Declaring a Concentration

I recently declared BME, and found the process pretty painless. The process for declaring a concentration is relatively straightforward; it just takes a bit of effort on your part.

Timeline

The deadline for declaring your first concentration is in the middle of your fourth semester (usually spring of sophomore year). However, the process can start long before that.

  1. Review concentration requirements on Bulletin.
  2. Make a list of courses that count towards the concentration.
  3. Speak with a concentration advisor about your plan, ideally before winter break of your sophomore year.
  4. Complete your declaration in ASK!
  5. Declare additional concentrations and certificates.

Finalizing your concentration

Although the process to change your concentration after you have already declared isn’t too complex, it saves you much hassle if you declare your concentration with confidence and sureness. Generally speaking, I recommend doing the following before you declare.

  • Talk to an upperclassman in the same concentration
    • And talk to upperclassmen with similar interests, even if they are not necessarily in the desired concentration
  • Review the requirements for your concentration
    • Will you have enough time to complete all requirements?
    • Will you still be able to explore your other interests?
    • Make a list/spreadsheet of your course plan; this is essential for later
  • Talk with a concentration advisor! They often offer additional insights
    • This is mandatory!!!
    • Some concentrations may not let you speak with an advisor until you are assigned one
      • Request an assignment by adding your concentration in ASK or emailing them

Completing the forms

Now, you have talked with a concentration advisor, and are ready to declare your concentration! To begin, complete the declaration form in ASK. The IT Knowledgebase has an article on it with screenshots to guide you along.

The form is divided into the following sections:

  1. Program selection
  2. Personal statement
  3. Course plan
  4. Additional academic goals
  5. Attachments & comments

Program selection

Here, you select your concentration, the degree type (Sc.B. or A.B.), a professional track (if applicable), and your preferred advisor. Note that you may already have an assigned advisor, or you may be unable to select your preferred advisor; this all depends on the concentration you are declaring. For instance, I am able to list a preferred advisor for BME, but my friends concentrating in Public Health are unable to do so.

Personal statement

Here, you explain why you chose your concentration and how you intend to continue exploring it. The following three topics must be addressed in a statement of 500-1000 words. This word limit may seem daunting, but you do not need to necessarily reach it. As long as you are able to communicate your ideas and points accurately and concisely, it should be accepted.

  • Choice of concentration: Why are you choosing this concentration?
  • Liberal learning: How have you responded to Brown’s ideals for a liberal education?
  • Writing: At Brown, how have you worked towards improving your writing abilities (can be inside or outside the classroom)? How do you plan to continue your work on writing improvement?

I am more than happy to answer your questions on these topics and ideas you may have.

Course plan

This is where the course list you made previously comes in handy! Here, you may add in courses you have taken (and you plan to take) that count towards the concentration. There may be some restrictions on what courses you can list. AP credit, for instance, is not accepted by certain concentrations. Do email your concentration advisor with your questions, as they will have advice specific to you.

This plan is also not set in stone. You are free to change which courses you take and when you take them as you progress through your final years at Brown; let your advisor know of your changes beforehand. Triple check the semesters you plan to take your courses in as well; incorrectly listed courses can be a bit confusing to resolve.

Additional academic goals

This section has two short responses and one multiple choice question.

Describe other areas of the curriculum (outside your concentration) that you plan to explore within the next two years. Your concentration advisor may require you to submit a detailed list of courses that you plan to take in these areas.

Here, you are able to describe all your other academic interests and how you will explore them. I recommend listing specific courses not in your concentration that you hope to take.

Briefly describe additional projects or research you would like to accomplish inside or outside your concentration by the time of your graduation.

Here, you may talk about the research projects you hope to accomplish in and out of school. For instance, you may talk about the internships you wish to do over the summer, or about how you want to complete an Honors thesis. You do not need to elaborate much here (unless you believe it is necessary, of course).

Are you considering pursuing honors for this concentration?

A yes or no question. As with many of the other questions here, you are not locked into one option; choose what you are considering at the time.