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The coolest major you’ve never heard of

Author Gina Roth makes pancakes at her job in the Western Center, which holds the independent studies major. Photo provided by Gina Roth
Author Gina Roth makes pancakes at her job in the Western Center, which holds the independent studies major. Photo provided by Gina Roth

“I’m a Western major!” I say excitedly whenever someone asks about my second major.

“Huh?” is the typical response. It’s crazy to know that the reason I came to Miami University is completely unknown to some of my peers.

The Western major, also known as individualized studies, is a program where you pick what you want to learn. Commonly called the “create your own major” major, Western allows you to cherry-pick classes from different subjects and tie them all into one interest. For someone who loves learning, it’s perfect.

When I was a senior in high school, I had no idea what I wanted to do in college. I had thrown out the idea of a lawyer after a junior year courtroom internship, and I was floating in the wind. I didn’t even think I was going to Miami – I was pretty sold on the idea of attending Ohio University.

As a weird, gay, humanities kid, I was told that I just wouldn’t fit in at Miami and everyone was too normal. I believed this until my cousin told me to look into the Western Program. My dad and I ditched a Miami tour halfway through to meet with Zach Hill, the main advisor for the program, all the way in Peabody Hall. I didn’t really like the main campus, but I fell in love with Western.

Zach’s office is where I decided to attend Miami, specifically to be a Western major. It was suddenly OK that I didn’t know what I wanted to do, because I had the freedom to do whatever. It took away the anxiety of being undecided, because I could count classes that I took for fun towards my major – and that’s what I did. During my first year, I was one of two incoming Western majors (shoutout Abby). I started the fall semester with a history class, because I loved that subject in high school, and I only fell more in love in college. That professor even asked me to take his history capstone the next semester because he liked my work. Even though I had already fulfilled my history requirement, I could fit the class into my schedule because of Western.

I continued to do this every semester up until now, my senior year. Every semester at registration, I think to myself, “What do I want to learn next?” and I get to take whatever class that is. 

It is so rewarding to learn for the sake of learning.

The program has eight Western-specific classes, all catered to the fact that everyone in the major is doing something different. We cover big concepts like IRB-certified research or general theory, and students can apply these concepts to their own interests in class. I’m actively looking forward to writing my 40+ page senior project on the Alt-Right Pipeline next semester because it is absolutely fascinating to me. Throughout the program, I have been supported in doing human research and academic analysis, and I love that.

Being in such a small program allows for great connections. I have one-on-one conversations with my professors and advisors weekly, and they know me and care about my life, not just the work I’m doing for my major – they’re people I genuinely look forward to talking to. Peabody even comes with its own student center, which you can visit me in!

Being a Western major is my favorite part about being at Miami. I’ve gotten to experience so many things and learn so much that I feel qualified to take on any history career from professor to museum docent. I want everyone to get this opportunity, and I encourage you to check it out for yourself. 

rothra2@miamioh.edu

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Gina Roth is a senior majoring in individualized studies and journalism from Springfield, Ohio. She is an undergraduate assistant for Journalism 101 honors, a barista at King Cafe and a Western Center student worker. Her focus is popular history and its effect on society and politics.