University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire is launching a new liberal arts program in an effort to aid students in choosing a major as well as to give them more marketable skills that employers are now seeking.

The program allows students to develop their own comprehensive major of three cohesive courses of study, said Margaret Cassidy, UW-Eau Claire associate dean for Academic Affairs and Curriculum in the College of Arts and Sciences.

“Students have such diverse and multiple interests that to try and fit them into traditional majors might not meet their needs as well, so this program offers the ability to be thoughtful and creative about the kinds of courses that would really fit with their ideas,” Cassidy said.

Dean of Arts and Sciences Donald Christian proposed the program in 2004 after he became aware of other schools creating similar programs, and over the past five years it has slowly evolved, Cassidy said.

Through this program, students are required to take nine credits of introductory courses and at least 17 credits each of three individual areas of study. It requires students to work closely with advisers to ensure their areas of study are cohesive, Cassidy said.

Because the program is strict on cohesion of course study, Cassidy said she did not see any room for error, adding she believes the breadth of knowledge and communication skills students will learn can only benefit them in the long run .

The program aims to nurture the needs of students with a wide variety of interests, transfer students coming in with credits from multiple courses and non-traditional students who will be able to incorporate past course work, said Johannes Strohsch?nk, UW-Eau Claire chair of liberal studies steering committee. While the program is very new to the school, students have already started expressing interest, which they expect to increase.

“We have no doubt that this program will grow and expect to see significant growth next semester,” Strohsch?nk said.

UW’s individual major provides many of the same benefits for students. Essentially, the individual major allows students to develop a major if their desired one does not already exist, said Assistant Dean of Academic Planning Elaine Klein.

Similar to UW-Eau Claire’s program, students pursuing an individual major are obliged to demonstrate cohesion of courses, although it does not require they pursue exactly three areas of study.

Klein said she feels UW-Eau Claire’s heavily structured liberal studies program will greatly benefit students, especially in the job market.

“The data I am aware of suggests employers are looking less at what a student’s particular major is and more at what a student will be able to do or know as a result of their major,” Klein said. “These students are not just looking at things from one point of view and we know that is attractive to employers.”

Strohsch?nk said she agrees the program will give students an edge over others when entering the competitive job market.