Why Should I Choose Individualized Studies?

Individualized Studies allows you to customize your degree program if you have professional goals that don't perfectly fit within our current programs.

What Will I Learn Through Individualized Studies?

Most students who pursue this option complete the requirements for an established major and sometimes a minor, but work far in advance with faculty and career advisors to set up a special internship for late in the junior year or in the senior year. A few work with two advisors to develop their own major from the hundreds of existing courses. In the past, students have developed individualized majors such as arts management, advertising, scientific illustration, sports marketing-management, museum studies, and art history.

What Can I Do With An Individualized Studies Degree?

A wide variety of career options are available based on how you customize the program to meet your academic needs.


An outline of your proposed major, with a written rationale explaining its purposes and objectives, must be submitted for approval to the Provost no later than the registration date for Winter Term of your junior year. These documents must bear the recommendation of the advisor – or more than one if your major is interdisciplinary – and be accompanied with a formal request for approval from the division.

For a BA: At least 90 of the required credits must be in the liberal arts and sciences.

For a BS: At least 60 credits must be in the liberal arts and sciences.

Your major must include at least 36 credits, with at least 12 credits from courses numbered 3000 or above, at least 18 credits from a single discipline or closely related disciplines, and a writing intensive (WRT) course.


Our Office of Admissions can help you take the next steps. Are you ready to apply?

Undergraduate Admissions

Create YOUR Elmira Experience with a viewbook customized just for you!

Create YOUR Elmira Experience with a viewbook customized just for you!

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