Education (Core GenEd) and University Degree and Quality of Work requirements. The requirements below apply to students whose first term at UW-Madison or whose earliest post-high school college attendance at any institution is Summer 2026 or later.
Students whose first term at UW-Madison or whose earliest post-high school college attendance at any institution occurred before Summer 2026 should refer to the archived Guide for the requirements that apply to them.
Core General Education (Core GenEd) Requirements
| Civics & Perspectives | 3 credits of Civics & Perspectives coursework. |
| Communication & Literacy | 6 credits of Communication & Literacy coursework. This requirement may be partially satisfied by a qualifying placement test score. For more information see this tiny url: https://go.wisc.edu/qualifyingenglishplacement |
| Humanities & Arts | 6 credits of Humanities & Arts coursework. |
| Mathematics & Quantitative Reasoning | 6 credits of Mathematics & Quantitative Reasoning coursework. This requirement may be partially satisfied by a qualifying placement test score. For more information see this tiny url: https://go.wisc.edu/qualifyingmathplacement |
| Natural Science & Wellness | Complete both:
|
| Social & Behavioral Science | 3 credits of Social & Behavioral Science coursework. |
| Total Credits | 30 credits. |
For more information see the policy.
University Degree and Quality of Work Requirements
All undergraduate degree recipients must complete the following minimum requirements. Requirements for some programs will exceed these requirements; see program requirements for additional information.
| Total Degree | 120 degree credits. |
| Residency | Complete 30 credits in residence. A course is considered “in residence” if it is taken when in undergraduate degree-seeking status and:
|
| Quality of Work | Achieve at least the minimum grade point average specified by the school, college, and/or academic program. |
| Math | Demonstrate minimal mathematics competence by: |
| English Language | If required to take the UW-Madison English as a Second Language Assessment Test (MSN-ESLAT), demonstrate minimal English language competence by:
|
| Language | Complete one:
|
| Major Declaration | Declare and complete the requirements for at least one major. |
College of Letters & Science Degree Requirements: Bachelor of Arts (BA)
Students pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree in the College of Letters & Science must complete all of the requirements below. Some courses satisfy more than one L&S degree requirement (visit College of Letters & Science: Requirements for details).
This major can be paired with either the Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree requirements.
Bachelor of Arts Degree Requirements
| Communication | Complete both:
|
| Quantitative Reasoning | Complete both:
|
| Ethnic Studies | one 3+ credit course with the Ethnic Studies designation |
| Language | Complete either:
|
| L&S Breadth: Humanities | Complete 12 credits with the Humanities or Literature designation, which must include at least 6 credits with the Literature designation. |
| L&S Breadth: Social Sciences | Complete 12 credits with the Social Science designation. |
| L&S Breadth: Natural Sciences | Complete 12 credits with the Natural Science, Biological Science, or Physical Science designations, which must include both:
|
| Liberal Arts and Science (LAS) Coursework | at least 108 credits |
| Depth of Intermediate/Advanced work | at least 60 credits at the Intermediate or Advanced level |
| Major | Declare and complete at least one major. |
| Total Credits | at least 120 credits |
| UW-Madison Experience |
|
| Quality of Work |
|
Non–L&S students pursuing an L&S major
Non–L&S students who have permission from their School/College to pursue an additional major within L&S only need to fulfill the major requirements. They do not need to complete the L&S Degree Requirements above.
Requirements for the Major
Students are required to complete at least 30 credits after the term in which approval is given, and complete their approved individual major course plan (see below).
Developing an Individual Major
The student takes primary responsibility for developing an Individual Major proposal. A well-written proposal must meet the requirements and rigor for a major in the College of Letters & Science; therefore, a proposal must be more than a list of courses that are similar in content area or subject matter. The student proposing an Individual Major must also demonstrate that the proposed Individual Major is not currently available as an option in any of the L&S majors or certificate programs.
Students interested in the Individual Major must meet with an L&S academic dean as part of the process of defining the theme or topic for the Individual Major. The L&S academic dean will provide information and feedback about the construction of the major and how it might relate to other majors in the college as well. Schedule an appointment via the email or telephone number listed in the contact box.
Once a theme or topic has been identified, the student must find a tenured faculty member in the College of Letters & Science who is willing to serve as the Individual Major advisor. This designated faculty advisor will:
- assist the student in constructing the Individual Major proposal by defining the relevant themes, learning objectives, and rationale for the major and by sharpening presentation of the student's proposal;
- assist in the review and selection of courses for the major plan included in the proposal;
- advise the student in course selection if the proposal is approved and, in consultation with the L&S Academic Deans' Services (ADS), track progress toward completion of the major.
