A student wishing to pursue an interdisciplinary major should consult with at least two faculty members representing different disciplines to help develop the major. The proposed major should be interdisciplinary and not duplicate existing majors.
The faculty members become the program members for the major with one faculty member designated as program chair for the major. The faculty member serving as the program chair will become the student's academic advisor once the major is approved.
Students should begin this planning process before spring registration of the sophomore year with a proposal submitted no later than the fall semester of the students junior year.
Major Proposal. The proposal that is submitted to the Associate Provost for Academic Affairs should consist of three sections as listed below along with signatures of the student and the faculty program members. (Faculty may substitute an email supporting the proposal for their signatures.)
- Description and justification for the major,
- Learning goals for the major,
- Required courses for the major.
Each of these sections is now described in more detail.
- Description and Justification. This section should include the following components:
- A clear and succinct title for the major
- A student written justification for this major, articulating its overarching theme, stating the student's academic goals, and the way the major satisfies these goals.
- Learning Goals. This section should include the following components:
- Four learning goals for the student in the major. Two goals are common goals for all INTE majors. Two additional goals are written by the student and faculty program members and relate to specific nature of the major.
- The student will demonstrate the ability to integrate concepts and critical thinking approaches from two or more academic disciplines.
- The student will create written, oral, visual, or multimedia materials that demonstrate the ability to present and analyze evidence.
- Student written learning goal.
- Student written learning goal.
- Required Courses. This section should include the following components:
- A list of required courses that includes at least 10 courses and no more than 12 courses. This list should also follow the following rules:
- At least 4 of the major courses are at the 300-level or above.
- At least one of the four upper-level courses should be identified as a theory course or methodology course appropriate for the major.
- A description of a senior capstone experience with elements appropriate for the major. The description should also say whether the capstone is for course credit, or not, and how the grade is determined by the program faculty.
- Suitable alternate courses are encouraged for the required courses.
- A plan to take an appropriate W2 course that relates to the major.
- At least 50% of major courses must be taken in residence at the College.
- A minimum grade point average of 2.0 in major courses.
Approval Process. The Associate Provost may ask the student for clarification about the proposal or ask that changes be made to the proposal. Once the proposal has been approved, the Associate Provost notifies the student, the program faculty, and the Registrar. The Registrar will use the approved proposal for graduation audits.
Once approved, the student should send a completed Advisor Designation and Major/Minor Declaration Form to the Registrar. The form will not be accepted by the Registrar until after the proposed has been approved by the Associate Provost.
Students who would like to explore an Interdisciplinary Studies major are urged to consult with either their current faculty advisor or the Associate Provost for Academic Affairs, Dr. Todd Tinsley.
Click here for a list of recent Interdisciplinary Studies majors
Click here to see sample Interdisciplinary Studies proposals.