Majors

The chart below lists all University at Albany majors and whether the major leads to a B.A. or B.S. degree.  

The charts that follow list all combined baccalaureate and master’s programs that are designed to assist students in  accelerating completion of two degrees.  Policies regarding enrollment in BAMA programs can be found in the section on Joint Degrees and Bachelor-Master Programs.

 

UNDERGRADUATE MAJORS HEGIS
Code
B.A.
Degree
B.S.
Degree
Honors
Program
         
College of Arts & Sciences        
 Actuarial &  Mathematical Sciences  1799    X  
 Africana Studies  2211  X    X
 Anthropology  2202  X    X
 Art  1002  X    X
 Art History

1003

 X    X
 Atmospheric Science  1913    X  X
 Biology  0401  X  X  X
 Chemistry  1905  X  X  X
 Chinese Studies  1107  X    X
 East Asian Studies  0302  X    X
 Economics  2204  X  X  X
 English  1501  X    X
 French  1102  X    X
 Geography  2206  X    X
 Greek & Roman Civilization  1504  X    X
 History  2205  X    X
 Human Biology  0401    X  
 Interdisciplinary Majors        
    (Biochemistry & Molecular Biology)  4901    X  X
    (Documentary Studies)  4901  X    X
    (Environmental Science)  4901    X  X
    (Globalization Studies)  4901  X    
    (Medieval & Renaissance Studies)  4901  X    X
    (Religious Studies)  4901  X    
    (Urban Studies & Planning)  4901  X    
 Italian  1104  X    X
 Japanese Studies 1108  X    X
 Journalism  0602  X    X
 Judaic Studies  0399  X    X
 Latin American Studies  0308  X    X
 Linguistics  1505  X    X
 Mathematics  1701  X  X  X
 Music  1005  X    X
 Philosophy  1509  X    X
 Physics  1902    X  X
 Psychology  2001  X    X
 Puerto Rican Studies  0399  X    X
 Rhetoric & Communication  1506  X    X
 Russian  1106  X    X
 Russian & East European Studies  0307  X    
 Sociology  2208  X    X
 Spanish  1105  X    X
 Theatre  1007  X    X
 Women’s Studies  4903  X    X
         
School of Business        
 Accounting  0502    X  
 Business Administration  0506    X  
         
College of Computing &  Information        
 Computer Science  0701  X  X  X
 Computer Science & Applied Mathematics  0701    X  X
 Interdisciplinary Majors        
    (Information Science)  4901  X    
    (Financial Market Regulation)  4901    X  
         
School of Criminal Justice        
 Criminal Justice 2209  X    X
       

 

College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering        
 Nanoscale Engineering  0915    X  X
 Nanoscale Science  0915    X  X
         
Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy        
 Political Science  2207  X    X
 Public Policy  2102  X    X
         
School of Public Health        
 Interdisciplinary Major        
 Public Health  4901  X    X
         
School of Social Welfare        
 Social Welfare  2104    X  
         
University-wide        
 Interdisciplinary Studies  4901  X  X  
         


 

Combined Bachelor’s/Master's in Business Administration (M.B.A.) Programs


 Majors  HEGIS Codes  Degrees
 College of Arts & Sciences    
 Africana Studies  2211/0506  B.A./M.B.A.
 Anthropology  2202/0506  B.A./M.B.A.
 Art  1002/0506  B.A./M.B.A.
 Biology  0401/0506  B.A./M.B.A.
 Economics   2204/0506  B.A./M.B.A.
 English   1501/0506  B.A./M.B.A.
 Geography   2206/0506  B.A./M.B.A.
 Greek & Roman Civilization   1504/0506  B.A./M.B.A.
 History   2205/0506  B.A./M.B.A.
 Linguistics   1505/0506  B.A./M.B.A.
 Mathematics   1701/0506  B.A./M.B.A.
 Music   1005/0506  B.A./M.B.A.
 Philosophy   1509/0506  B.A./M.B.A.
 Psychology   2001/0506  B.A./M.B.A.
 Rhetoric & Communication   1506/0506  B.A./M.B.A.
 Russian & East European Studies  0307/0506  B.A./M.B.A.
 Sociology   2208/0506  B.A./M.B.A.
 Theatre   1007/0506  B.A./M.B.A.
     
