Interdisciplinary Studies - BS, BA

Admission Requirements

Students may apply for admission to the Interdisciplinary Studies major after completing 30 credits with a minimum GPA of 2.25. Students who wish to pursue the Interdisciplinary Studies major must submit an application to a specific college containing the following information:

1. A statement of the student's educational/professional objectives and how the Interdisciplinary Studies major would help achieve those objectives.
2. A proposed program of study including specific courses, groupings of courses, minors, and/or certificates that will comprise the student's interdisciplinary major.
3. An estimated timeline for completion of the major. The application will be reviewed by and discussed with an academic advisor.

A current unofficial transcript must be attached to the application. The application should be discussed with and reviewed by the student’s major advisor.

Program Requirements

Students will work with a faculty member or members who will assist in course selection and will oversee the successful completion of the 45 credits in the program. Courses selected must provide coherent, carefully planned programs of study in the area of interest, which must involve two or more disciplines. Courses used for University Studies Breadth Requirements and courses used for Depth Humanities and Creative Arts (DHA), Depth Life and Physical Sciences (DSC), and Depth Social Sciences (DSS) may be counted toward the degree only with the permission of the college advisor. However, courses meeting the Communications Intensive (CI) and Quantitative Intensive (QI) requirements may be applied toward requirements for the Interdisciplinary Studies degree.

Courses used to meet the 45-credit minimum requirement may come from any department, with the following restrictions:

1. At least 21 of the 45 credits must be numbered 3000 or above.
2. Courses used for the major must include at least 15 credits each from two different disciplines. A maximum of 3 internship credits may be counted toward the major. Note: Some colleges may require that more than 15 credits counted toward the major be taught by departments within their college; check with the college advisor for further information.
3. The coursework must focus on an overarching theme and must be consistent with the student’s educational and career goals.
4. As part of the 45 credits, students must complete a 3-credit senior project, thesis, or capstone course supervised by their faculty advisor.
5. Students must pass every course approved for the program of study and must earn a composite GPA of at least 2.0 in the 45 credits of coursework used for the major. Note: Some colleges may have a higher GPA requirement; check with the college advisor for further information.
6. Courses used for the major may be used for a minor or to fill University Studies Breadth requirements only with the permission of the college advisor.