Majors and Minors

The College believes it is mastery of a subject that makes informed, independent judgments and so requires students to complete a major. Prior to midterm of the second semester of sophomore year, students will choose an adviser in the field of their selected major and begin discussions regarding the major. Students must complete a Major/Educational Objectives form that is signed by the major adviser of record and submit it to the Registrar’s Office no later than midterm of the first semester of junior year. New students with a minimum of junior class standing will have an additional semester to submit the major declaration form. A substantial part of the junior and senior years will be devoted to the major program. At Pitzer College, field groups (similar to a discipline or department) organize major requirements and courses. Students may choose existing majors at the other Claremont Colleges provided that the fields are not offered as majors at Pitzer.

Majors

To view the 5-College Course Schedule, click here.

Additional majors are available by arrangement with the other Claremont Colleges. Students with off-campus majors and advisers must also have a Pitzer faculty member as an adviser to oversee completion of the Pitzer Educational Objectives.

Combined majors meld two or more existing fields, with some modification of the normal requirements in each. Combined majors must be approved by a faculty member representing each field involved, following the principles established by each field group. Such approval normally must be obtained not later than midterm of the first semester of the junior year.

Double majors require completion of all requirements for two fields. If the requirements for the two fields overlap, some field groups may place restrictions on the number of courses that can be counted in both fields. Students must have the approval of faculty advisers in both fields and should submit two separate Major/Educational Objectives forms not later than midterm of the first semester of the junior year. Majoring in three fields is possible but unadvisable, will be subject to the same requirements as those listed above for double majors and will require approval of the Curriculum Committee.

Guidelines for Special Majors

Students may wish to pursue a major that does not fit an established major. A special major proposal should be developed with and must be approved by a minimum of two faculty advisers in appropriate fields. Students must have at least one Pitzer adviser, so if both special major advisers are from off-campus, the student must have a 3rd Pitzer adviser. Proposals should be submitted to the Registrar’s Office to be forwarded to the Curriculum Committee for their review, comment and approval. The criteria detailed below will be used by the Curriculum Committee in evaluating proposals.

Students should choose special major advisers and begin discussing the proposal in the sophomore year. Proposals must be submitted to the Registrar’s Office no later than midterm of the first semester of the junior year (the same date that standard major declarations are due). If the Curriculum Committee has not approved the proposed major by the end of the first semester of the student’s junior year, the student must choose and complete an existing major. The Curriculum Committee will consider a late proposal only if it is strong enough to meet the criteria listed below without need for revision. A late proposal must be accompanied by a petition addressed to the Curriculum Committee that provides a clear rationale for why it is late. Students will be notified of curriculum committee decisions via Pitzer e-mail. Special Major forms are available in the Registrar’s Office and contain two components:

1. An explanation for the Special Major including:

Title: The title must correspond with the course list and rationale for the major.

Purpose: Proposals must state the goals to be achieved through the implementation of the desired major and explain why these goals cannot be met with existing majors.

Coherence: The proposed courses must demonstrate a cohesive, feasible and organized program of study and explain how the courses work together to achieve the desired goals.

Mastery: The proposed major must exhibit sufficient depth and rigor, including a substantial number of advanced courses. For interdisciplinary special majors, the course list should include advanced work in each discipline.

Capstone: The proposal must discuss plans for a synthesizing paper, project, seminar or thesis. The course list should include a full-credit independent study devoted to completion of this thesis or project, or explain how an existing advanced seminar would serve this purpose. The capstone experience should integrate the knowledge gained through the special major.

2. Course List: A completed Major Declaration form must be included, listing both educational objectives and a course list, including a minimum of 10 courses for the proposed special major. The course list should match the explanation for the Special Major and should be consistent with curricular capabilities of The Claremont Colleges.

Honors in a field of major may be awarded to an outstanding student in recognition of academic excellence. Each field group for regular or combined majors (or both academic advisers in the case of special majors) may decide whether to award honors and establish specific criteria for honors. Honors in combined majors may be awarded for the combined major itself, but not for any one of the majors that the combined major comprises. Normally, all students who are awarded honors must have attained a cumulative GPA of at least 3.50 while registered at Pitzer College. In addition, students must have completed a thesis, seminar, independent study, or some other special program, which has been designated in advance as a possible basis for honors. During the fall semester of each academic year, field groups (or both academic advisers in the case of special majors) will send to their senior majors and to the Academic Standards Committee a formal statement of their requisites for honors. Final honors recommendations will be submitted to the Academic Standards Committee at least one week prior to graduation. The approved list of honors candidates will be submitted to the full faculty for final approval.

