Individualized Study, B.A.

Offered by Individualized Study .

University Requirements

Completion of Minimum University Requirements for an Undergraduate Baccalaureate Degree .

Minimum 120 credits and minimum GPA of 2.0
Completion of 45 upper-level credits, the residence requirement, the Writing Intensive requirement, and the General Education requirement

Major Requirements

Minimum 42 credits at 200-level and above
Minimum grade of ‘C’ in courses applied to the major

Course Requirements

The coursework for the individualized degree:

differs substantially from other majors offered at UMBC
contains a maximum of 21 credits from any one discipline
contains a maximum of 4 courses of transfer credit
contains a maximum of 3 courses that are also counted as degree requirements towards another major
includes all courses in the core curriculum

Core Curriculum (12 credits)

Individualized Studies Track (30 credits)

Integrative Studies Track

Complete the following:

INDS 335 - Interdisciplinary Degree Plan Writing Seminar (3)
Minimum 27 additional credits of coursework at the 200 level or above organized into explicit learning objectives and with an explicit statement of the nature and purpose of the scholarly integration involved
Minimum GPA of 2.5 at the time of degree submission

Multidisciplinary Studies Track

Minimum 30 additional credits at the 200 level or above, including a minimum of 15 credits at the 300 level or above, selected in consultation with a faculty advisor

Four-Year Academic Pathways

The Four-Year Academic Pathways webpage offers helpful sample pathways for students eager to explore their academic options and stay on track for a four-year graduation. These pathways provide a starting point for students to plan how to complete their degree in four years. However, it’s important to remember that these are just samples. In consultation with their academic advisor, each student will create an individualized degree plan that reflects their unique academic background, interests, and career goals.

Students must develop their personalized degree plan by the time they’ve earned 45 credits and regularly update it with their advisor as their goals and academic journey evolve. This approach ensures that students make thoughtful, strategic choices that set them up for success throughout their time at UMBC.

Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s Programs

Qualified students may apply to an accelerated program, which allows them to take graduate courses as undergraduate students and later apply those courses to master’s degrees. A student may apply to participate in an accelerated program even if the desired graduate program is in a department other than the one in which they are majoring. More information is available from the Accelerated Program page of the Graduate School website.