Departments & Programs
Interdisciplinary Studies
Admissions
All students admitted to the Interdisciplinary Studies (IDS) Program must have a minimum GPA of 2.50 and meet existing admission requirements of the School of Science. Students interested in the IDS program should contact the program advisor to discuss the interdisciplinary theme under consideration. The program advisor works with interested students in a pre-IDS period to identify faculty with expertise relevant to the IDS theme. In consultation with those faculty members and the program advisor, the student prepares a program proposal consisting of coursework from two or more disciplines, at least one of which is in the School of Science. The student also prepares a statement explaining the justification for the IDS theme chosen, how it relates to the student's future professional interests and what learning outcomes will be met through the proposed IDS program. The student is accepted for admission to the Interdisciplinary Studies Program when the faculty advisors and the Undergraduate Education Committee of the School of Science approve the student’s proposal.
Before admission to the Interdisciplinary Studies Program, students must have completed a minimum of 15 credit hours of course work, but no more than 60 credit hours. The course work must include ENG-W131, a science course with lab, and an appropriate mathematics course. All science and mathematics courses on record must have minimum grades of C. Courses included in a specific IDS major may have prerequisites specified by the departments that offer them.
Curriculum
The curriculum for each interdisciplinary studies student will vary so as to meet the particular academic objective of the student. The interdisciplinary studies major areas of study will consist of a coherent set of courses that define a clearly recognizable focus of study for which faculty can provide oversight and ensure intellectual integrity and rigor. A faculty committee will approve all interdisciplinary study major areas, and each student in the program will work closely with a faculty mentor.
The interdisciplinary major will comprise 40-45 credit hours of regular courses from at least two disciplines and culminate with a 3- to 6-hour senior capstone project or internship.
- A minimum of 120 credit hours in the IDS program will be distributed as follows
- General education (45-50 credits)
- Interdisciplinary major with courses from at least two disciplines (40-45 credits)
- Electives (25-35 credits)