Area of Concentration

Provisional Area of Concentration

By the middle of the fourth attempted academic contract (including contracts exempted by transfer credit), the student must complete a Provisional Area of Concentration (PAOC) Plan. (Note: First-time-in-college students with Dual Enrollment contract transfer credit may request an extension to this deadline if they intend to complete more than eight contracts, including their transfer credit. For more information please contact the Office of the Registrar). A student may not register for the following semester until the Office of the Registrar receives the form. A student may submit a new form modifying the plan at any time prior to the filing of the Thesis Prospectus/Area of Concentration (AOC) Form.

The first sections of the Provisional Area of Concentration Plan and the Thesis Prospectus/Area of Concentration Form specify the student's intended area of concentration. There are seven categories of area of concentration (similar to a major), four of which are single AOCs and three of which are combined AOCs. The determination of how areas of concentration may best be combined is made by the faculty of those programs; requirements for specific areas of concentration are listed in the General Catalog. In general, areas of concentration will have a minimum requirement of 10 academic units. Faculty involved in setting the requirements for each AOC can decide if they will also set requirements for a related joint AOC or secondary field (i.e., minor). However, if a field of study is to be offered as either part of a joint concentration or a secondary area (minor), minimum requirements must be defined for each.

Single Areas of Concentration

1. Liberal Arts. A Liberal Arts concentration requires the endorsement of two faculty from different Divisions and presupposes study in all three Divisions (Humanities, Natural Sciences, Social Sciences). Any student who has completed the Liberal Arts Curriculum or Chart Your Course Curriculum is eligible to graduate with a Liberal Arts concentration.
2. Divisional Concentration. A divisional concentration in the Humanities, Natural Sciences, or Social Sciences requires the endorsement of either two faculty (in the Natural Sciences and Humanities) or three faculty (Social Sciences) from within the respective Division along with the fulfillment of other divisional requirements.
3. Programmatic Concentration. Programmatic concentrations include academic disciplines and interdisciplinary programs. These require the endorsement of two faculty from a program currently represented at New College. For programs having only one faculty member, the New College faculty member representing the discipline may grant approval for supplementary relevant work in the discipline to be carried out off campus. A student must then petition the corresponding New College Division for acceptance of the programmatic concentration.
4. Special Program Concentration. A special program concentration is normally an interdisciplinary concentration that has been given a special title. The title must accurately describe the area of study. The title on the area of concentration, thesis prospectus, and other related documents must begin with the designation “Special Program.” A special program concentration requires the endorsement of two faculty. In some cases, where there are limited course offerings at New College that apply to the designated special program, appropriate off-campus work will be required.
   1. Concomitant with the submission of any Provisional Area of Concentration Plan or Thesis Prospectus/Area of Concentration Form that is given a name not listed in the New College General Catalog, a description of the proposed program of study will be filed with the Office of the Registrar. These area of concentration descriptions must include a short narrative description of the program being proposed and a specific list of all activities—coursework on or off campus or other educational activities—that should be successfully undertaken to complete the program.
   2. These areas of concentration are to be produced by students in collaboration with their professors, and must be signed by the signatories of the Area of Concentration Form. A faculty sponsor in collaboration with the student may retract an Area of Concentration Description at any time or modify it by submitting another of the same name that supersedes the first. If the area of concentration is similar to programs offered by other undergraduate institutions, or if it implies preparation for particular graduate or professional programs, it would be very helpful for the description to relate the proposed degree to these other programs.
   3. A copy of the narrative descriptions will be submitted to the Registrar’s Office, who in turn shares it with the Provost’s Office and Division Chairs, who will be responsible for bringing the proposed programs before their Division for discussion. A file of all special program areas of concentration will be maintained in the Registrar’s Office and made available to all students and faculty.

