Mills believes that studying one field in depth gives shape and purpose to a student's educational program. As soon as she chooses a major, a student is encouraged to plan her course of study for the full program to graduation. A few disciplines require a sequence of courses that begins in the first year. Many majors also require that the student select a particular emphasis within the major which will determine the exact course requirements for that major. Courses in the major must be completed with letter grades.

A major field of study most often lies within a single department, but divisional and interdivisional majors bring together related materials from several disciplines. A single-discipline major will typically require 10 to 13 semester course credits within the discipline. In some cases, related courses in other disciplines will be required and elective courses outside the major field may be suggested. A divisional or interdivisional major requires 13 to 16 semester course credits within the combined fields of concentration. In addition, most departments plan for their seniors a capstone experience that provides a synthesis of the material in the major field. This experience might be a comprehensive examination, a senior seminar, a thesis, a performance, a project, or a combination of exercises. (See Declaring a Major.)

A student may also create her own college major. (See College Major section below.)

Minor Field of Study

Minor programs, consisting of 5 to 6.25 semester course credits, are authorized in certain fields or disciplines. Courses in the minor sequence may not be duplicated in the student's major sequence. A student may not major and minor in the same discipline. Courses in the minor must be completed with letter grades. (See Declaring a Minor.)

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Departments and Programs

Majors and Minors

American Studies major, minor

Anthropology and Sociology major

Anthropology minor

Art History major, minor

Art (Studio) major, minor

Asian Studies minor

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology major (BA and BS)

Biology major (BA and BS), minor

Biopsychology major (BA and BS)

Book Art minor

Business Economics major

Chemistry major (BA and BS), minor

Child Development major, minor

College Major major

Comparative Literature major

Computer Science major, minor

Dance major, minor

Economics major, minor

English with Emphasis in Creative Writing major

English with Emphasis in Literature major, minor

Environmental Science major (BA and BS)

Environmental Studies major, minor

Ethnic Studies major, minor

Film Studies minor

French and Francophone Studies major, minor

Government major, minor

History major, minor

Intermedia Arts major, minor

International Relations major

Journalism minor

Latin American Studies major, minor

Literary and Cultural Studies major, minor

Mathematics major (BA and BS), minor

Music major, minor

Philosophy major, minor

Physics minor

Political, Legal, and Economic Analysis major

Psychology major, minor

Public Policy major, minor

Sociology major, minor

Spanish and Spanish American Studies major, minor

Women's Studies major, minor

Cooperating Programs

Pre-Nursing

Dual-Degree Programs
Mills offers seven dual-degree programs that enable undergraduates with clear career goals in these fields to streamline their college and continuing undergraduate or graduate school programs:

• 4+1 BA/MBA Business Administration
• 4+1 BA/MPP Public Policy
• 4+1 BA/MA Credential in Teacher Education
• 4+1 BA/MA Infant Mental Health
• 4+1 BA/MA Mathematics
• 4+1 BA/MA Interdisciplinary Computer Science
• 3+2 BA/BS Engineering 

Preparation for Professional Graduate School
Mills offers students in any major additional guidance in shaping their curriculum to conform to entrance requirements for professional graduate schools in:

• Law
• Medicine
• Professional Health Sciences

College Major

Students who want to undertake a major not stated in the catalog may select an advisory committee of three tenured or tenure-track faculty members in relevant disciplines and with them plan a course of study that will usually take an interdisciplinary approach to either a single period or a specific topic. A minimum of 10 semester course credits within the field of concentration, plus a senior seminar or project with the value of 1 to 2 semester course credits, are to be selected with the approval of the advisory committee and the Academic Standing Committee (ASC). A student must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 at the time of petition, and may not declare a second major. Some recent college majors include cultural studies and narrative forms, civic leadership and social analysis, and social justice in education. Samples of college major proposals are available in the M Center. Students must submit a petition to the ASC for approval of college majors. Due to the length of time required for approval of a college major, students should begin the process of declaring a college major well before the end of their sophomore year.

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