Interdisciplinary Studies (B.A.)

The pursuit of Interdisciplinary Studies encourages a student to responsibly and thoughtfully plan a course of interrelated studies to prepare for a variety of fields, taking full advantage of both liberal arts and pre-professional course offerings. The successful graduate in Interdisciplinary Studies has mastered a variety of skills and learning approaches and is able to clearly articulate how these studies relate to a specific field of interest. The program can prepare a student for graduate studies (such as in law or medicine) as well as for a variety of professional and academic fields that involve two or more disciplines (such as human resources, writing for the arts, tourism, coaching, IT, and others).

The Interdisciplinary Studies major allows a student to combine courses from two or three fields of study to create an individualized major according to the student’s chosen career and interest. The program is suitable for highly motivated students who, aware of their career plans and interests, wish to take more control over the direction of their studies than the structure of a single major might allow; it is also appropriate for students who have accumulated credits in several related disciplines and wish to combine these into a single capstone project before graduation to demonstrate their interdisciplinary expertise to employers and/or graduate schools. Students wishing to declare Interdisciplinary Studies as a major can do so at any time during their studies at Coker up until the end of the second semester of their junior year, although declaring the major after a student has earned 75 credit hours may require coursework beyond the eighth semester.

Students interested in pursuing Interdisciplinary Studies will need to secure the support of faculty members from the relevant departments who can assist with advising. IS 200 introduces concepts and theories of interdisciplinary work, prompts the student to clearly articulate study and career interests following career research (including field hours), and guides a substantial interdisciplinary research project. Students then have the option to also earn credits in research/project work or internships through IS301 or IS302. IS400, the capstone course for the program, completed in the final year of the student’s studies is supported by an advisory committee.

All other courses (for a total of 36 credit hours) are taken in the disciplines the student wishes to combine. Fifteen to eighteen credit hours must be at the 300 level or above; the remaining twelve to fifteen credit hours can be at the 200 level (or 100 level if such courses are designated to count toward the major in which they are usually taught). Depending on the student’s chosen path toward a career or further graduate studies, the student will be encouraged to take specific courses in each of the disciplines involved. The student must earn a C or higher in all courses counted toward completion of the program. The program requires a minimum of 30 hours in residence at Coker, including 12 hours completed at Coker to fulfill requirements in the major.

Requirements

Interdisciplinary Studies Program Requirements

IS 200	Introduction to Interdisciplinary Studie	3
	Courses at the 100 or 200 level distributed across two or three disciplines relevant to the student’s field of study	12-15
	Courses at the 300 or 400 level distributed across two or three disciplines relevant to the student’s field of study	15-18
IS 400	Interdisciplinary Studies Seniorcapstone	3

Total Credit Hours: 36

Note: Capstone is completed during senior year.