What if none of the majors on a university website quite fits what you want to study?
Maybe you are interested in AI and psychology, climate science and economics, or perhaps design, entrepreneurship and public policy, all of which feel connected to you, but no single major captures the combination.
At some US universities, you do not necessarily have to choose between them.
You can create your own major.
These programmes go by different names: individualized majors, independent concentrations, special concentrations or self-designed degrees. However, the basic idea is similar. You build an academic programme around a question or field that existing majors do not fully cover.
And at universities such as Brown, Harvard, NYU and the University of Pennsylvania, this is a real academic pathway, not simply an informal collection of electives.
What Does It Mean to Create Your Own Major?
A create your own major programme does not mean choosing random classes you like.
Usually, it is the opposite.
You need to explain why your academic idea is coherent, why an existing major cannot address it properly and how the courses you select fit together.
Most universities also require faculty guidance, a formal proposal and, in some cases, a thesis or capstone.
Imagine, for example, that you want to study the relationship between artificial intelligence, ethics and human behaviour.
A traditional computer science major may be too technical. Psychology may not give you enough exposure to AI. Philosophy may not provide the computational background.
An individualized major could potentially combine all three.
That flexibility is one reason US universities can be particularly attractive to students whose academic interests cross traditional subject boundaries.
If you are still figuring out what you actually want to study, Athena’s guide on choosing the right major is a useful starting point.
Which US Universities Let You Create Your Own Major?
Several well-known US universities currently offer formal pathways for students who want to design an individualized academic programme.
Brown University offers an Independent Concentration for students whose interdisciplinary interests cannot be studied coherently through an existing concentration. Students develop a proposal, work with a faculty sponsor and complete a senior capstone. Brown even gives examples such as Disability Studies, Educational Neuroscience and Migration Studies.
NYU Gallatin is perhaps one of the best-known options. Gallatin students pursue an Individualized Major and develop their own concentration under faculty guidance. Students can take courses across NYU schools while building an interdisciplinary academic path around their interests.
Harvard College allows eligible students to petition for a Special Concentration when their interests cross departmental boundaries and cannot be accommodated by existing programmes. These concentrations are highly interdisciplinary and require a clear academic rationale.
The University of Pennsylvania offers an Individualized Major within the College of Arts & Sciences.
UPenn describes it as an option for highly motivated students pursuing innovative, multidisciplinary fields that existing majors cannot adequately cover. The current programme requires a substantial course plan, faculty support and a major research project.
Other universities also offer similar pathways. Indiana University Bloomington, for example, has an Individualized Major Program where students can build a curriculum across departments and complete a final project.
So the opportunities are real.
However, each university structures them very differently.
Before applying, check:
- whether you apply directly into the individualized programme or declare it later
- whether faculty sponsorship is required
- how many departments your programme can combine
- whether there is a thesis or capstone
- whether your proposed field could already be covered by a major, minor or double major
That last question matters more than students realise.
Who Should Consider an Individualized Major?
Creating your own degree sounds exciting.
But it is not automatically better than choosing an existing major.
The students who tend to benefit most are those who already see a genuine connection between several academic fields.
Suppose you are fascinated by climate change and financial markets.
Environmental Science alone might not cover economics deeply enough. Economics alone might not provide the scientific background you want.
An individualized programme could potentially combine climate science, economics, policy and data analysis.
That makes sense because the combination has a clear intellectual purpose.
By contrast, combining marketing, neuroscience and film simply because all three sound interesting may be much harder to justify.
Universities want to see a coherent academic question, not a collection of unrelated interests.
Brown explicitly says an Independent Concentration should represent a coherent field that cannot already be studied properly within a standard concentration. UPenn similarly advises students to use existing majors where possible before proposing an individualized programme.
That is why students should first ask: Do I actually need to create my own major?
Sometimes a double major, minor or interdisciplinary programme may already give you exactly what you want.
Athena’s guide on double majors and dual degrees can help you compare those options before choosing the more complicated individualized-major route.
How to Choose the Right University for a Custom Major
If you genuinely want to create your own major, do not choose a college simply because the option exists.
Look at how much freedom students actually receive.
NYU Gallatin is built around individualized study from the beginning. Brown’s Open Curriculum naturally supports interdisciplinary exploration. Harvard and UPenn also offer custom programmes, but the approval process is more selective and structured.
It’s also important to look at the departments available around your intended field.
Someone designing a programme around sustainable cities may care more about environmental studies, economics, urban planning and public policy.
In other words, the name of the university matters less than whether the academic ecosystem supports the degree you want to build.
That is also why your college list should begin with academic fit rather than rankings alone. Athena’s guide on building a college list that actually fits you explains how programme structure, culture, career opportunities and academic strengths should all shape your university choices.
And there is one more thing to remember.
Designing your own major requires independence.
You are giving up some of the structure that comes with a traditional degree. That means more responsibility for selecting courses, finding advisers and explaining why your programme makes academic sense.
For the right student, that freedom can be incredibly valuable.
For someone who is still unsure whether they like economics or engineering, it can become unnecessarily complicated.
So before searching for the most unusual degree possible, start with a simpler question:
What do I want to understand that one traditional major cannot fully teach me?
If you have a strong answer, an individualized major may be worth exploring.
And if you are trying to decide between majors, interdisciplinary programmes or universities with more academic flexibility, you can book a free Athena consultation to build a college list around your actual academic interests rather than simply following rankings.