With over 1000 courses in 45 majors, 14 minors, 12 certificates, and a unique open curriculum choosing classes during pre-registration may seem like a stressful and daunting task. Many students come into Wesleyan without any idea of what they want to study – and that’s totally fine! For most students, major declaration does not happen until the second semester of sophomore year. However, Wesleyan has three majors that require declaration during the spring semester of freshman year. These programs are the College of Social Studies, the College of Letters, and the College of East Asian Studies. While we like to advise students to explore a wide range of classes in their first year of college and hone their interests, if you are thinking about one of these programs, it may affect the decisions that you make during pre-registration. This post will provide a description of each of these programs and some suggestions for those who are thinking about choosing one of these majors.
College of Social Studies. The College of Social Studies is a rigorous, multidisciplinary major focusing on History, Government, Political and Social Theory, and Economics. CSS is reading and writing intensive, encouraging intellectual independence with weekly essays, small group tutorials, and a vibrant intellectual environment.
College of Letters. The College of Letters is a interdisciplinary major for the study of European literature, history, and philosophy, from antiquity to the present. During these three years, students participate as a cohort in a series of colloquia in which they read and discuss works together (in English), learn to think critically about texts in relation to their contexts and influences—both European and non-European—and in relation to the disciplines that shape and are shaped by those texts. Majors also become proficient in a foreign language and study abroad in order to deepen their knowledge of another culture.
College of East Asian Studies. The College of East Asian Studies challenges students to understand China, Japan, and Korea through the rigors of language study and the analytical tools of various academic disciplines. This process demands both broad exposure to different subjects and a focused perspective on a particular feature of the East Asian landscape.
For those considering one of these three majors, here are some helpful tips as you select your classes and enter your first semester of college:
Deadlines. CSS, COL, and CEAS require major declaration in the spring of your freshman year. The deadline for CSS and COL is generally in March, and CEAS is in April. The application forms and the exact dates can be found on the department page of each major. If you are thinking about one of these majors, I would recommend talking to people who are in one of these majors or reaching out to any of the faculty members in the major as soon as possible.
Admission Requirements. All CSS majors must complete the economics prerequisite either by taking ECON101 and achieving a grade of CR or a letter grade of at least C- or by taking ECON110 and achieving a grade of CR or a letter grade of at least C-. Some students who have not completed the economics prerequisite are admitted each year on the condition that they must complete the prerequisite in the fall term of the sophomore year. Even if you are possibly thinking about majoring in CSS, I would consider enrolling in an economics course in the first or second semester of your freshmen year.
Language Requirements. COL and CEAS both have language requirements. COL majors must become proficient in a foreign language and study abroad in a country where the selected foreign language is spoken. CEAS majors are expected to take at least four semesters of East Asian language courses and reach a minimum of advanced-level (third-year) competency in Chinese, Japanese, or Korean. Majors who are native speakers of Chinese, Japanese, or Korean are expected to study another East Asian language. Those who have already studied a foreign language relevant to one of these majors do not necessarily have to enroll in a foreign language in the first semester. However, for those who need to start at a beginning level, it is highly recommended that you enroll in a language course as early as possible.
General Education Expectations. Only CSS requires completion of Stage II general education requirements (three course credits in HA, SBS, and NSM, all from different departments or programs). However, CSS majors have until the end of junior year to complete Stage I general education requirements (two course credits in each area, all from different departments or programs). While COL and CEAS do not have general education requirements, it is highly recommended that ALL students complete Stage II general education requirements. A student who does not meet these expectations by the time of graduation will not be eligible for University honors, Phi Beta Kappa, honors in general scholarship, or for honors in certain departments and may not declare more than a combined total of two majors, certificates, and minors.
If you have any further questions about any of these three programs, we encourage you to reach out to a peer advisor or to a faculty member in the specific department.
Hi everyone! My name is Darshana Banka and I am a rising junior at Wesleyan. I attended high school in Mumbai, India. I am a Neuroscience & Behavior and Psychology double major. I am on the pre-medicine track. I have taken courses in Economics as well and I am interested in pursuing public health policy down the road. Outside of peer advising, I am a Research Assistant in a Molecular Biology and Biochemistry lab doing yeast genetics and the Wesleyan Media Project doing health media research. I am also a Peer Tutor through the Dean’s Peer Tutoring Program. Apart from these ventures, I am the Secretary of Shakti (South Asian Student Coalition), Project Coordinator of the Wesleyan Therapy Dogs, Clinic Escort at the Hartford GYN Center, Project Co-Director of AskWes, and Co-Founder of WeSanskriti (South Asian Classical Dance Team). Outside of campus life, I love to go hiking with my friends, travel, play the guitar, and cook. I am really excited to meet all of you in the fall either virtually or in person. If you have any questions about transition to college as an international student, academics, or simply just want to chat about life at Wesleyan, please feel free to reach out to me at dbanka@wesleyan.edu.
