Junior Rothman Harris Self-Designed a Major Tailored to His Unique Interests

Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri, offers many different majors, but some students have numerous interests, and they cannot choose just one.

Junior Rothman Harris had this exact problem. Soon after starting his career at Westminster, he learned the College offers a Self-Designed major for students like himself who have a wide range of interests and want a major that includes them all.

Harris self-designed a Health Humanities major.

“It was a really easy process: I worked with my professors and advisors to come up with a major that would best suit my goals,” Harris says. “They were very helpful in providing me with advice and direction on which courses to take in order to truly get what I wanted out of the major.”

He first found two professors within separate departments who could best represent the courses he would need. Then, with the help of his professors, Harris wrote a proposal for a Self-Designed major.

After getting the major approved, he was able to take classes that would prepare him with the skills and knowledge to pursue a career related to Health Humanities.

“I’ve always been interested in these subjects one way or another, and would really enjoy a career that encompasses several of the disciplines that I have learned,” he says.

Harris also majors in Security Studies with minors in Philosophy, Criminal Justice, Public Health, and Political Science.

By creating a major tailored to his interests, Harris explains that he has improved his public speaking and critical-thinking skills. He has also networked with a variety of individuals on and off campus.

“I have participated in internships gained knowledge that will aid me in a future profession,” he says.

By creating a Self-Designed major, students can create a major that encompasses all of their interests while still preparing them for their future.

A few previous Self-Designed majors include Middle Eastern Women’s Studies, Event Management, Diversity and Mental Health, Non-profit Management, Cybersecurity and Business Administration, and Sports Psychology. The options at Westminster are limitless!

For more information on the Self-Designed major or minor at Westminster College, please contact Dr. Linda Webster, Associate Vice President and Associate Dean of Faculty and Academic Operations, at [email protected].