The Bachelor of Arts: Special Major is offered by San Francisco State University for those students who have unique academic goals, which cannot be satisfactorily attained through one of the regularly offered undergraduate major programs of San Francisco State University or other colleges and universities in the Bay Area. The special major consists of a combination of courses planned in advance to focus on an integrative and coherent theme identified by the student. A written statement must be developed which describes the goals of the proposed major. The program must be compatible with the general objectives of the university. Courses must be chosen by the student from at least three different departments in at least two different colleges of the university. (Department means any program area of the university offering coursework.)
A special major may not duplicate any existing major programs, by name or content, which are offered at San Francisco State University, nor may it be used as a means of bypassing regularly prescribed graduation requirements. It must be planned and approved in advance, not created as an afterthought to utilize previously completed courses.
Bachelor of Arts: Special Major
Admission to the Program
To apply for a special major, a student must first be admitted to San Francisco State University. Special major status is granted only after consultation with an adviser and approval of the student's proposal. Students may apply for admission to the special major program during or after their first semester of attendance at SF State.
Eligibility for the Program
Special major applicants are expected to have completed a minimum of 45 and a maximum of 90 units of university study with a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 (B). Records of such work; e.g., unofficial transcripts, degree progress report, and Advanced Standing Evaluation (if a transfer student), must be presented to the appropriate academic adviser in the special major program. In unusual circumstances, a student may request an exception to this provision.
Advising for the Program
Advising for students pursuing a special major is provided at the Undergraduate Advising Center by academic counselors designated by the Dean of Undergraduate Education and Academic Planning, who is responsible for the coordination and overall administration of the program. Coursework in the major program must be approved in advance by departments offering the courses. Please be aware that some departments restrict course enrollment to their majors.
To initiate the special major approval process, consult the advising website at https://advisinghub.sfsu.edu/bachelor-arts-special-major/.