About The Program

Bachelor's Degree with Individual Concentration (BDIC) is a "design your own major" program at UMass Amherst.   BDIC is housed in the Commonwealth Honors College.  It is open to both honors and non-honors students who demonstrate that they have a creative idea for a major.

Examples of BDIC concentrations are:  "Creative Writing and Religious Studies," "Entrepreneurial Studies," "Sustainability and Urban Development," "Globalization Studies," and "Fashion Design and Marketing."  

BDIC allows students to pursue majors that are not available in the regular departments.  Students begin by taking a 1 credit class in which they design their major with help from faculty, professional advisors, and more experienced students.   

BDIC students are generally highly motivated because their program of study is based on their true passion.  This passion often translates into energy and achievement.  BDIC encourages students to be leaders and innovators.  Many BDIC students have published novels, started companies and non-profits, and done other remarkable things--while still students.

The graduates of BDIC often find work in a field directly related to their BDIC concentration.   The first graduate of BDIC, Tom Benedek (1971), was a major in film studies.  He is the screenwriter of Cocoon, Free Willy, and other notable films, and teaches film writing at the University of Souther California.  Other notable BDIC alumni include Jan Schlichtman, the lawyer featured in the novel and movie, A Civil Action, and Peter F. DiGiammarino, a high-tech executive in the D.C. area.

For more information, follow the links on this site, or call BDIC at 413-545-2504.

UMass Amherst is the flagship campus of the Massachusetts university system.  Please visit www.umass.edu