Hi everyone! My name is Belle Brown and I’m part of the class of 2022, majoring in Government and Environmental Studies, with a minor in African American Studies. My hometown is Arlington, Virginia and I transferred to Wes as a sophomore from Emory University, so I’m here for you if you have any transfer related questions. Besides being a Peer Advisor, I’m also on the track team, work at Long Lane Farm, perform stand-up comedy with Awkward Silence, and am a member of WesACLU. In my free time, I enjoy being outdoors and cooking for my friends. I am so excited to work with you all this fall! Please don’t hesitate to reach out at bbrown03@wesleyan.edu with any questions or concerns you might have (again, especially about transferring!) or just to chat. Looking forward to getting to know you. Go Wes!
Hi! My name is Haley Brumberger, and I am an Earth & Environmental Science (E&ES) BA/MA student, so I’m in my fifth (and final) year at Wes working towards my Master’s degree. I finished my undergrad at Wes in May 2020 with an English and E&ES double major and a minor in the IDEAS (Integrated Design, Engineering, and Applied Science) program. I am from a suburb outside of Philadelphia, PA, and am a huge Flyers fan (and a huge hockey fan in general). I am also-in addition to being an Academic Peer Advisor and the intern in the office of Student Academic Resources-a Brother of the Co-Ed fraternity on campus (Psi Upsilon), a co-captain of the Wesleyan Club Ice Hockey Team, a member of the Wesleyan Ski and Snowboard team, and a student researcher in the Varekamp Volcanology lab (in the E&ES department). Before coming to Wesleyan, I took a gap year, which was incredible (please feel free to ask me about it)! When I arrived at Wesleyan after my gap year, I was pretty committed to pursuing Physics as a major. However, Wesleyan’s flexible curriculum allowed me to explore all the different areas of study that I am interested in-Studio Art, English, History, Environmental Science, and Math, to name a few-leading me to realize that I am more excited and passionate about other subjects. I would love to answer any questions, address any concerns, and provide advice on or insight into any problems you may have, so please do not hesitate to reach out to me at hbrumberger@wesleyan.edu. I look forward to meeting you, and welcome to Wes!
Hi! My name is Ariel Deutsch, and I am a senior from NYC double-majoring in the College of Social Studies and Italian Studies. Since my freshman year, I have served on the Wesleyan Student Assembly fighting to improve academic life on campus with initiatives like the Textbook Exchange Program. I also sat on the 2019-20 Educational Policy Committee. I am a student worker in Student Academic Resources where I help manage the Deans’ Peer Tutoring Program for which I am also a Peer Tutor. Last year, I had the opportunity to study abroad at the University of Bologna in Italy. In the CSS, I am the 2020-21 Government Preceptor and am currently writing a senior thesis! During my free time, I enjoy baking, hiking, and playing tennis. If you have any questions related to academics, or just want to chat over a coffee, email me at adeutsch@wesleyan.edu. Thanks, and I look forward to working with you!
Hi! My name is Anya Kisicki (she/her) and I’m a rising junior at Wesleyan. I hail from Phoenix, Arizona and I am double majoring in Government and in the College of Letters, a three-year multidisciplinary program that merges the studies of history, literature, and philosophy. I am also pursuing a minor in Film Studies. Outside of Peer Advising, I work at Wesleyan’s Office of Student Activities and Leadership Development to help plan student events on campus. You can also find me taking orders at the on-campus restaurant, WesWings, on Pocotopaug Lake with the Sailing Team, or in the 92 Theatre designing the lights for student-run theatre productions. Additionally, I am currently working to build a new campus group that focuses on creating space for non-cis males (womxn) interested in Film to network and hold campus-wide events. I am here as a resource for you, so if you have any questions at all about adjusting to life at Wesleyan, don’t hesitate to reach out by emailing me at akisicki@wesleyan.edu! I look forward to meeting you in the fall!
Hi! My name is Chaiyeon Lee and I am a rising junior at Wesleyan University. I was born in Seoul, South Korea, but I was raised in Queens, NYC. I am currently majoring in the College of Social Studies, an interdisciplinary major that encompasses topics like social theory, government, economics, and history. I am also pursuing an International Relation Certificate and a minor in the College of East Asian Studies. Outside of classes I am also involved in a variety of extracurricular activities and on campus jobs. I am currently on the board for identity groups on campus such as Wesleyan’s Asian American Student Collective and the Korean Student Association. I am also a part of the Wesleyan Student Assembly as a senator serving on the Student Life Committee. I also work various jobs on campus some of which include being a barista at pi cafe, a science library front desk worker, and a language partner and peer tutor for Korean. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me if you have any questions or interest in any of the things I mentioned above or matters beyond that of course! Feel free to reach out to me at clee03@wesleyan.edu
Hi! My name is Jack Leger. I am a member of the Class of 2021 here at Wesleyan. I am an Economics and Government double major and am pursuing a certificate in International Relations. I hail from Rye, New Hampshire, a small beach town on the East coast. On campus, I am a sports and opinion editor for the campus publication the Wesleyan Argus. Outside of school, I’m an avid hiker and plan on finishing all 48-4,000-foot peaks in New Hampshire, and I run in any local road race I can find. I also love soccer and support the Arsenal Gunners and play intra-mural soccer and basketball at Wes. Finally, I’ve taken a number of Spanish courses at Wes and studied in Madrid last spring. I come from a public high school and low-income background and found the culture at Wes to very different from what I was used to, so if you have any questions about adjusting please reach out to me at jleger@wesleyan.edu!
