Interdisciplinary Studies

The Interdisciplinary Studies (IDS) program prepares students for a wide range of careers by fostering the adaptability, critical thinking, creativity, and communication skills necessary for personal and professional success in the 21st century. The curriculum provides unique opportunities for students to explore more than one discipline and develop the abilities, skills, and interests that lead to fulfilling careers and fulfill requirements that employers consistently seek in college graduates. This approach draws on the strengths of multiple fields, making students well-rounded, critical thinkers well-suited to adapt to our rapidly changing world.

The BA in Humanities — Interdisciplinary Studies is a rigorous humanities-based degree program. The program's customizable liberal arts-style degree plan supports various student goals, including incorporating differing fields of interest, continuing education from a two-year degree program, transferring with diverse course credits, or changing majors. This degree is especially beneficial for students interested in combining the humanities with training in medicine, business, physics, science, technology, or other fields because the program is designed to give students a competitive edge in the job market.

Students in the IDS program take courses across the disciplines housed in the Humanities Department; their curriculum includes a required introduction to interdisciplinary studies, three courses focused on one specific discipline, key required courses from each departmental discipline, and a concluding capstone course specific to IDS. Students develop their focus with a portfolio featuring their work from throughout the program of study.

Major requirements 

In addition to the general education requirements, you will take the following classes toward the degree requirement of 120-121 credit hours.

Core classes: 

IDS 2100 — Intro to Studies in Humanities (three credits) 

ENG 2200 — Intro to Literary Studies (three credits)

PHI 2240 — Critical Thinking (three credits)

HIS 2202 — History of the U.S. Since 1877 (three credits)

BUS 1500 — Computer Application for Business (three credits)

IDS 4500 — Senior Capstone in Humanities (three credits)

Humanities concentration: 

Choose three courses in a single discipline from COM, ENG, HIS, or PHI (3000 or above).

Theoretical elective (choose one; must match the above concentration): 

COM 3306 — Communication Research Methods (three credits)

ENG 3100 — Literary Criticism (three credits)

HIS 2100 — Research Methods in History (three credits)

PHI 3500 — Disciplines Within Philosophy (three credits)

Humanities electives (choose three): 

Choose three courses in any discipline from COM, ENG, HIS, PHI, ILC 2000-level or above, including one outside the above Humanities concentration. 

Other required courses: 

ILC I (or equivalent proficiency) (four credits)

ILC II (or equivalent proficiency) (four credits)

Additional Humanities courses (six credits)