Undergraduate | PNP at Washington University in St. Louis

Taking More than one major

Taking more than one major

The College of Arts & Sciences requires that you have at least 18 units of stand-alone advanced credit (300-level and above) for each major. You should bear in mind that there is an important difference between
(a) The overall number of units required for a major (the 18-unit requirement)
(b) The distribution requirements of a major (the distribution requirements)
You may satisfy the PNP distribution requirements by taking appropriately cross-listed courses, even if those courses count towards the 18 units of advanced credit required for another major. However, no course may count towards satisfying the 18-unit rule for more than one major.

Example 1. Suppose that you are double-majoring in PNP and in Philosophy and in your junior year you take Philosophy of Mind (PNP/Phil 315). You may count this either towards the 18 units required for the Philosophy major or towards the 18 units required for the PNP major – but not to both. However, you may count this course both towards the core contemporary/analytic requirement in Philosophy and towards the depth requirement in PNP.

Example 2. Suppose that you are double-majoring in PNP on the Cognitive Neuroscience track and in Biology. Since you are on the Cognitive Neuroscience track in PNP you are required to take Principles of the Nervous System (PNP/Biol 3411). You may count this course bothtowards the Cognitive Neuroscience track requirement and towards the Area 2 distribution requirement for the Biology major. However, you may only count this course either towards the 18 units required for the Biology major or towards the 18 units required for the PNP major – but not towards both.

Please note that the requirements for the PNP second major are the same as those for the primary major, except that second majors are not required to take a capstone experience (although it is recommended).