Liberal Arts

Ready to Break New Ground?

If you can articulate a course of study not satisfied by our current slate of majors, you’re invited to design your own interdisciplinary major.

This program is ideal for students who are curious, creative, fiercely independent, and eager to explore connections across multiple areas of interest.

The possibilities are limitless.

A few ideas to jumpstart your thinking…

• Interactive Storytelling: New Media + English + Computer Science + Theatre and Performance
• Film Criticism: Cinema and Television Studies + Journalism + Video Production
• Bioethics: Biology + Philosophy + Sociology + Law and Justice Studies
• African Studies: History + English + Anthropology + Global Studies
• Public Health: Sociology + Psychology + Environmental Science
• International Studies: Political Science + Economics + Global Studies + History
• Religion: Contemplative Studies + History + Philosophy
• Childhood Studies: Psychology + Sociology + English
• Food Studies: Chemistry + Anthropology + Art History + History
• Migration Studies: Political Science + History + Global Studies + Latin American, Caribbean and Latinx Studies

How Does It Work?

You’ll work very closely with faculty from two departments to create a plan, select courses, and develop an independent project in your senior year that pulls your passions together.

As an incoming BALA student, you will:

• Choose up to three primary areas of interest from the list of liberal arts and sciences programs.
• Work closely with two or more faculty sponsors from different disciplines who will help you design a program that matches your academic interests and career goals.
• Complete a senior project that brings together your interests in new ways and showcases what you have learned.

Is the BALA Right For Me?

The BALA program is not the same as pursuing two independent majors. 

It’s made for students motivated to build their own path. The program intentionally combines courses from two or three disciplines to create a single, integrated course of study. You’ll approach a theme, problem, or set of questions from a multidisciplinary perspective, rather than complete the requirements of two separate majors.

If you’re ready to design an innovative and individualized course of study that blends multiple fields, it’s the right fit for you.