Majors and Minors

Students may elect a major  as early as summer orientation before they begin classes in the fall. A major must be declared upon completion of five semesters (80 semester hours) of full-time study. Students take a minimum of 28 semester hours in a major field, as determined by each department. Please note that some majors require prerequisite courses. The programs also offer fieldwork or internships through which students may apply their knowledge and explore opportunities in a career field related to their area(s) of study. Students may elect a single department major or a combination of majors.
The curriculum offers the following options:


 

 

Options 

Description 

Single Major  A coherent sequence of courses administered by a single department
Double Major  Student fulfills two complete majors
Joint Major  A sequence of courses drawn from two departments and advised and administered with the cooperation of both
Interdepartmental major
 An interdisciplinary program involving two or more departments or programs
Option for Personalized Education (OPEN) OPEN offers students an opportunity to design a major with the assistance of a faculty advisor. It enables a student to work out an individualized major in accordance with their own educational needs and goals. Contact the Associate Provost of Curriculum Assessment, and Accreditation, Kelly Hager, for more information (kelly.hager@simmons.edu).
Minor                                                                                                                      A minor is an integrated group of courses designed to give a student significant exposure to a subject area other than his or their major. (A minor is different than the 3D requirement of the Simmons PLAN.) All minors are 20 credits (five courses). Minors are not required for graduation, but they can be elected by those students who wish to indicate an area of interest that complements and refines their major, suggests a distinct area of concentration, or expresses a particular passion or avocation.