Major substitutions

For most students, the official IHIS list provides an ample selection of core courses to choose from. However, you may find a course that is not on the list, but is particularly relevant to the course of study you have laid out in your major declaration. This course might provide a new angle on an issue you address in your concentration, or introduce you to theories and methods that you will need to use to explore the questions you have set for yourself in the major. 

You must make a convincing case that the course fits your individual program within IHIS, and offers a unique perspective or approach that you cannot examine in any of the courses already on the approved list. If the course in question merely provides background information without addressing the central question or issue in your major program, such as a general survey of the politics or economics of a region, it is a poor candidate for a major substitution. Requests for major substitutions on the basis of scheduling convenience, double-counting toward core or certificate requirements, or the desire to keep up in a language are generally rejected.

You may also find new courses that you wish to incorporate into your concentration. If you can make a strong argument that the new course is better suited to your intellectual project than one of the existing courses, you have a good case for a major substitution. If the course in question merely provides background information or duplicates coverage of an issue you have dealt with in a previous course, however, it is a poor candidate for a major substitution. Requests for major substitutions on the basis of scheduling convenience, double-counting toward core or certificate requirements, or the desire to keep up in a language are generally rejected.

To request a major substitution:

• Fill out a major substitution form, making an argument about why the course in question is crucial to the coherence of your major program.
• Attach a copy of the syllabus or description to the substitution form.
• Make your argument to your faculty mentor, and ask him or her to sign your form.
• Turn in the form to the curricular dean.

The dean will notify you about the decision by leaving a copy of the form at the front desk for you to pick up.