Students can use a maximum of two courses completed prior to getting the Individual Major approved as part of their list of courses included in this proposal.
When the proposal is ready, the student is responsible for submitting a full and complete application to L&S Academic Deans' Services. See the How to Get in tab for deadlines and application information.
A faculty committee will review the proposal and plan of study. The committee may approve the proposal as submitted, recommend modifications, reject the proposal altogether, or reject it with an invitation to revise and resubmit in a later semester. The committee's decision is final.
Students with approved plans who wish to alter their plan of study at a later date must contact L&S Academic Deans' Services to initiate faculty committee review of their proposed changes and rationale for alteration.
Honors in the Individual Major: Requirements
To earn Honors in the Individual Major, students must:
- Complete 36 credits toward the Individual Major
- Complete 20 credits, taken for Honors, with individual grades of B or better, toward the Individual Major, to include a two-semester Senior Honors Thesis for a total of 6 credits.
Four-Year Plan
Due to the nature of the Individual Major, the following four-year plan is meant solely as a guide. Once/if a student is approved to pursue an Individual Major, the student will develop and discuss their four-year plan with their advisor.
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| Communication-A (complete during your first year) | 3 | Ethnic Studies (complete within your first 60 credits) | 3 |
| Quantitative Reasoning-A (complete during your first year) | 3-4 | Language (if needed) | 4 |
| Language (if needed) | 4 | Elective | 3 |
| L&S Breadth | 3 | L&S Breadth | 3 |
| I/A Comp Sci, Math, or Stats (if required for the BS degree) | 4-5 | ||
| 13 | 17 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| Quantitative Reasoning-B | 3 | Communication-B | 3 |
| I/A Comp Sci, Math, or Stats (if required for the BS degree) | 3-4 | INTER-LS 215 (optional) | 3 |
| INTER-LS 210 (optional) | 1 | L&S Breadth | 3 |
| L&S Breadth | 3 | Elective | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | Elective | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | ||
| 16 | 15 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| L&S Breadth | 3 | Approved IM Major Course | 3 |
| Approved IM Major Course | 3 | Approved IM Major Course | 3 |
| Approved IM Major Course | 3 | L&S Breadth | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | Elective | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | Elective | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| Approved IM Major Course | 3 | Approved IM Major Course | 3 |
| Approved IM Major Course | 3 | Approved IM Major Course | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | Elective | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | Elective | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | Elective | 2-3 |
| 15 | 14 | ||
| Total Credits 120 | |||
Advising and Careers
Students interested in learning more about the L&S Individual Major should contact L&S Undergraduate Academic Deans' Services to set up an individual appointment with the coordinator for the Individual Major prior to starting this process. The purpose of this meeting is solely to review the details of Individual Major requirements, go over procedures, and determine whether an Individual Major is a viable option based on the student's academic interest and the resources available within the College of Letters & Science. Read more at deans.ls.wisc.edu/policies-forms/individual-major/.
Study Abroad
Learning in Letters & Science emphasizes discovery, growth, understanding different perspectives, and challenging yourself, which makes studying abroad an excellent fit for many L&S students: studyabroad.wisc.edu
As a university with global influence, we have more than 300 study abroad programs in over 80 countries. These vary in length, academic focus, teaching format, language requirements, cost, and level of independence. There are many programs to complement every major and any year of college (including the final semester)—and all meet UW–Madison’s high academic standards. Students admitted into Letters & Science can even choose a short program in the summer before they start college or their whole first year: studyabroad.wisc.edu/launch. Talk with your academic advisor about how studying abroad might fit with your academic plan.
SuccessWorks
SuccessWorks at the College of Letters & Science helps you turn the academic skills learned in your classes into a fulfilling life, guiding you every step of the way to securing jobs, internships, or admission to graduate school.
Through one-on-one career advising, events, and resources, you can explore career options, build valuable internship and research experience, and connect with supportive alumni and employers who open doors of opportunity.
- What you can do with your major (Major Skills & Outcomes Sheets)
- Make a career advising appointment
- Learn about internships and internship funding
- Try “Jobs, Internships, & How to Get Them,” an interactive guide in Canvas for enrolled UW–Madison students