Interdisciplinary Studies

Programs and Course Descriptions

Faculty

View the Interdisciplinary Studies Faculty.

Interdisciplinary Program

The Faculty of Arts & Sciences offers the BA & BS degrees in Interdisciplinary Studies. Within the BA of Interdisciplinary Studies degree program, students may select from six majors: Africana Studies; Environment & Sustainability; Film & Media Studies; Gender, Sexuality, & Women’s Studies; Global Studies; Integrative Conservation, and Medieval & Renaissance Studies. Additionally, students may earn a BA or a BS in Interdisciplinary Studies with a Self-Designed major. Within this option, students will work closely with a faculty advisor to formulate a curriculum that is tailored to the student’s interests. The responsibility for formulating a sound academic program of interdisciplinary study lies with the individual student and the advisor, and the proposed major must be approved by the Committee on Interdisciplinary Studies (CIS). Normally, students pursuing an interdisciplinary major base their program upon a solid understanding of an established discipline, and must include courses from at least three departments, with no more than half of the credit hours from any one department. More than two courses at the introductory level are seldom approved.

Applications for Self-Designed majors must adhere to the Registrar’s deadlines for declaring a primary major. In addition, all applications for Self-Designed majors as a change of major or secondary major must be submitted to the Committee on Interdisciplinary Studies before the beginning of preregistration for the first semester of the student’s senior year. All Self-Designed programs must be compatible with the degree requirements for Arts & Sciences. Each major must fulfill the Major Writing Requirement by earning a grade of C- or better in the course designated as the writing course within the program submitted to CHIS. Each major must also fulfill the Computer Proficiency Requirement by earning a grade of C- or better in the course designated as the computer proficiency course within the program submitted. CHIS, or the appropriate advisory committee, must approve the designation of courses that fulfill the writing and computer proficiency requirements.

Programs and Course Descriptions

Majors

Africana Studies
Environmental Science/Policy

Film and Media Studies
Gender, Sexuality, & Women’s Studies

Integrative Conservation (BS in Interdisciplinary Studies)

Linguistics
Medieval and Renaissance Studies

Minors

Interdisciplinary minors are offered in:

Africana Studies
Biochemistry

Computational and Applied Mathematics & Statistics-Mathematical Biology, Minor

Educational Studies
Environmental Science and Policy

Film and Media Studies, Minor
Gender, Sexuality, & Women’s Studies

Integrative Conservation, Minor

Italian Studies
Judaic Studies
Linguistics
Marine Science
Medieval and Renaissance Studies
Public Health

There is no option for a Self-Designed minor

Description of Courses

The following courses are taught by individual instructors or by a group of instructors who wish to explore a subject outside the current structure of A&S Departments and Programs. The A&S Dean’s Office coordinates the scheduling of these courses.

Programs

Courses

College Curriculum

Conservation

CONS 401 - Conservation Ethics

Geographic Information Systems

Interdisciplinary Studies