Bachelor of Science - Interdisciplinary Studies

Program Description

Solving the challenges of our increasingly complex world requires interdisciplinary thinking, methods, and solutions. Choosing to major in Interdisciplinary Studies offers students an opportunity to customize their bachelor’s degree by designing their own program of study. They will select complementary courses or minors from academic disciplines that allow them to focus on the subjects and topics that interest them.

Core coursework in the major explores diverse subjects that share a strong interdisciplinary theme. By emphasizing the importance of studying complex issues from multiple perspectives, these courses equip students with skills in critical thinking, interpretation, problem-solving, and multi-faceted analysis.

Students may choose to pursue either a Bachelor of Science with a cognate requirement or a Bachelor of Arts with a foreign language requirement in either the Integrative or Individualized Studies concentrations: 

• Integrative Studies Concentration:  This academic plan must include two minors (or more, depending on the student's interest) from any academic programs in the university to build content knowledge in specific areas of focus. Students must complete all requirements of each minor program of study, with at least 18 credit hours coming from upper-division courses.
• Individualized Studies Concentration: This academic plan allows students to create their own majors and must include a total of at least 18 credits of upper-division coursework and 36 total credits from any academic programs in the university to build content knowledge in specific areas of focus. Students are required to draft an intentional plan of study, including a rationale and course outline.

First-year students with fewer than 45 credits who have not declared majors or who have been admitted to the major of their choice will be admitted to the exploratory studies concentration. 

Because the Interdisciplinary Studies major is uniquely crafted by each student through either the Individualized or Integrative Concentration, students can apply their skills gained to numerous occupational fields including, but not limited to the following:

• business
• the arts
• non-profit sector
• environmental policy
• urban studies
• language and culture studies
• social justice
• helping professions
• information and technology
• education
• law
• medicine and allied health professions
• human resources
• public service sector