WELCOME!

Welcome to the Department of Interdisciplinary Studies website! You will find that Interdisciplinary Studies is a unique, flexible and worthwhile major and academic area. Focusing on five core areas— critical thinking, strong language and communication skills, strong research and writing abilities, being culturally, socially and globally aware and sensitive, and having cognizance of the major ideas that influence the world we exist in—a major in Interdisciplinary Studies allows students to integrate their own talents and interests with the qualities necessary for success. The faculty and staff in the Department are committed to the holistic success of our students and are here to assist students to achieve with excellence!

Dr. Khadijah O. Miller Department Head

In its most basic sense, Interdisciplinary Studies is a field that intentionally integrates knowledge from more than one area to address an issue. The prefix, inter, means between, and/or connecting, therefore Interdisciplinary Studies  is the combining of disciplines.

Interdisciplinary Studies as a major is an avenue for students to combine multiple interests, while developing and emphasizing core skill sets that are crucial to success in our world. Interdisciplinary Studies is concerned with holistic answers—covering all angles and possible reasons, contributions, ideas, theories, etc. Interdisciplinary Studies is a tool for us to investigate and impact the world we live in. It is a critical, intentional integration of disciplinary knowledge and insights. ________________________________________________________________________________________________

The mission of the Department of Interdisciplinary Studies includes the following general objectives:

• To familiarize students with Interdisciplinarity
• To assist students in acquiring interdisciplinary skills, abilities and attitudes
  
• To foster students’ understanding of the interdisciplinary links of the world
• To develop and strengthen students critical thinking skills
• To enhance students’ intellectual perspective by asking and answering questions until a holistic presentation is possible
• To prepare students to be responsible, effective, productive administrators in their own lives and in our ever evolving global world
  
  
• To prepare Interdisciplinary majors with transferable skills, regardless of their professions:
  -- critical thinking abilities
  -- problem solving capabilities
  -- cultural, social and global sensitivity and awareness
  -- strong language and communication skills
  -- strong research and writing capabilities

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• STUDENTS WHO COMPLETE THE BS IN INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES WILL BE ABLE TO FORMULATE QUESTIONS AND ASCERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS THAT ARE CONVENTIONALLY UNRELATED IN ORDER TO CREATE AND DEMONSTRATE NEW KNOWLEDGE.
  
  
• THE INT GRADUATE WILL BE ABLE TO DESCRIBE, ANALYZE, SYNTHESIZE, INTERPRET, AND EVALUATE PHENOMENA INTERDISCIPLINARILY TO CRITICALLY EXAMINE THE VALIDITY OF ASSUMPTIONS, HYPOTHESES, AND THESES.

• THE INT GRADUATE WILL BE ABLE TO ASSESS SOCIAL, ECONOMIC, CULTURAL, AND POLITICAL ISSUES IN ORDER TO BECOME A PRODUCTIVE CITIZEN (I.E., “CHANGE AGENT”) IN THEIR LOCAL AND GLOBAL COMMUNITY.
  
  
• THE INT GRADUATE WILL BE ABLE TO ENGAGE HIS/HER THINKING PROCESSES TO PROMOTE SELF-REFLECTION AMIDST DIVERSITY.