Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies
Tailor your curriculum to perfectly fit your interests and career aspirations.
About this Program
The College of Liberal Arts offers the B.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies. While this program allows students to craft an individualized major, it is more than that. At the core is a philosophy of integration and collaboration. Some questions and problems are too complex to be addressed by a single methodology or disciplinary perspective.
Students in the program:
- develop a nuanced understanding and respect for multiple disciplines
- collaborate with faculty and peers across disciplines
- learn to appreciate the interdependence of disciplinary knowledge
- draw on the expertise and methodologies of two or more disciplines
- integrate their insights and experiences to develop a personal expertise
The Value of an Interdisciplinary Studies Major
Learning across disciplines fosters the kind of intellectual curiosity and critical thinking skills essential to success in future employment and graduate school. Interdisciplinary Studies students will leave the university better able to understand other value systems, to think conceptually, to critically engage with the work of diverse experts, and wield their knowledge with informed intention. No matter what courses are put together, students can expect to gain the kind of skills critical to a liberal arts education—skills in communication, problem-solving, and working with a diverse group of people.
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Program Information
Program Type
Major
Area of Study
Interdisciplinary Programs
School
Duration
4 Years
Degree
B.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies
Program Location
Required Credit Hours
120
Degree Requirements
See information below on the interdisciplinary studies major. For a full description, visit the online catalog.
Students in the B.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies complete 42 credit hours of coursework. The plan of study includes at least 27 credit hours at the 300 level or higher and 30 credit hours from the College of Liberal Arts. Students choose between two options to complete the degree.
Required courses:
- IDS 101: Introduction to Interdisciplinary Studies
- IDS 499: Interdisciplinary Studies Capstone Seminar
Option A
Students construct a 42-credit-hour plan of study around a unifying theme or problem consisting of at least two disciplines with no more than 21 credit hours in the same discipline.
Option B
Students construct a 42-credit-hour plan of study around a unifying theme consisting of two minors and complementary courses appropriate to the theme. One of the minors must come from the College of Liberal Arts. At least 12 hours in each minor must be at the 300 level or higher.
Students in the College of Liberal Arts may select from the following list of approved minors.
Interdisciplinary Minors
- African American Studies
- Cinema Studies
- Digital Media Studies
- Disaster Sciences
- East Asian Studies
- Environmental Studies
- Freedom Studies
- Gender Studies
- International Studies
- Medieval Studies
- Museum Studies
- Neuroscience
- Society and Health
- Southern Studies
Minors from CLA Departments
- Aerospace Studies
- Anthropology
- Arabic
- Art
- Art History
- Astronomy
- Biological Science
- Chemistry
- Chinese
- Classics
- Creative Writing
- Economics
- English
- Ethics and Values
- French
- German
- History
- Italian
- Japanese
- Korean
- Linguistics
- Mathematics
- Military Science
- Music
- Naval Science
- Philosophy
- Physics
- Political Science
- Portuguese
- Professional Writing
- Psychology
- Public Policy Leadership
- Religious Studies
- Russian
- Sociology
- Spanish
- Swahili
- Teach English to Speakers of Other Lang
- Theatre Arts
Approved Minors Outside of the College of Liberal Arts
- Accountancy
- American Sign Language interpreting
- Applied gerontology
- Communication sciences and disorders
- Community engaged leadership
- Computer science
- Criminal justice
- Data science
- Education
- Engineering
- Entrepreneurship
- General business
- Geology
- Global security studies
- Higher education
- Hospitality management
- Intelligence and security studies
- Journalism
- Law studies
- Manufacturing
- Marketing
- Nutrition
- Public health
- Recreation administration
- Recreational therapy
- Social work
- Sport administration
Why major in Interdisciplinary Studies at UM?
“I was originally interested in medical school, but my science courses lacked world context. I began to wonder how economics, gender, race, geography, and political systems affect health outcomes and health inequalities.”
Emma Willoughby
Minors in Biological Science, Mathematics, Psychology ‘13
What can I do with a degree in interdisciplinary studies?
- VP and Director, Trustmark National Bank
- Professional Baseball Player, Washington Nationals
- Marketing Manager, Telluride Historical Museum
- Real Estate Agent, Kitchens Realty
- President, United Federal Logistics
- Nurse, Methodist Healthcare
- Orthopedic Surgeon, University of Florida Health
- Youth Minister, Parkway Baptist Church
- Director of IT, Baptist Memorial Health Care
- 7th grade Language Arts, DeSoto County School
- VP Government Relations, Kennesaw State University
- Legislative Director, US House of Representatives
Next Steps
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