Major choices

Nearly two-and-a-half years ago, the administration released a guide, entitled "Major Choices," designed to introduce students and their parents to the University's smaller departments — in other words, all those except economics, English, history, politics and the Wilson School. There are indeed plenty of good reasons to encourage students to look beyond these five traditionally popular choices, as several of Princeton's smaller departments are among the best in the world. Despite evidence that enrollment is growing in a few of these departments, underclassmen remain inadequately informed of the opportunities that await them outside the "Big Five." As sophomores prepare to choose their concentrations, the University should consider other means of introducing underclassmen to these opportunities.

Major Choices suggests that a major reason students choose certain departments is anticipation of future professional training. While this is certainly true to a large extent — many students interested in business naturally look toward economics, or ORFE, for example — it must be recognized that many other factors influence a student's choice of concentration. Few students are likely to have been exposed to fields such as sociology in high school, and underclassmen may be confused as to what such a discipline involves and how it may enrich their course of study. Similarly, area studies departments, which often require significant language study, can seem daunting to students without experience in the languages or cultures of that region.

The University should put Major Choices into practice by creating a Major Choices listing for courses. Such a designation would apply to departmental courses specially designed to introduce underclassmen to that particular discipline. Many departments already have such courses, and this policy would standardize and enhance this current practice. Major Choices courses would provide an engaging lens through which to explore the full breadth and depth of the relevant discipline, thus giving students a full idea of what to expect should they choose to concentrate in that field. It would also introduce students to the style of writing, research and analysis used in each field and would be taught by professors who have a strong track record of engaging undergraduates. Certain freshman seminars already meet these criteria; the administration should therefore examine the possibility of having them listed not just as FRS, but also as Major Choices courses tied to a specific department. The area studies departments could offer more introductory classes of literature in translation without diluting the language study of their declared majors.

Modifying the Major Choices program in this way would advance the University's goal of more fully utilizing small departments and enrich the experience of choosing a concentration for underclassmen. At the same time, it would constitute an innovative step in undergraduate education. As sophomores prepare to choose their concentrations, Princeton would do well to help them make a fully informed decision.