Academics/Major, Minor, Honors Program
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The Major

The major in AMES requires a minimum of ten courses. Normally all ten courses will be in the student's area of concentration. A student who wishes to combine courses from more than one area must provide a written rationale for approval by the advisor and the AMES Chair. For each concentration, consult the Program web site for a list of already-approved courses as well as specific requirements. Students are strongly encouraged to include at least two years of a language offered by the Department of Asian and Middle Eastern Languages and Literatures; DAMELL language courses above the first-year level may be counted toward the AMES degree. At least six courses counted toward the major, including the culminating experience, must be non-language courses. With the concurrence of the AMES Chair, students can petition the AMES Steering Committee to have other appropriate courses count toward the AMES major. Students admitted to the Honors Program will complete a thesis as the culminating requirement for the degree. For other majors, AMES 091 will be the normal culminating requirement. Students with special concerns may submit a proposal to the Steering Committee to substitute AMES 086 for AMES 091 or petition the AMES Chair to substitute an advanced seminar from another department or program.

Beginning with the Class of 2013, AMES majors will be required to take one interregional course as part of their program of study: either AMES 40 or another preapproved course of an interregional nature.

All AMES majors are encouraged to pursue study abroad. . In most cases, this will occur in the context of an off-campus program offered either by the Department of Asian and Middle Eastern Languages and Literatures or by AMES. Students can petition the AMES Steering Committee to recognize study in other Dartmouth off-campus programs, in foreign study programs offered by other American undergraduate institutions, or in foreign universities. They need to do so at the latest on the tenth class day of the term preceding the actual transfer term. Retroactive credit for transfer terms or courses will not be granted.


How to Declare Your Major
  1. Read the Organizations, Regulations, and Courses (ORC) handbook section on AMES, gain the necessary information from this site, or contact the administrator. Information on the scheduling of classes offered this year or next may be found through the departments of AMES faculty or through the homepage of the Registrar.
  2. Download the major worksheet and list of approved courses for the relevant concentration or pick them up at the DAMELL/AMES office, located in 101D Bartlett.
  3. With your AMES faculty advisor, select ten courses that reflect your individual interest in a particular discipline or area. Your course list must include a culminating experience. At least six courses, including the culminating experience, must be non-language courses. Fill out the worksheet in consultation with your advisor.
  4. After choosing your courses, fill out three major cards (available at the AMES office or the Registrar's Office).
  5. Take the cards and worksheet to the AMES Chair. The Chair must sign each of the cards. One card and the worksheet go to the Program office, one card goes to the Registrar, and one is for your records.


Subsequent to Filing a Major:

  1. The AMES Chair, in conjunction with your faculty advisor, must approve any course changes.
  2. In early winter term of your senior year, visit the AMES Office to review your major card to make sure you have fulfilled all requirements.

The Minor

AMES also offers a minor, consisting of six courses, that is normally focused on one of the areas listed above. The minor should include AMES 091 or a substitute as described above (another advanced research seminar or AMES 086); and five non-language courses in the selected area. Like major programs, minors should be carefully planned in consultation with an advisor.

Beginning with the Class of 2013, AMES majors and minors will be required to take one interregional course as part of their program of study: either AMES 40 or another preapproved course of an interregional nature.


The Honors Program

Students with a College average of 3.0 and a Program average of 3.5 will be eligible to apply to the AMES Program Steering Committee for entry into the AMES Honors Program. The application should be developed in consultation with the member of the AMES faculty who has agreed to direct the thesis. The application should include a proposal describing the thesis project in detail and relating it to the overall design of the student's AMES course plan. The deadline for the submission of proposals for thesis work in the fall and winter will be in the fifth week of spring term of the junior year, and for thesis work in the winter and spring, the first Monday of October in the senior year. Honors students normally complete AMES 085 and AMES 087. Completion of the thesis is a requirement for, but not a guarantee of, Honors or High Honors in the AMES major. Honors theses for the 2012-2013 academic year will be presented and defended in the third week of May 2013, and will need to be submitted one week before the end of spring term, 2013.


Modified Major

AMES can be modified with another major; students can also modify another major with AMES. Modified majors require completion of eleven courses: seven from the primary department or program and four from the secondary department or program. All courses must qualify for major credit in both of the departments or programs comprising the modified major. Students modifying AMES with courses from another department or program must still complete the AMES culminating experience. Students must submit to the AMES chair a written rationale for their modified major that describes the intellectual coherence of the major they are constructing.

Administrator, Ann Fenton
Last Modified November 26, 2012