Current Students

Liang Liang ‘26
Hi Hi! I am Liang, a Theater and IDEAS double major in the Class of 2026. I create interactive works that blend play, design, and storytelling, ranging from small educational games to immersive theatre and escape room experiences. As the lead of the Student Forum “Tell a Story and Escape the Room” and a Monitor in the IDEAS Lab, I explore how people learn through play and connect through participation. My works live somewhere between art and engineering, using physical computing, light, and narrative design to turn learning into empathy, and curiosity into connection.

Arielle Gold’ 27
Hi! I am a junior majoring in IDEAS and Art History, and I'm pursuing the 4-2 program with Columbia for civil engineering. I'm interested in practicing structural engineering for buildings and bridges. Outside of academics, I work in the IDEAS Lab as a Studio Monitor, and I am involved with extracurricular theater as a stage and production manager.

Arjun Menezes ‘27
Hi, I am a Physics and IDEAS major in the class of 2027 and an international student from Goa, India. I teach the Student Forum "3D Printing: From Design to Product", and I'm a Studio Assistant in the IDEAS Lab. I also conduct research in the Fluid Dynamics and Soft Matter lab and TA some Physics courses. I'm interested in Fluid Dynamics, Aeronautical, Aerospace, and Mechanical Engineering, and want to go to grad school for engineering.

Juliette Sullivan ‘27
Hi, I am a junior majoring in Art Studio and IDEAS! I am interested in structural engineering and architecture, and I plan to pursue further education in architecture after graduation! Apart from my academics, I am on the women's soccer and track and field team!

What is the difference between CoDES and IDEAS?
The College of Design and Engineering Studies (CoDES) hosts the Integrated Design, Engineering, Art, and Society (IDEAS) linked major and minor.

What is a linked major?
The IDEAS linked major can only be declared and completed in addition to a primary major. The primary major is determined by the major track. Students must complete all the requirements for graduation from their primary major in addition to those of IDEAS as their linked major.

Declaring the linked Major
The IDEAS linked major must be declared alongside your primary major. Each major track is linked to a specific major, for example the Biomedical Engineering track is linked to the Biology major. Declare the IDEAS linked major through your WesPortal.

Declaring the Minor
Students should complete at least one course from the required core courses to be admitted to the IDEAS minor. Declare the IDEAS minor through your WesPortal.

Minor declaration requests are reviewed bi-annually, in October and March, prior to pre-registration.

In addition to submitting a minor declaration request, students should email Serena (splage@wesleyan.edu) and copy Elijah Huge (ehuge@wesleyan.edu) with the concentration they intend to pursue.

Students must identify at least one concentration they intend to pursue for their minor declaration to be approved and a minor advisor assigned.

A student may change their IDEAS minor concentration in consultation with their minor advisor, the CoDES Director, or CoDES Associate Director.

Completing the Minor
While it is encouraged for students to complete the core requirements prior to completing the concentration requirements, courses for fulfillment of the minor may be taken in any sequence. However, there may be prerequisite courses required for some of the courses offered for minor credit. These prerequisites do not count towards the minor.

Some courses that meet minor requirements may be cross-listed with multiple departments; students can enroll in any listing for the specified course.

Students may propose a different combination of concentration elective courses in consultation with their IDEAS advisor.

Some courses may overlap with existing major requirements. A student may only count three course credits toward the IDEAS minor that are also counted towards a major, linked major, certificate, or other minor, unless receiving explicit approval from the IDEAS minor administrator to waive this requirement.

Courses for the Minor may be taken CR/U.
Up to two credits towards the minor may be transfer credits. It is strongly encouraged that all credits for the minor core be completed at Wesleyan.

A single course cannot be used to satisfy both a core and concentration requirement.

Typically, introductory (100-level) courses may not be counted toward the concentration requirements.

Will I be assigned an advisor for IDEAS?
Yes, you will be assigned an advisor for IDEAS in addition to the advisor for your primary major. Depending on your major track or minor concentration, it is possible for your IDEAS advisor and your primary major advisor to be the same person. Your IDEAS advisor is not required to approve your schedule, but it is important to meet with them to discuss the course of study and requirements for the linked major or minor.

Transfer Credit
IDEAS Core courses must be taken at Wesleyan. Up to three course requirements for the IDEAS major can be fulfilled with transfer credits, subject to approval from an IDEAS advisor and program chair.

AP Credit
CoDES will not approve Advanced Placement credit toward the IDEAS linked major or minor.