Minors

Minors are currently offered in the following fields:

Academic Minors will be available only in existing majors and only when the relevant field group chooses to offer one. In addition, students may choose existing minors at the other Claremont Colleges provided that the fields are not offered as majors at Pitzer. The availability of this alternative is contingent on the willingness of a professor at the other college in the relevant field to serve as a minor adviser. (For example, a student could minor in geology because it is formally available at Pomona and is not a major at Pitzer. On the other hand, if economics at Pitzer chooses not to offer a minor, a student cannot minor in economics just because Pomona has a minor in economics available.)

The specific requirements for a minor are designed by the relevant field group, approved by Curriculum Committee and approved by College Council. The requirements for a minor should include at least six letter-graded courses. Students cannot design “special” minors. Students cannot select more than one minor. There should be no overlap between courses comprising a student’s major and his/her minor. An exception could be made in the case where a specific course is required for both the major and the minor, if the field group offering the minor approves.

Students will have a minor adviser (a professor in the relevant field group offering the minor). The minor adviser’s signature is needed on two forms: one declaring the minor and listing proposed courses and one certifying the minor prior to graduation. As with majors, minors should be declared by the middle of the junior year. The minor adviser will not need to sign off on courses each semester; the adviser’s role is to give advice on the minor itself such as choice of courses.

Courses and Major Requirements in Each Field

Courses are numbered according to the level of preparation expected of the student. Courses numbered 1 to 199 are undergraduate courses. Generally speaking, those numbered below 100 are introductory courses designed for first years and sophomores or students with little or no preparation in the field. Certain field groups may choose to differentiate further their offerings by designating certain series as general education courses for students who are not necessarily majoring in the field. Courses numbered 100 or above are more advanced courses, generally designed for juniors and seniors or for those with sufficient preparation in the field.

Please note that some field groups may make no distinction among courses by level of preparation necessary and, thus, may designate courses by a simple consecutive numbering system. Students should consult the introductions which precede each field group's course offerings.

A semester course, or one semester of a year sequence, is credited as a full course unless it is designated as a half-course. A semester course is indicated by a single number. Two-semester courses may be indicated either by consecutive hyphenated numbers (for example, 37-38) when credit for the course is granted only upon completion of both semesters or by the letters "a, b" when credit for the course is granted for either semester. Pitzer College does not give academic credit or accept transfer credit for courses in physical education or in military science.

The letter "G" after a course number indicates an undergraduate course that is taught by a member of Claremont Graduate University faculty and is open to all students in The Claremont Colleges. Students should check the course listings each semester for additional "G" courses. Students should also consult the relevant field group to determine the level of preparation necessary for any individual course.

The letters "AA" after a course number indicate an intercollegiate course taught by the Intercollegiate Department of Asian American Studies; "CH" indicates a course taught by the Intercollegiate Department of Chicano Studies; or "AF" by the Intercollegiate Department of Africana Studies. These courses are open to all students of The Claremont Colleges. Any restrictions on enrollment other than the level of preparation required are stated in the course description.

Some courses may be designated parenthetically with an additional course number, for example, "(formerly 22)." This refers to a former course numbering system and is provided for informational purposes only.

Pitzer students may register in courses offered in the other Claremont Colleges with the approval of their advisers and subject to intercollegiate regulations. (See p. 284) Please consult "The Claremont Colleges Undergraduate Schedule of Courses" booklet distributed each semester for a complete listing of courses offered during the academic year. The courses described in this catalogue are not always taught every semester.

Standard Class Times at Pitzer

Unless otherwise indicated, classes meet at the times listed below. Some courses including art classes, music classes, some language courses and laboratory sessions deviate from these times.

MWFMWTThTTh
8 - 8:50Noon - 1:108:10 - 9:25Noon - 1:10
9 - 9:501:15 - 2:309:35 - 10:501:15 - 2:30
10 - 10:502:45 - 42:45-4
11 - 11:50 4:15 - 5:30
12 - 12:50

Evenings: 7-9:50 p.m. [one day per week, with break]
Single day seminars:

MWFF
2:45-5:301:15-4