Sophomore Plan of Study

Students are encouraged to take full ownership of their academic experience and to make deliberate decisions about their academic careers. In the Spring of their sophomore year, students meet with departments and advisors to learn about the opportunities and expectations of each department. Students then write a Sophomore Plan of Study. The Sophomore Plan of Study includes a brief narrative reflecting on their interests in the field and their goals for their education. The Plan also includes a list of courses that students plan to take in their remaining time at Swarthmore.

All students are expected to have an approved major by the end of their sophomore year. Students may apply for a departmentally-based major, a major in an established interdisciplinary program, or a special major. Students who want to minor in a subject and/or participate in the Honors Program normally include these applications at the same time they submit their Sophomore Plan of Study.

Sophomore Plans for the Class of 2027 are due on Thursday, March 6, 2025.

Early in the Spring semester, students complete their Sophomore Plan electronically via the mySwarthmore website. Student instructions for the electronic Sophomore Plan are available in this set of Student Instructions for Updating Majors and Minors [PDF].

Faculty have access to students' Sophomore Plans electronically, via the Majors and Minors Department Portal on AppGarden.

The Sophomore Planning process is coordinated by Liz Derickson (Assoc. Dean of Academic Success) and Mira Baric (Student Affairs Division), in partnership with academic departments and programs.