Majors, Concentrations, Areas of Emphasis, and Majors Leading to Teaching Certifications

The OLE Core Curriculum provisions of St. Olaf's liberal arts curriculum are designed to encourage in students a breadth of knowledge. The requirement that a student complete a major in order to graduate fosters the development of knowledge in depth.

Students at St. Olaf have 47 Bachelor of Arts graduation majors from which to select, as well as a number of teaching majors and teaching certification programs. Many students choose to major in one of the traditional liberal arts disciplines, such as art, biology, economics, history, mathematics, philosophy, or a world language. Others choose an interdisciplinary program that brings the perspectives of several disciplines to bear on a specialized area of concern, such as Asian studies, environmental studies, or gender and sexuality studies. Some students choose to double major or to pursue a concentration or certification program in addition to a disciplinary major or to develop an area of emphasis within a major. Students may also propose an individual major through the Center for Integrative Studies. Students interested in a professional music degree can pursue one of the five different majors available within a Bachelor of Music degree.

One major is required for graduation. Some students opt to pursue two majors, and others add an area of emphasis (a program of three or more related courses within or beyond certain majors) or a concentration (an approved program of four or more courses that cuts across departmental boundaries).

Students must declare one major no later than March 15 of the sophomore year, in advance of spring registration for fall semester courses. Majors (with areas of emphasis) and concentrations are officially listed, once awarded, on the student's permanent record. Students interested in a major leading to teaching certification must first be admitted to the Teacher Education Program.

Bachelor of Arts Graduation Majors

Bachelor of Arts majors are not available to Bachelor of Music candidates.

ancient studies
art, studio
art history
Asian studies
biology
chemistry
Chinese
classics
computer science
creative writing
dance
economics
education (a co-major in the teaching content area is required for this major)
English
environmental studies (an area of emphasis is required for this major)
film and media studies
French
gender and sexuality studies
German
Greek
history
individual major
Japanese
kinesiology
Latin
Latin American studies
mathematics
medieval studies
music
music for social impact
Nordic Studies
Norwegian
nursing
philosophy
physics
political science
psychology
quantitative economics
race and ethnic studies
religion
Russian
Russian area studies
social studies education
social work
sociology/anthropology
Spanish
theater

Bachelor of Arts majors leading to Teaching Certification

English (communication arts and literature)
mathematics
sciences: biology, chemistry, physics
social studies

The St. Olaf teacher education program also prepares students for certification in English as a second language and general science.

Areas of Emphasis

Areas of emphasis (three or more related courses within or beyond the basic major) at St. Olaf are:

B.A. in music with composition, musicology or theory emphasis (emphasis optional)
B.M. in performance (piano or organ) with a collaborative keyboard emphasis (emphasis optional)
B.M. in performance with an emphasis in voice, strings, piano, winds/brass/percussion or organ (emphasis required for this major)
B.M. in church music with emphasis in choral or organ (emphasis required for this major)
B.M. in music education with an emphasis in vocal or instrumental (emphasis required for this major)
B.A. in chemistry with an American Chemical Society emphasis (emphasis optional)
B.A. in economics/quantitative economics with an emphasis in finance (emphasis optional)
B.A. in economics/quantitative economics with an emphasis in management (emphasis optional)
B.A. in economics/quantitative economics with an emphasis in international economic analysis and policy (emphasis optional)
B.A. in economics/quantitative economics with an emphasis in law and public policy (emphasis optional)
B.A. in environmental studies with an emphasis in arts and humanities (emphasis required for this major)
B.A. in environmental studies with an emphasis in natural science (emphasis required for this major)
B.A. in environmental studies with an emphasis in social science (emphasis required for this major)
B.A. in Norwegian with an emphasis in Sami and critical indigenous studies (emphasis optional)
B.A. in Nordic studies with an emphasis in Sami and critical indigenous studies (emphasis optional)

Bachelor of Arts Concentrations

A concentration is an approved interdisciplinary program consisting of a minimum of four courses. Bachelor of Arts concentrations are not available to Bachelor of Music candidates. St. Olaf's 21 concentrations are listed below:

Africa and the African Diaspora
applied linguistics
Asian studies
biomolecular science
business and management studies
educational studies (includes option for TEFL certificate track)
engineering studies
environmental studies
family studies
film and media studies
gender and sexuality studies
German studies
international relations
Latin American studies
Middle Eastern studies
musical theater
neuroscience
Nordic studies
public health studies
race and ethnic studies
statistics and data science

Bachelor of Music Graduation Majors

Special Programs

Students can customize their education at St. Olaf, thanks to an array of study abroad and away programs , innovative offerings such as a Languages Across the Curriculum course, the American Conversations, Asian Conversations, Environmental Conversations, Enduring Questions, Public Affairs Conversation, Race Matters, and opportunities for independent study and research, internships, pre-professional preparation, or the creation of an individual major through the Center for Integrative Studies.