Interdisciplinary Studies - BA, BS

Program Requirements

The Interdisciplinary Studies major is intended to serve the needs of students who want to design a more individualized academic program, obtain a more broad-based education, and diversify their professional potential. An Interdisciplinary Studies major can be developed in three specific ways.

First, it can be designed as a customized grouping of individual courses from across disciplines and majors that meet a student’s specific professional goals.

Second, it can be used to combine multiple minors and/or certificates in order to better meet a student’s educational objectives.

Third, it can combine two groupings of courses from within different majors or programs to integrate a student’s coursework across disciplines. A combination of these three approaches can also be used. The Interdisciplinary Studies major is intended to provide students with a flexible curriculum that is more responsive to individual goals and interests.

The Interdisciplinary Studies major is available through the following six colleges:

• College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences
• Caine College of the Arts
• Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services
• S.J. & Jessie E. Quinney College of Natural Resources
• College of Science
• College of Humanities and Social Sciences

Admission Requirements

Students may apply for admission to the Interdisciplinary Studies major after completing 30 credits with a minimum GPA of 2.25. Students who wish to pursue the Interdisciplinary Studies major must submit an application to a specific college containing the following information:

1. A statement of the student’s educational/professional objectives and how the Interdisciplinary Studies major would help achieve those objectives.
2. A proposed program of study including specific courses, groupings of courses, minors, and/or certificates that will comprise the student’s interdisciplinary major.  
3. An estimated timeline for completion of the major.The application will be reviewed by and discussed with an academic advisor.

Students will then work with an academic advisor to create a plan for the major in Degree Works.

Program Requirements

• Total Credits: 45
• Interdisciplinary Focus: Courses used for the major must include at least 15 credits each from two different programs or disciplines.
• Upper Division Coursework: At least 24 of the 45 credits must be at the 3000 level and above.
• Internship Credit or Capstone Experience: Completion of the major requires one of the following courses: 1-3 credit internship, capstone course within an existing academic program, project-based upper division course, ISTU 4010 , or ITDS 4900 .
• Minimum Grade Point Average to Apply to and Graduate in Interdisciplinary Studies: 2.25 Overall GPA
• Credits in Residence: At least half (50 percent) of the credits earned for the Interdisciplinary Studies major must be earned at USU. As many as 21 credits completed at other colleges or universities may be used to partially satisfy major requirements. For more information, students should contact their advisor.
• Minimum Grade Requirement: A maximum of 3 credits of a D grade can count toward the major. 
   

Students can pursue a BA or BS degree.

Bachelor of Science Degree

Students desiring a (BS) Bachelor of Science degree must complete all major requirements.

Bachelor of Arts Degree

Students desiring a (BA) Bachelor of Arts degree must complete the language proficiency requirements in one of the following ways in addition to the Bachelor of Science (BS) degree requirements:

• Demonstration of proficiency in one foreign language by successful completion of one course at the 2020-level or higher (or its equivalent)  OR
• Demonstration of proficiency in American Sign Language by successful completion of American Sign Language IV  (COMD 4920 ) and Deaf Culture  (COMD 4780 ), and by passing an exit interview  OR
• Demonstration of proficiency in two foreign languages by successful completion of the 1020 course level in one language and the 2010 course level in the second language (or its equivalent)  OR
• Completion of an upper-division (3000-level or higher) foreign language grammar or literature course requiring the 2020 course level (or its equivalent) as a prerequisite. Conversation courses cannot be considered for satisfying this requirement.

 
For nonnative English-speaking students only, the following options are available:

• Successful completion of the Intensive English Language Institute (IELI) program for international students OR
• TOEFL, Michigan, or IELI placement scores high enough to meet the University admission criteria.