Combined Areas of Concentration

1. Joint Concentration. This is a combination of two or more areas of concentration offered at New College. Some areas might be available only as part of a joint concentration, whereas some joint concentrations involve combining two areas of concentration that might be pursued on their own. When joint concentrations involve a full AOC in one of the areas, this will be indicated on the appropriate forms (e.g., Provisional Area of Concentration Plan, Thesis Prospectus/Area of Concentration Form, Baccalaureate Announcement Form), and recorded by the Registrar. The purpose of a joint concentration is to offer students the opportunity to pursue an interdisciplinary program by integrating substantial work in two disciplines in a single program. Both the level of work and the transdisciplinary character distinguishes a joint concentration from a “major” and a “minor.” A joint concentration requires the endorsement of three faculty members, including at least one from each discipline. This combined concentration is used to indicate a program of study in which substantial study has occurred in two disciplines but not enough for a double concentration. Although a student may pursue more course work in one of the two areas, a joint concentration requires more work in the second area than would be required for a minor. In order to qualify as a joint concentration, each component should generally involve at least 7 units. The baccalaureate committee, with representation from both disciplines, will be responsible for certifying that the student has completed substantial work in both areas, and that the thesis or senior project reflects the transdisciplinary character of this concentration. It is up to each discipline or program to set the minimum requirements for a joint concentration in their area.
2. Double Area of Concentration (Double Major). May be accomplished in one of two ways:
   1. Two Thesis Prospectus/Area of Concentration Forms are filed and all requirements for each programmatic concentration are met, including two theses and two baccalaureate exams.
   2. One thesis or project satisfying the requirements of both programmatic concentrations is completed and one baccalaureate exam taken. One Thesis Prospectus/Area of Concentration Form is filed with the endorsement of two faculty members from each program. All academic requirements of each program are met. The faculty members (two from each program) comprise the baccalaureate committee, though additional faculty may also be on the committee if required or desired by the student and endorsing faculty.
3. Area of Concentration with Secondary Field (Minor). A secondary field may be added to any area of concentration as specified above. This requires the endorsement of two faculty from an area of concentration in one of the six categories outlined above and one faculty member from the secondary program. This program of study meets all requirements for one AOC and sufficient work (generally a minimum of 5 units) in a second program to warrant certification as a secondary field, according to the requirements established by the faculty in that program. It is up to each discipline or program to set the minimum requirements for a secondary field in their area (and the faculty in that area may decide not to offer a minor). The thesis or senior project shall meet the requirements for the primary area of concentration and need not involve work in the secondary field.

The Thesis Prospectus/Area of Concentration (AOC) Form

Within each area of concentration, the specific mix of courses, tutorials, fieldwork, study abroad, and other projects will vary from student to student.

By the middle of the attempted sixth semester (including contracts exempted by transfer credit), a student must complete a Thesis Prospectus/Area of Concentration (AOC) Form. (Note: First-time-in-college students with Dual Enrollment contract transfer credit may request an extension to this deadline if they intend to complete more than eight contracts, including their transfer credit. For more information please contact the Office of the Registrar). The first section of this form indicates the type of concentration (see above). The second section outlines the work a student must complete to satisfy the area of concentration. The first and second sections are, then, updates of the Provisional Area of Concentration (PAOC) Plan filed during the fourth contract. The third section of the form lists courses taken that fulfill general education requirements, and the fourth section contains the thesis prospectus. It includes a working title or topic, summary description, and key bibliography for the thesis.

This form supersedes the Provisional Area of Concentration Plan and requires the signatures of at least three faculty members. Two faculty members, one of whom is the thesis sponsor, certify the area of concentration. The third (unless AOC requirements dictate otherwise) is a faculty member of the student’s choice from any of the academic Divisions. The three signatories become members of the baccalaureate committee. Although in most cases there is only one thesis sponsor, other members of the committee may serve as advisors or co-sponsors to the student during the development of the senior thesis.

The Thesis Prospectus/Area of Concentration Form must be submitted to the Office of the Registrar by 5:00 p.m. on the first Friday of Module II during the sixth contract. Please Note: A student must submit this form to the Office of the Registrar in order to enroll for the following semester. For exceptional circumstances, a student may petition the Provost for an extension to this deadline.