 School of Criminal Justice    
 Criminal Justice  2209/0506  B.A./M.B.A
     
 Nelson A. Rockefeller College    
 Political Science  2207/0506  B.A./M.B.A.

 

Combined Bachelor’s/Master's in Health Policy and Management Programs

 Majors  HEGIS Codes  Degrees
 College of Arts & Sciences    
 Economics/Health Policy & Management   2204/1214  B.A./M.S.
 Economics/Health Policy & Management  2204/1214  B.S./M.S.
 Psychology/Health Policy & Management  2001/1214  B.A./M.S.
 Sociology/Health Policy & Management   2208/1214  B.A./M.S.


 


Combined Bachelor’s/Master’s Degree Programs

 Majors  HEGIS Codes  Degrees
 Atmospheric Science/Atmospheric Science  1913/1913  B.S./M.S.
 Biology/Biology   0401/0401  B.S./M.S.
 Chemistry/Chemistry   1905/1905  B.S./M.S.
 Computer Science/Computer Science   0701/0701  B.S./M.S.
 Computer Science & Applied Mathematics/Mathematics  0701/1701  B.S./M.A
 Criminal Justice/Criminal Justice  2209/2209  B.A./M.A.
 Economics/Public Administration   2204/2102  B.S./M.P.A.
 English/English    1501/1501  B.A./M.A.
 French/French   1102/1102  B.A./M.A.
 Geography/Geography   2206/2206  B.A./M.A.
 History/History   2205/2205  B.A./M.A.
 Linguistics/Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages  1505/1508  B.A./M.S.
 Mathematics/Mathematics   1701/1701  B.A./M.A.
 Mathematics/Mathematics   1701/1701  B.S./M.A.
 Philosophy/Philosophy   1509/1509  B.A./M.A.
 Physics/Physics   1902/1902  B.S./M.S.
 Political Science/Political Science   2207/2207  B.A./M.A.
 Political Science/Public Administration   2207/2102   B.A./M.P.A.
 Public Policy/Public Administratin  2102/2102  B.A./M.P.A.
 Psychology/Counseling   2001/0826  B.A./M.S.
 Psychology/Rehabilitation Counseling   2001/2104  B.A./M.S.
 Rhetoric & Communication/Rhetoric & Communication   1506/1506  B.A./M.A.
 Russian/Russian   1106/1106  B.A./M.A.
 Sociology/Public Administration   2208/2102  B.A./M.P.A.
 Sociology/Sociology   2208/2208  B.A./M.A.
 Spanish/Spanish   1105/1105  B.A./M.A.
 Theatre/Theatre   1007/1007  B.A./M.A.
 Women’s Studies/Women’s Studies   4903/4903  B.A./M.A.
 Any undergraduate B.A. major/Information Science   1/0702  B.A./M.S.I.S
 Any undergraduate B.S. major
 (except Accounting)/Information Science
 1/0702  B.S./M.S.I.S.
 1 HEGIS code depends on undergraduate major.    

Regulations Concerning Majors

The University offers majors in the General Program through the schools and colleges indicated here. In addition, there currently exist unique departmental program majors in art, music, and theatre that complement the regular University major options in each of these areas.

Some majors are available through an honors program or a combined bachelor’s/master’s degree program. Approved faculty-initiated interdisciplinary majors are also included in the University’s curricular offerings. In addition, students may design their own interdisciplinary major in accordance with procedures established by the Interdisciplinary Studies Committee of the Undergraduate Academic Council.

Declaration of Major

Freshmen and transfer students are generally admitted to the University and not to a particular department, college, or school. Normally, students are expected to declare their intended major when they have earned 24 graduation credits. By the time they have accumulated 42 graduation credits, students must have officially declared a major or have applied for admission to a restricted major. For most majors, students need only complete a Declaration of Major form with their advisers and a minimum of 24 graduation credits to be officially enrolled in the school or college offering their major. Other majors, however, are restricted in the sense that students must be granted formal departmental or school approval or satisfy stated admissions criteria before being officially classified as that major.

Currently, admission to the following majors is restricted: accounting, business administration, criminal justice, economics, mathematics, psychology, rhetoric and communication, social welfare, and sociology. In addition, students must obtain approval to enter the faculty-initiated interdisciplinary majors in biochemistry and molecular biology, information science, public health, and the special departmental program majors in art and music.

