The BDIC Program

Shelby Ashline, a sophomore at the University of Massachusetts, chose UMass because

they had a journalism program and an equine management program. But upon coming here,

she found out that since journalism was a bachelors degree, a four year program, and the other

was an associate's degree, a two year program, she could not double major in the two. Her

advisor gave her a solution. " She said that I could combine the two by going to BDIC and she

directed me to the Goodell building where I could find their office. "


Created in 1968, the program allows students to design their own major. This

alternative to the traditional major also allows students to pursue their educational goals in

areas where majors have not been created yet. It is for students looking for that niche and

finding it by creating it for themselves.


The program for the students was created by the students. In 1968, a group of students

organized a conference and called for more individualism in education. Professor Arthur Kinney

of the English program steeped forward and helped the students with their demand for

academic freedom. The program was approved by the faculty senate and board of trustees and

began to operate in the fall of 1970.


To create a major in the BDIC major, students choose from three areas of study that will

help them in their pursuit. They then take a one-credit writing proposal class, where they get

help writing their proposal and creating their major to submit to enter the program. They get

help from a teacher and peer mentor. The proposal consists of why a student wants to enter

the program, what classes the student intends to take, what led the student to choose the

intended career path, and other similar questions. "I wish there was more guidance," Nicole

Dziadzio, a junior at UMass, said "The class is more or less designed for people who already

know what they want to do, but I don't think there is enough support when it comes to the

logistics of planning which courses to take. It can be overwhelming when there are thousands

of classes to choose from."


The classes they have to choose from are 300 level classes or higher. This can be a

restriction for some areas of study that are smaller than others. "BDIC does not allow its

students to take any 100-level classes and you can only take two 200-level classes. Because

equine management is only meant as an associate's degree program, almost all of the classes it

offers are 100- and 200-level," said Ashline, "The program may be a step towards individuality,

but it's only a baby step."


Not many people have heard of the program based on the small number of graduating

students, about 80-100 each year according to the program's website. Some hear about it from

advisors like Ashline and UMass senior Jeung Takeda, some hear it from friends like Dziadzio,

and some may hear it sandwiched between UMass trivia on college tours. But it is not talked

about enough according to sophomore Courtney Stacey, who said " I do not think enough

people know about it, and its various possibilities. It is a 36 credit major, so a student could

start it his or her junior year! I wish more people took the chance to do that."


The idea of committing oneself to one major, or two in some cases, can be scary. Is it

the right choice? Will there be time to take other classes outside of the major? "To like a major

after you're in it is really difficult, but because BDIC allows you to do what you think is best

freely, it allows me to reconsider and reflect what I want out of the courses rather than being

told just to take it. What appealed to me the most was that the program gave me an endless list

of different courses which I wanted to take but didn't want to make meaningless," said Takedo.


Ashline said that she tried the BDIC program because "I decided that if I could write

about horses in particular, like they do in magazines like Equus, I would just have the best of

both worlds in my career. I could combine my love of writing with my interest in horses. I don't

know if I believe a job like that could ever be boring. Thus, I was determined that my niche

would be Equine Journalism"


Stacey found that the education program was too rigid for her but also wanted

something that would allow her to take part in the Citizens Scholar Program. " To me, its

integration and interconnectedness across departments aligns with the interconnectedness of

our world. I believe education consists of many ways of learning, and many perspectives and

lenses, so it made sense that I would incorporate other disciplines into my work with

Education."


Though the BDIC major has some restrictions, it still allows students to travel abroad

and take part in other academic activities. " I also loved the fact that BDIC did not restrict me

from taking a Five College course, or Domestic Exchange and Study Abroad--all of which I am

doing," said Stacey. She is also able to take part in the Citizens Scholar Program, which is a two-
year, academic service-learning program that combines the classroom with community service,

and even incorporate it into her major and internships can count towards credits.


For more information about the program or who to apply, interested students can visit

the program office in Goodell 607 or can visit their website: https://www.bdic.umass.edu.



by Lauren McArdle