How to Declare (or Change) Your HSSP Major or Minor
Sarah Hakakha ’24 and Abby Novia ’24
FAQs: How to declare (or change) your HSSP Major or Minor
Professor Curi is HSSP's Undergraduate Advising Head and Study Abroad Liaison.
In addition to the FAQs about HSSP, here you will find answers to many common questions as well as a link to the HSSP Declaration Form (Google Doc).
On the HSSP Declaration Form, you will find instructions on:
- How to complete and share the form, and
- How to propose a time for a 15-minute appointment during Prof. Curi’s office hours
If you have questions about which classes fit your interests and goals, brainstorm with one of our HSSP UDRs. They are great sources of inside information and may be able to offer you insight into which classes to choose.
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- To declare an HSSP major or minor? Yes, all students seeking to declare a major (BA or BS) or minor in HSSP must complete the HSSP Declaration Form and meet with Prof. Curi. If your plan is in order, Prof. Curi will assign you an HSSP advisor; Barbara Strauss, our Academic Administrator, will update Workday and add you to our HSSP listserv.
- Plan ahead. Appointments often fill up several weeks in advance. Out of respect, be on time. Please email Prof. Curi at scuri@brandeis.edu if you are running late as you may need to reschedule your appointment.
- To change to a different HSSP degree? No, to change to a different HSSP degree (e.g.,from a BS to BA or from a minor to major), complete and share an updated HSSP Declaration Form. You do not need to meet with Prof. Curi again. You are welcome to email Prof. Curi or your HSSP Advisor any questions you have.
- To drop my major/minor? No. You do not need to meet with Prof. Curi to drop your HSSP major or minor. Instead, email Barbara Strauss, our Academic Administrator, at bstrauss@brandeis.edu.
- Review the HSSP Major and or Minor requirements as well as the FAQs about the HSSP Program and the Schedule of Classes to develop your plan based on your own interests and goals. Many required courses are not offered every semester: e.g., SOC 191a - Health, Community & Society is only offered in the Fall. Some electives are offered every other year.
- Complete and share your HSSP Declaration Form. List the courses you think you will take. Your plan is not set in stone. Any specific course(s) listed to fulfill any Focal Area requirement(s) may be substituted with any qualified course(s) that fulfills the same HSSP requirement(s): e.g., you might list HSSP 106a — Managing Medicine on your declaration form; but may end up taking HSSP 128a — Disability Policy instead to fulfill your Focal Area C requirement.
No, you need no additional approvals to declare an HSSP major/minor; however, depending on your course of study you may need the following additional approvals to complete your HSSP degree:
- Hands-on Experience (HOE): All majors must complete 1 of the 7 HOE options described at HSSP HOE Options. Students who conduct a health-related internship must get it pre-approved by completing the HSSP Internship Approval Form. If you have questions about these options, review the HSSP HOE website, then contact Professor Zinner.
- Study Abroad: For more details, see Office of Study Abroad and the List of Pre-Approved Health-related Study Abroad Courses & HOE. New courses will be added from time to time.
If you complete your HOE while abroad, your HOE would count as one of the two "outside" courses that can count toward HSSP major requirements. Any additional courses taken during Study Abroad may count toward graduation credit but not for HSSP major requirements.
- Other Courses 1) from outside of Brandeis or 2) taken at Brandeis during the Summer: Majors may transfer up to two courses (8 credits) and minors may transfer one course (4 credits) taken from outside of Brandeis. You must submit a Petition to Request Substitution for a Requirement to request these credits to count for HSSP.
Note: With few exceptions, transferred courses may only fulfill HSSP Electives and/or the Additional Basic Science Course requirements. For example, students can petition for HSSP credit for a human physiology course, in place of BIOL 42 - Physiology, that is taken elsewhere (in the US or abroad); such petitions will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
You can’t double count within the HSSP program (i.e., you cannot use one course to meet two different HSSP requirements): e.g., LGLS 114a — American Health Care: Law & Policy can only fulfill either the Core “Policy” Course requirement or a Focal Area C requirement; not both. However, a course may fulfill an HSSP requirement while also fulfilling a requirement towards a degree in another department or program: e.g., LGLS 114a — American Health Care: Law & Policy could fulfill both a degree requirement in your HSSP major/minor and towards your Legal Studies minor.