BA MAJOR

What You’ll Do

Some academic interests cannot be adequately addressed by a single major program. And at Warren Wilson, we don’t believe in limiting your curiosity. It’s why you have the opportunity to design your own major. With the support of a three-person Faculty Committee, you’ll leap into your areas of interest.

Bringing Your Major to Life

All self-designed majors begin with a written proposal. You’ll include a description of the theme of your program, illustrating how your myriad interests come together in a cohesive and compelling way. Your proposal will include a curricular overview which identifies your courses of interest. And of course your team of faculty advisors will be with you every step of the way.

While I was in college, I knew I wanted to be an artist but I also knew that I did not want to be a starving artist. I was frustrated with the lack of business/marketing classes available to art majors and vice versa, so I decided to create my own major to suit my goals in life. I met with the Integrative Studies board and they helped me to refine my goals. The major I created was called Entrepreneurial Creative Business Arts where I learned to be an artist and an entrepreneur at once. 

Janna Willoughby-Lohr, '04, Integrative Studies

Get to Know Janna

 

Nationally Recognized

Warren Wilson is #10 on CollegeChoice’s list of the “20 Best Undergrad Programs That Allow You to Design Your Own Major”, ranking ahead of NYU’s Gallatin School, Marlboro College and Evergreen State College.

Explore Classes in This Program

WRI 308

Reading Contemporary Writers

In the arc of literary history, contemporary writing forms the trailing edge; and for student writers, the contemporary forms the immediate context in which they work. Entering the landscape of contemporary writing allows the student of writing (and the student of literature) to gain an awareness of the diversity of approaches and perspectives available and to consider their connections to historical roots. Topics are organized around movements or themes, for example: Appalachian Writers or Gay and Lesbian Writers.

ODL 310

Leadership for Adventure Education

This course is designed to examine the principles and practice of leadership in adventure education programs. You’ll examine the theories, practices, and problems of leadership in a backcountry environment you’ll engage in direct, firsthand experiences where. You’ll plan and be in leadership positions.

ENS 422

Introduction to Environmental Law

Environmental law, which began to take shape in earnest in the 1960s, is a relatively young and very dynamic subset of law. Through close work with multiple major laws and case studies, you’ll consider the interrelated importance of legislatures, courts, administrative agencies, and science in establishing and then enacting various versions and visions of environmental quality and protection.

Still curious? See the Curriculum
Meet Our Faculty

I love Warren Wilson students for their audacity — to ask any question (really, anything); to connect ideas from wildly different realms (which aren’t so wildly different); and to pursue bold dreams (which arise from concerns beyond only their own).

Gary Hawkins, Ph.D.
Meet Gary Hawkins See all Humanities Faculty
Gary Hawkins
Gary Hawkins, Ph.D.

Hands-on, All-in

Warren Wilson integrates your academics with work and community engagement. Engaging all your passions and interests results in an education with meaning and real professional experience.
our forest
The Forestry Crew 
Where a 600-acre forest is your office
Semester at Sea 
Learn while you float
The Library Crew 
Where research and technology intersect
house
Giving Shelter 
Housing and homelessness
Ryan Walsh
Meet Our Alumni

Uniting Varied Interests Into a Career

The Green Building Alliance (GBA) works to advance healthy, high performing, and green places in Western Pennsylvania. As the Relationship & Development Director at Green Building Alliance (GBA), Ryan Walsh ’03, is responsible for the growth and implementation of GBA’s stakeholder relationships. Ryan first learned about and developed his interest in green building while an Integrative Studies major at Warren Wilson. His varied interests allow him to direct his passion for bicycles and gardens into powerful tools for building sustainable communities.

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