Washington University’s Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts will now allow non-Sam Fox undergraduate students to obtain secondary majors.

Previously, non-art students could only minor in the school. Now, all undergraduates can major in either Art or Design, the latter of which has concentrations in fashion and communication.

Director of the College and Graduate School of Art Heather Corcoran believes that these new majors will allow undergraduates greater flexibility within the Sam Fox School.

“For a long time, we’ve wanted to provide students an opportunity to do something a little bit deeper and to develop a portfolio maybe or just to have more of an integrated program,” Corcoran said. “This is the way that we thought would be great to do it.”

According to Corcoran, the majors were designed to be accessible to students across campus without being overwhelming.

“The second major program is roughly half the credits that a [Bachelor of Fine Arts] student takes in the Fox School. We’ve tried to design it in such a way that it’s doable for a student in another field,” Corcoran said.

Corcoran added that a second major in Sam Fox could intersect with a student’s primary field of study, even if that field of study is outside of the art school.

“I could imagine students in business—like marketing majors—being really interested in doing fashion or communication as concentrations within the Design major. Art History students might find that a second major in Studio Art would really benefit their understanding of Art History,” Corcoran said.

Corcoran sees these new majors as part of an overall goal to open Sam Fox to the other schools in the University.

“We’ve been working toward this goal as a faculty for a very long time,” Corcoran said. “The [Sam] Fox School is working really hard to be integrated, and hopefully this is one more step toward that end.”

Sophomore and Communication Design major Maddy Angstreich recognized the importance of offering more avenues of study for undergraduates interested in art and design.

“This is great for people who still want to incorporate design into their education in a way that’s more than a minor but not a primary major,” Angstreich said. “This is the perfect middle ground that people have been looking for.”

Sophomore Kevin He, a marketing major in the Olin Business School, believes that Sam Fox’s new degree options are a step in the right direction.

“I’m glad that Sam Fox is opening up more to students from other colleges on campus. I think it’s important to let students pursue their interests regardless of what their primary focus is,” He said.

He plans to take advantage of these new majors and expects other students on campus to do the same.

“I’ve personally been considering a major in Communication Design since hearing about these new secondary majors,” He said. “I’m sure that Sam Fox will attract a lot of students like me.”