Polymath Pathways – Academics

As a member of a Polymath Pathway Program at USM, you’ll graduate with a dual major and cultivate critical thinking skills, giving you a more nuanced understanding of the world and its workings.

Earn two distinct majors. Build intellectual breadth. Graduate ready for complexity.

Define your future by who you want to become.

Instead of choosing between disciplines, you’ll pursue two distinct majors within an intentionally structured undergraduate experience. The result: intellectual breadth, analytical depth, and a multidisciplinary skill set built for a rapidly evolving economy.

This is more than a double major. It’s a purpose-built academic pathway designed to cultivate strength of mind through cross-disciplinary rigor.

What is a Polymath Pathway?

A Polymath Pathway is a multi-disciplinary undergraduate degree program here at the University of Southern Maine (USM) that enables you to:

Earn two fully developed majors – without sacrificing time to degree
Follow an accelerated, streamlined core curriculum, coordinating an academic roadmap with your advisor

Cultivate strength of mind through multi-disciplinary rigor, leading to long term career agility and stability
Access internships, research, and networking opportunities with 200+ partner organizations through faculty connections and the USM Career & Employment Hub
Think affordability – two majors for the price of one degree*. Bonus, if you are an out-of-state applicant, but you reside in New England, many Polymath Programs are eligible for a significant NEBHE discount!

The research suggests that diversifying your academic portfolio functions as a form of “human capital insurance,” increasing resilience in uncertain labor markets.

Why diversified skill sets lead to long-term career resilience

Economic research from the National Bureau of Economic Research* suggests that students who complete two majors may be better insulated from labor market volatility than single-major graduates. The study found that double majors experienced roughly 56% greater protection against earnings shocks.

Stronger yet, when two fields of study were less closely related, graduates saw about a 64% reduction in earnings volatility.

*Source: Del Rossi & Hersch, Do Double Majors Face Less Risk?, NBER Working Paper No. 32095 (2024).

The Polymath Pathway is designed for students who are intellectually curious across majors. Grounded in a rigorous, traditional curriculum yet ambitious in its intellectual aims, it prepares students to move among disciplines and approach problems – and their solutions – from more than one vantage point.

– Jane Kuenz, Dean of the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences

Explore Polymath Pathways at USM

Find your perfect pairing and start diversifying your future:

Students in the Philosophy and Finance Polymath Program learn skills that help them succeed after graduation, including critical thinking fused with logic.

Philosophy and Finance Polymath Pathway

Two ethical paths for deep critical thinkers meeting at logic

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History and Geography-Anthropology (GIS) Polymath Pathway

Bridging history and geospatial analysis for data-driven, human-centered careers

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As a student pursuing a dual major under the Polymath Pathway Program, you’ll investigate life’s deepest questions with scientific inquiry and philosophical reasoning.

Philosophy and Biology Polymath Pathway

Where life science meets life’s biggest questions

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English and Marketing Polymath Pathway

Become the well rounded creative you were always meant to be

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Whether you’re interested in private practice, continuing your education with a graduate art therapy program, or want a strong foundation of creative practice and evidence-based psychological research, you’ll leave USM’s Art and Psychology dual major pathway as a better communicator.

Art and Psychology Polymath Pathway

Use creative practice and the science of human behavior to better understand the world around you

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USM Polymath Pathway Program FAQs

At first glance, it may not seem like the majors offered together in this integrated undergraduate program have much in common, but the pairings chosen are more similar than you may think. Skills like ethical reasoning, logic-based understanding, and the ability to understand complex systems are essential in the modern world.

You need skills that allow you to question assumptions, communicate clearly and concisely, and most importantly, think beyond a spreadsheet. Participating in one of the Polymath Pathway Programs does all this and more.

These educational tracks will sharpen your quantitative reasoning and data-driven thinking, while complementary majors like Art, English, History, or Philosophy will push you to look at the bigger picture. You’ll also build specialized skills in writing and communication, allowing you to translate complex ideas, engage diverse audiences, and connect knowledge to the real world.

The skills you learn and build on in USM’s Polymath Pathway will give you the multidisciplinary background that employers are looking for. Moreover, it also signals that you’re adaptable and agile.

Studying two demanding fields and receiving two majors when you graduate from the University of Southern Maine means you’ll connect ideas that others won’t. You’ll bring a unique perspective that graduates who only focus on one major can’t bring to the table.

Having a dual major not only helps you be more competitive in the job market, but also gives you more stability. The agility required in having a dual major degree means that you’re more likely to find a job in uncertain times. While this agility is attractive to employers, it also helps you pivot when you have to. If one career trajectory is no longer an option, your dual major is an advantage that could help you find a new job that uses other skills you learned while in the Polymath Pathway Program at USM.

The Polymath Pathway expands your options and opens doors. Liberal arts majors like Philosophy and English teach you to stay curious, ask questions, and discuss topics that you have never considered. In a highly competitive job market, these are the things that will ensure you stand out from the crowd.

Yes — it is possible to transfer into a Polymath Pathway at the University of Southern Maine.

However, Polymath Pathways are intentionally designed for first-year students who begin in the program and follow the integrated core curriculum from their first semester. This streamlined structure helps ensure that both majors can be completed efficiently within a four-year timeline.

If you’re interested in joining a Polymath Pathway a few semesters into your undergrad degree at USM, or when transferring in from another institution, your academic advisor can review your completed current coursework and evaluate how it aligns with pathway requirements. From there, they can help you determine whether transferring into a pathway is feasible — and what your timeline to graduation might look like based on your previously earned credits.

Because Polymath Pathways require a streamlined core curriculum, it is highly recommended that students begin these in their first year of study at the University of Southern Maine. Most Polymath Pathways at the University of Southern Maine can be completed within 120 credits. 120 credits typically allows students to graduate in four years if they take a full course load of 30 credits throughout each year.

Through a Polymath Pathway, you’ll earn two distinct majors under a single Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree using an integrated academic plan. A streamlined core curriculum is designed to help you make progress through both disciplines without extending your timeline. You’ll also have dedicated advisors work with you throughout your undergraduate experience to plan your coursework and keep you on track for graduation.

Some pathways may require slightly more than 120 credits to complete (which equates to 2–3 additional courses). You can find the total credit requirements for your selected pathway program page under ‘Program Duration’. In these cases, additional credits may affect your semester course load or require summer coursework (and could result in added per-credit costs – see more information in the next FAQ below).

Because every student’s academic background is different, it’s important to meet with your USM advisor early to map out your plan. Many students enter USM with transfer, AP, or Early College credits that can help fulfill pathway requirements.

No — Polymath Pathways are a highly affordable option at the University of Southern Maine. You will receive two majors but pay for only a single degree – a Bachelor of Arts (BA). Your tuition will be based on the major hosted from within the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences specific to your Polymath Pathway.

Even better news – students from Maine and Canada qualify for in-state tuition rates, and eligible out-of-state students from New England may receive a substantial reduced tuition rate through the NEBHE Tuition Break program.

Of note, a few Polymath Pathways will require slightly more than 120 credits to complete. Each Polymath Pathway notes its specific credit load requirements in the quick links on its program page under ‘Program Duration’. In these cases, completing extra credits will result in added per-credit costs depending on your course load or academic plan. Your advisor can also connect you with Financial Services to review your aid package and determine the most cost-effective way to complete any additional credits (if needed).