Interdepartmental Majors (IDM)

If your academic interests encompass two academic disciplines in Trinity College, you may wish to consider declaring an interdepartmental major (IDM). The IDM draws in equal measure upon two Trinity College departments or programs that offer a major, each requiring 7 courses for a total of 14 courses.

Computer Science is working with several partners to create “predefined” IDMs, listed below, whose programs of study are pre-approved by the respective Directors of Undergraduate Studies. If your interests happen to align with one of these predefined IDMs, we highly encourage to follow it, because it makes planning ahead and optimizing your program of study easier, and allows our advisors to provide more informed advice and make more consistent decisions. 

IDM in Statistics + CS on Data Science IDM in Math + CS on Data Science IDM in Linguistics + CS IDM in Visual & Media Studies (VMS) + CS

An IDM with Computer Science and Another Discipline

If you would like to explore whether an IDM is right for you, first read about choosing and declaring an IDM here, and then discuss it with the Directors of Undergraduate Studies in Computer Science and the other discipline. If you would like to pursue an IDM involving some other discipline for which nothing has been predefined, please follow these guidelines:

  • All IDMs have the following pre-requisites:
    • MATH 111
    • MATH 112 or 100 level Stat or higher
  • If you have taken COMPSCI 101, 102, or 116, we can count one towards the 7 COMPSCI courses required.

NOTE: MATH 111, MATH 112 and COMPSCI 101 -- Only these three courses can be taken S/U and count towards the CompSci part of your IDM. Check with your other major in your IDM to find out whether they will also allow these courses to count if taken S/U.

  • Include in your 7 COMPSCI courses: 201, 210 (or 250), and one of 230 (or 232) and 330.
    • Note that CS 230 (or 232) is a prerequisite for 330 but could be skipped if you have probability and other math courses.
  • COMPSCI electives should make sense for the other discipline you are considering.
    • For example, CS 260 would make sense with Biology, CS 323 would make sense with Economics, and CS 342 would make sense with Public Policy.
  • NOTE: Only one Social and Policy Oriented Computing course may count toward the elective requirement. Examples of Social and Policy Oriented Computing courses include COMPSCI 240, COMPSCI 247S, COMPSCI 255, and COMPSCI 342.

These general guidelines do not apply to specific, predefined IDMs (see above).

Declaring an IDM

To declare an IDM, you must develop a written plan for your program of study, give your IDM a descriptive title, and work with the Directors of Undergraduate Studies (DUS) in both departments to put together a cogent list of courses for the major that they will approve.  You will specify which department is considered "primary".  In considering your proposal, the DUS should collaborate to insure that your IDM is rigorous and coherent.  After you complete the IDM application and worksheet below and have both DUS and advisors sign the application, then submit the signed form and worksheet to Dean Karen Murphy in 011 Allen Building for final approval and processing. 

Declaring an IDM Major

Download IDM Proposal Form (pdf - 818.64 KB)

More Information about IDMs on the Trinity Arts & Sciences website