Selection to these restricted majors will differ depending on the degree of competition generated by other applicants and/or the completion of specific course requirements. For further details on the specific requirements and selection processes for each of these majors, please refer to the appropriate department or school description in this bulletin.
 

Multiple Majors

Students may elect more than one major, designating which is to be considered the “first major,” the “second major,” etc. The first major listed shall be from the department from which the student elects to receive advisement. The faculty of the school or college that offers the first major shall recommend the student for the appropriate degree. For example, a student completing the three majors biology, history, and philosophy would receive a B.S. degree if the first major were biology or a B.A. degree if the first major were history or philosophy.

For each major, students must complete the major requirements as outlined in this bulletin. However, for a student with two or more majors, a specific course that is applicable to more than one of the majors may be applied toward each of the majors to which it is applicable. For example, a student with two majors in accounting and economics may “double count” calculus and some economics courses, applying the credits toward both majors; if the student also had a third major in computer science, the calculus course A Mat 112 would “triple count,” applying to all three majors.

The Student-Initiated Interdisciplinary Major

In addition to existing majors offered by the University’s departments, schools and programs, a “Student-Initiated Interdisciplinary Major” option is available through the Undergraduate Academic Council’s Interdisciplinary Studies Committee. This option is designed to allow highly motivated students to meet special educational goals not available from the many existing majors at the University.

In the development of an interdisciplinary major the student and prospective faculty sponsors are asked to insure its intellectual merit by considering the following questions: Will the proposed major make it possible to undertake future disciplined inquiry such as that which is found in graduate or professional study? Will the plan promote mastery of the methodological tools relevant to the subject matter? Are there sufficient bodies of scholarly literature to allow for in-depth study in the major’s disciplines? Will the plan allow for gaining significant knowledge to read and evaluate professional and scholarly literature in the major’s disciplines?

The following information will assist in the formulation of a major.
 
Non-Duplication of Existing Majors: The proposed major must involve course work in at least two different departments or schools. Moreover, the proposal must not duplicate or nearly duplicate opportunities available to University at Albany students through existing major programs.

Coherence: The proposed major must consist of a coherent, integrated program of studies. As with any other major, there must be some relationship between courses to be undertaken as well as sufficient depth of study in the area under consideration. It would also be helpful to know if models exist on other campuses for the proposed major. This information will assist the student in constructing a program of studies and the citation of an existing program will support the application for such a major.

Credits: The proposed major must consist of at least 36 but not more than 66 credits. If the major includes fewer than 54 credits, the student will be applying for a major only and will need a separate minor to meet minimum graduation requirements. If the major includes 54 or more credits, the student will be applying for a combined major and minor program and, therefore, no separate minor will be needed.

Upper Division Course Work: At least one half of the credits in the proposed major must be at the 300 level or above.

Independent Study: The proposed major may include a maximum of 25% of independent study course work.

B.A. or B.S. Degree: The course work in the interdisciplinary major will normally dictate the type of bachelor’s degree to be earned by the student.

Faculty Sponsorship: The proposal must have a primary and a secondary faculty sponsor. The primary sponsor must also agree to serve as the student’s major adviser for the proposed program. The two sponsors must be members of the teaching faculty and must come from two different academic units (departments or schools) offering courses included in the major.

Student who believe they might like to construct their own major should begin plans as soon as possible, but the application for the major cannot be filed until the student has completed at least 30 graduation credits.

Once a student has tentatively decided on the theme for the proposed study, the Undergraduate Bulletin should be reviewed to verify that no existing major encompasses that theme. The Bulletin and the Schedule of Classes should also be used to identify possible courses which might be included in the proposed major and, based on the courses they teach, possible faculty who might be willing to serve as sponsors for the major.

Before deciding on all the details of the proposed major, the student should speak with several faculty for the following reasons: (a) to determine the likelihood of finding two faculty sponsors for the program; (b) to solicit suggestions on how to further refine, limit, or expand the chosen theme; (c) to solicit further suggestions of individual courses or sequences of courses which might be included in the major; and (d) to determine whether or not the student’s goals in creating the major are likely to be met by the combination of courses chosen.

Further information and application procedures and forms may be obtained by contacting the Office of the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education, LC 30 (518-442-3950).