An individualized major is a self-designed, interdisciplinary major that allows you to create a program of study to fit your interests if they cross disciplinary boundaries and are not met by an existing major at UConn.
Stamford Themes
At UConn Stamford, the following individualized major themes can be pursued:
Crime and Justice
Students on the Stamford campus should be able to find the interdisciplinary course offerings necessary to complete a major in Crime and Justice. Please read each section below carefully.
Prerequisites
Check the course catalog for the specific prerequisites for the courses in your plan of study. The following courses are almost always useful:
- PSYC 1100 General Psychology I and PSYC 1101 General Psychology II or PSYC 1103 General Psychology II (Enhanced) are required for upper-level Psychology courses.
- SOCI 1001 Introduction to Sociology or SOCI 1251 Social Problems, while not formal prerequisites, provide a good foundation in social issues related to crime.
Recommended Courses
The following courses are an excellent place to start as you build your 36-credit major plan of study. Please note that you may find other relevant courses in the catalog. Please check Student Admin and consult with your faculty advisors to be sure that the courses you would like to include in your major will be taught in the upcoming semesters.
HDFS
HDFS 2004W (RM) Research Methods in Human Development and Family Sciences
HDFS 2100 Human Development: Infancy Through Adolescence
HDFS 3340 Individual and Family Interventions
HDFS 3520 Legal Aspects of Family Life
HDFS 3540 Child Welfare, Law and Social Policy
POLS
POLS 2072Q (RM) Quantitative Analysis in Political Science (now POLS 2972Q)
POLS 2998 Variable Topics in Contemporary Political Issues
POLS 3042 Theories of Human Rights
POLS 3802 Critical Race Theory as Political Theory
PP
PP 3033 Race and Policy
PP 5340 Introduction to Public Policy and Management
PP 5350 Urban and Regional Policy
PSYC
PSYC 2100WQ (RM) Principles of Research in Psychology
PSYC 2300 Psychological Disorders
PSYC 2400 Developmental Psychology
SOCI
SOCI 2301 Criminology
SOCI 2305 Deviant Behavior
SOCI 2310 Intro to Criminal Justice (Storrs - Online/Asynchronous)
SOCI 2510 Ethnicity and Race
SOCI 3201 (RM) Methods of Social Research
SOCI 3211Q (RM) Quantitative Methods in Social Research
WGSS
WGSS 2263 Women, Gender, and Violence
Criminal Behavior
Students on the Stamford campus should be able to find the interdisciplinary course offerings necessary to complete a major in Criminal Behavior. Please read each section below carefully.
Prerequisites
Check the course catalog for the specific prerequisites for the courses in your plan of study. The following courses are almost always useful:
- PSYC 1100 General Psychology I and PSYC 1101 General Psychology II or PSYC 1103 General Psychology II (Enhanced) are required for upper-level Psychology courses.
- SOCI 1001 Introduction to Sociology or SOCI 1251 Social Problems, while not formal prerequisites, provide a good foundation in social issues related to crime.
Recommended Courses
The following courses are an excellent place to start as you build your 36-credit major plan of study. Please note that you may find other relevant courses in the catalog. Please check Student Admin and consult with your faculty advisors to be sure that the courses you would like to include in your major will be taught in the upcoming semesters.
HDFS
HDFS 2001 Diversity Issues in Human Development and Family Sciences
HDFS 2004W (RM) Research Methods in Human Development and Family Sciences
HDFS 2300 Family Interaction Processes
MCB
MCB 2400 Human Genetics
PP
PP 5340 Introduction to Public Policy and Management
PSYC
PSYC 2100WQ (RM) Principles of Research in Psychology
PSYC 2200 Physiological Psychology
PSYC 2301 The Study of Personality
PSYC 2400 Developmental Psychology
PSYC 2501 Cognitive Psychology
PSYC 2700 Social Psychology
PSYC 3101 Psychological Testing
PSYC 3102 Psychology of Women
PSYC 3880 Field Experience
PSYC 3889 Undergraduate Research
SOCI
SOCI 2301 Criminology
SOCI 2310 Intro to Criminal Justice (Storrs - Online/Asynchronous)
SOCI 3201 (RM) Methods of Social Research
SOCI 3211Q (RM) Quantitative Methods in Social Research
SOCI 3990 Internship: Field Experience
SOCI 3991 Internship: Research Paper
WGSS
WGSS 2263 Women, Gender, and Violence
Plan of Study
The plan of study requires:
- 36 credits of coursework at the 2000 level or above.
- At least 18 of those credits must come from the degree-granting college (CLAS or CAHNR).
- The following courses:
- Capstone course
- Research methods course
- Second writing-intensive (W) course in addition to the capstone
Access to Courses
In some cases, individualized majors rely on access to courses that are typically limited to students majoring in that discipline. Access may be granted at the discretion of faculty and their departments.
All other enrollment requirements (prerequisites, semester standing, etc.) are enforced as usual.
Get Started
Interested in applying for an individualized major? Meet with a program advisor (Ken Cormier or Martha Goldstein) as early as possible. This meeting will help you learn more about the program and assess whether your interests are best met through an individualized major. Also, review our information on how to apply. You must work with at least two faculty advisors when creating a plan of study and preparing your application.