Hi! My name is Quentin Tan and I am a rising junior from Penang, Malaysia. I am currently the only College of Letters and College and East Asian Studies double major student at Wesleyan – and quite possibly the first Cardinal to do so – so I am no stranger to unorthodox but all the more rewarding academic explorations! I studied abroad my sophomore spring in Osaka, Japan and stumbled upon the outbreak of COVID-19 – making what is already a challenging academic experience in itself even more so! On campus, I am a Writing Mentor for the Writing Workshop (an amazing resource for students which I could not possibly recommend more highly) and a copy editor for the Wesleyan Argus. Occasionally, you may also find me grooving as a pianist in a number of Second Stage musical productions. I am a great fan of reading books from all around the world – Camus’ The Plague being one of my recent favorites – and Japanese literature, especially, is my ice cream at 3 a.m., so I would love to have tea and talk about recent reads with you! Please do not hesitate to reach out to me at htan03@wesleyan.edu, and I look forward to working with you in the fall!
Hi! My name is Jack Wang 2021 and I am a rising senior at Wesleyan. I was born and raised in Shanghai, China and I came to the States to study on my own at age 15. I have pursued a variety of academic interests at Wesleyan because I honestly had no idea what I wanted to major in. I have taken interesting courses from many disciplines including Sociology, Computer Science, Government, Psychology, Philosophy, Math, Spanish, Economics and Data Analysis. I eventually decided to major in Economics because it would allow me to pursue a combination of reading, writing and quantitative analysis. I truly love and appreciate my study abroad experience in Copenhagen, Denmark, despite the semester being cut short due to the pandemic. Now I would like to take a step further and help more students with diverse backgrounds and interests to optimize their academic experiences and maximize their potential. I organized a panel discussion to have a few of our peers share their advice, insights and wisdom on how to navigate summer experiences for international students. I have been a peer tutor for Math and Economics classes as well as a Chinese language partner. I’m a member of the Wesleyan Consulting Pathways Club, the Wesleyan Road to Finance Club and the Wesleyan Investment Group. I have also been involved in Wesleying and the Wesleyan Argus to create original content for the community. My biggest passion outside of school is to travel and I am fortunate enough to have visited over 25 countries across the globe. Please feel free to contact me about anything at cwang01@wesleyan.edu.
Hi! My name is Andi Wiley and I am from Alameda, CA. I am a rising junior here at Wesleyan, class of 2022, double majoring in Economics and Psychology with a Writing Certificate. Initially, I was not sure what I wanted to study, so I explored many subjects taking full advantage of the wide variety of classes that Wes has to offer. In addition to peer advising, I am also a peer tutor on campus as well as a volunteer tutor for Wesleyan’s Center for Prison Education, which is a program that extends the Wesleyan community and resources to offer incarcerated individuals the opportunity to receive college credit. I am also passionate and actively involved with WesBuds, a student group partnership with the Middlesex Transition Academy (MTA), a school for students 18-22 with intellectual or developmental disabilities. Beyond academics, I am on the Wesleyan Women’s Soccer team, which has challenged my time management and organizational skills. Further, as a member of the Student Athletic Advisory Committee, I understand the importance in balancing busy athletic schedules and rigorous academics. I am more than happy to answer questions, concerns, or to simply get to know you, so please reach out to me at anwiley@wesleyan.edu. Very much looking forward to the fall and meeting you all!
Hi! My name is Betsy Zaubler and I am a member of the class of 2021. I am from Montclair, NJ and I’m double majoring in American Studies and Theater and minoring in African American Studies. Outside of my majors, I have loved taking classes across many other disciplines at Wes, including in Sociology, Psychology, and Education Studies. On campus, I am involved in student theater and have directed two shows through Second Stage, as well as worked as a stage manager and assistant stage manager. Additionally, I am a member of the Alpha Delta Phi Society, a co-ed Greek literary society, and have volunteered as a mentor in Eye to Eye, a club where students with learning differences mentor local middle school students who also have learning differences. In my free time, I love to read, bake, and play with my dogs. I’m really excited to be working as an Academic Peer Advisor, and I am here for any questions or concerns you may have about academics or life at Wesleyan more generally. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me at ezaubler@wesleyan.edu!
Each year the First Year Matters (FYM) Committee selects a common reading for the incoming class as an intellectual introduction to Wesleyan. Last fall we solicited from our community suggestions of texts and other media with an environmental theme. I’m pleased to report that the committee has selected the documentary “This Changes Everything”, directed by Avi Lewis and based on the award-winning book of the same title by environmental activist Naomi Klein. We plan to have author Naomi Klein speak during new student orientation.