Some majors....

Sometimes colleges at BYU have ridiculous policies. They set up rules so that students can't "work the system"--rules that make students REALLY want to work the system.

For example, a certain college at BYU has decided that even though there are only two real semesters of classes in the major, plus one semester of an internship, they want students to stay in the program for two full years. So they create this system of cluster classes. Three clusters, gotta take one class from each cluster. The only thing any of the different clusters has in common is the fact that they're all in the same major. The subject matter is not in any way similar. But a student MUST take the classes in order, starting with cluster 1 before moving to cluster 2 and then cluster 3.  The department does not allow a student to take cluster classes out of order or at the same time. Why? Dunno. Just want you with us for all four semesters.

It makes no sense to me. No sense at all. You don't need the knowledge gained in a cluster 1 class to be able to do well in a cluster 2 class. It's not like a beginning, intermediate and advanced class.

I say, if the department wants to keep the students there for four whole semesters (not counting the prerequisite semester) then come up with another block of meaningful classes that will help the student advance in the field, not just be busywork. Because if a student has completed every class but one cluster elective (and didn't complete that one because the department wouldn't let the student take it, even though the student completed everything else the department asked) plus a minor and all generals, it's not fair to make the student pay tuition for another semester and pay for books and everything else just to take one little class.