Upon entering Meredith, a student is assigned an academic advisor, based on their indicated major of interest, who will work collaboratively with the student to plan course schedules and explore their academic goals and interests. Although some enter Meredith with a major in mind, students more typically explore a number of options before choosing a direction. Students who are still exploring majors will be assigned to work with faculty advisors trained to assist students in the exploration process and decision making. Students are encouraged to declare their major any time after their first semester. All advisors are well versed in general education requirements and familiar with campus resources and support systems. Questions about academic advising should be addressed to Academic Advising in the Student Success Center (first floor of the Park Center or advising@meredith.edu).
First year students usually enroll in general education courses and entry-level courses in their fields of interest.
During this time they consult with academic advisors and other faculty and staff to create a plan of study. At the end of the junior year, the student and their advisor will conduct a graduation check. Ultimate responsibility for fulfilling graduation requirements rests with the student.
Selecting a Major
A major is a program of approved courses and experiences that allows a student to pursue in-depth study in a discipline, or in an interdisciplinary curriculum, in order to advance the student's knowledge and understanding of the content and tools of that field of study. Established majors described in this catalogue, as well as a contract major option, are available. A major prepares students for graduate study and, in some instances, it may have a career oriented or pre-professional focus. The major field is listed on a student’s transcript, along with the degree that is conferred.
A grade point average of 2.0 or higher must be achieved for all courses completed at Meredith in a student’s major.
A major requires a minimum of 30 credit hours and a maximum of 80 credit hours (including prerequisite courses). A major may exceed 80 credit hours for a professional degree or when mandated by an accrediting or licensing agency. At least 35% of the credit hours required for a major must be completed in courses designated by the department as upper level. A minimum of 50% of the credit hours required for completion of a Meredith major must be completed in residence.
A major may also require specific courses outside of the department or school offering the major. In such cases these related courses are considered part of the total credit hours required for the major.
A concentration is an area of specialization within a major designed to focus on a specific content area and/or provide a career-oriented component. Schools and departments offer concentrations when the discipline or field of study is particularly broad and students may wish to develop a significant degree of expertise in a particular area of the major field. A concentration requires a minimum of 18 credit hours and will consist of no more than 50% of the courses which are required for the major except when an accreditation or licensure agency or the professional standards of the discipline mandates a different allocation of those credit hours. A concentration is listed on the student’s official transcript as part of the major field of study, along with the degree conferred.
ENG-090, and 100-level foreign language courses are not considered prerequisites and are not part of the major credit hours. A major may require (or present as an option) a concentration within the discipline or have a co-requirement of a minor.
A student may complete up to two years of study at Meredith before declaring a major. Although encouraged to explore various options during this time, the student should talk with their advisor about course sequences and offerings in their areas of interest. A late declaration of major can put a student behind in some disciplines.
Those wishing to pursue teaching licensure should make Academic Advising aware of their interest as soon as possible in order to allow for timely progress toward graduation.
Applying for a Contract Major
The contract major option allows the highly focused and motivated student to design a unique course of study. Students wishing to combine course work in several disciplines or pursue a specific topic in depth within or across disciplines may want to consider this option. A grade point average of 2.5 or better is recommended for students who propose a contract major.
There are two types of contract majors:
- Departmental — Departmental majors include mainly courses within the respective department or school, but may include supporting courses from other disciplines.
- Interdisciplinary — Interdisciplinary majors, other than those listed among the regular majors, may be pursued by a student through one of the academic departments or schools.
In most cases, a department or school will design these majors according to the following guidelines: (a) a minimum of 36 credit hours; (b) a unifying theme; (c) a core discipline of 18-21 credit hours and two additional related disciplines or 12 credit hours from each of three separate disciplines; and (d) a 3 credit hour senior project.
All contract majors require a substantial number of upper level courses. Requests for CRC and transfer credit in the contract major will follow Meredith College guidelines. Normally, a contract major must be considered and approved by the Academic Council no later than the junior year. Students who pursue a contract major will be expected to assess how each course taken, as part of the major, serves the purpose of the contract major.
A student interested in this option meets with their advisor(s) to design the contract major proposal for submission to the Academic Council. The contract major proposal must be submitted to the Academic Council using the format outlined on the “Proposal for a Contract Major” form available from the chair of Academic Council. All contract major proposals for the next year must be submitted by the final date for proposals for curriculum changes to Academic Council.
Minors
A minor allows a student to pursue an area of interest in addition to their major by completing an approved course program in another academic discipline or related disciplines. Structured minors are available in most departments and schools. In addition, the college offers several interdisciplinary minors. In general, a minor is optional, although certain majors have a corequirement of a minor as outlined in the major requirements. A minor is listed on the student’s official transcript.
A grade point average of 2.0 or higher must be achieved for all courses completed at Meredith in a student’s minor. Minors require a minimum of 18 credit hours, with study in upper division courses. A minimum of 50% of the credit hours required for the completion of a minor must be completed in residence at Meredith College.
Applying for a Contract Minor
Students may develop and propose a contract minor with the support of a department or school according to the following guidelines: (a) contract minors will have a minimum of 18 and a maximum of 24 credit hours; and (b) contract minors will be comprised of courses that have a unifying theme. Contract minors are subject to the same procedures for review and approval as contract majors. (See above).
Declaring a Major and Minor
A student may declare a major by consulting with the department head or other faculty in their chosen field of study and submitting a Declaration of Major form to the Office of the Registrar. Students follow the same procedure for declaring a minor: consulting with the program head or administrator, filing a Declaration of Minor form with the Office of the Registrar.