Future Dukies may have time to take a few more electives.
Administrators in Trinity College of Arts and Sciences are considering reducing the fewest number of courses required for a major from ten to eight. The Arts and Sciences Council, which would need to approve the change, could see a formal proposal as early as late spring or next fall.
Robert Thompson, dean of Trinity College and vice provost of undergraduate education said the potential changes would free students to enroll more easily in interdisciplinary certificate programs.
"What's so magical about the 10-course requirement for the major?" Thompson asked.
Modifying the curriculum would offer students more options, said Jimmy Soni, Duke Student Government's vice president for academic affairs.
"I don't know that there's necessarily a need to reduce the major size, but I think it would be a boon to students if it happened," Soni said.
Several directors of undergraduate studies, however, said they would not support the potential change. "Absolutely not," said Elena Maksimova, associate professor of the practice and DUS for Slavic and Eurasian Studies. "It's small enough... when you're talking about 10 courses, and you call it 'major.' We don't call it 'major' in Europe."
She added that class time is already insufficient, particularly for language majors.
David Rabiner, senior research scientist and DUS for psychology, also said that current majors are-if anything-too small.
"I would think that eight courses would actually be too few," Rabiner said. "One could certainly argue that 10 courses is a bit on the low side."
He noted that students who carefully plan their course of study generally have no problem completing both a traditional major and an interdisciplinary certificate.
Well prepared students can usually complete a second major without much difficulty, explained Professor William Allard, DUS for mathematics. He also opposed decreasing the size of majors, noting that science departments would be especially unlikely to eliminate major requirements.
"It'd be absolutely unacceptable," Allard said. "I'm speaking for myself, but I'm pretty sure everyone else would agree."
Some faculty involved in undergraduate certificate programs were more supportive of the potential changes.
"I think it would be a plus," said Richard Lucic, curriculum director for the Information Sciences and Information Studies Program and associate professor of the practice of computer science.
Lucic said major requirements deter students from taking the ISIS certificate, especially students who only recognize their interest in information studies as juniors or seniors.
"I'm sure it's a factor," Lucic said. "Some people come to [the program] too late in their career at Duke to really participate."
Jane Gaines, professor of literature and English and director of the Marxism and Society certificate program, said she firmly supported the potential change.
"We should do this," Gaines said. She explained that students sometimes have difficulty completing the certificate due to the courses required by their majors.
Lucic noted, however, that traditional departments could have difficulty providing students an adequate education in their disciplines if class time were to decrease.
"Any of the computational-intense science courses-it's going to be harder on them," Lucic said. "You just have to have a certain amount of background."
Soni said students who want a deeper knowledge of their field could still take 10 or more courses, regardless of the possible change. He said many graduates' careers do not reflect their academic specialties, so eight major courses might be sufficient for some. "It doesn't hurt anybody, but it helps the student who's looking for a bit more flexibility," he said.
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