Multidisciplinary Studies

24 credits chosen to further develop your major theme

• Each of these courses must relate to your stated theme.
• At least three subject areas must be represented.
• A minimum of 15 credits must be at the 400-level; 3 of the 15 credits are reserved for the Multidisciplinary Studies capstone course.
• A minimum of 9 credits must be in the social sciences and humanities.

Minors

Courses that fulfill minor requirements may be double-counted without restriction in Multidisciplinary Studies core and option.

Transfer Credits

A maximum of 3 credits of transferred coursework may be counted as a 400-level selection in the option; students must provide documentation of the upper-division nature of that work.

Cumulative Use of Generically Numbered Courses

Students may use a maximum of 6 credits of generically numbered credits in the option (i.e. any combination of x94, x95, x96, x97). Specific limits are outlined below:

• Special Topics: maximum 6 credits
• Independent Study: maximum 6 credits
• Internship: maximum 3 credits
• Research: maximum 6 credits

Independent Learning

No student may complete the Multidisciplinary Studies option primarily through independent learning.

Entrance-to-Major Requirements

To be eligible to enter the Multidisciplinary Studies major, students must have:

• An approved Multidisciplinary Studies proposal on file prior to completion of 60 credits;
• A 2.00 cumulative grade point average;
• An average of “C” or high in courses already taken for the major;
• A minimum of 27.5 credits completed.

Graduation Standards

Multidisciplinary Studies students are subject to the same graduation standards as all other baccalaureate degree candidates in the College of the Liberal Arts.

You are undertaking an enormous responsibility by choosing Multidisciplinary Studies as your major. In an established major, faculty within their departments have already determined the courses students must complete to develop competency in a discipline; the major curriculum is then reviewed and approved by the University Faculty Senate. As a Multidisciplinary Studies student, however, you must do the work to design a program with academic integrity worthy of a bachelor of arts degree. To be eligible for entrance to the major, you must then submit a thoughtful and well-written proposal to the college’s Multidisciplinary Studies committee for review. You may not duplicate existing majors from an academic area. Your proposal must be submitted and approved prior to completion of 60 credits; therefore, it is important to begin work on your proposal before the spring of your second year. If your proposal is denied, you will not be eligible to major in Multidisciplinary Studies.

1. Before you write your proposal

Thoroughly explore other majors, both in the College of the Liberal Arts and in other colleges, to make certain there is no other major or major/minor combination that will accommodate your needs. Develop a clear understanding of your theme of study, narrowing it down as much as possible. Avoid vagueness and generalities in your writing. Consult the Multidisciplinary Studies academic adviser to ensure that you understand the major, then take the following steps before you begin to write your proposal:

• Using the current University Bulletin as a guide, make a list of courses you would like to take in support of your theme.
• Obtain syllabi of the courses on your list, or consult instructors who teach those courses. Consider if those courses will provide the knowledge you seek.
• Ask departments how often courses are offered and during what semesters. Some courses may or may not be viable choices. You need to know this before you include them in your proposal.
• Investigate academic or enrollment controls. Alternates must be listed for any controlled course.
• Check on prerequisites: Make sure you build prerequisites into your academic plan as general education or elective courses.
• Make sure that at least three subject areas are represented in your selection of your “option” courses. (If your list reflects a majority of courses in one subject area, you should consider majoring in that discipline.)
• Using a Multidisciplinary Studies audit, plan your courses semester-by-semester to verify that you will meet all general education, bachelor of arts, elective, and major requirements.

2. Writing Your Proposal

Your proposal must follow the format below:

1. Proposal Cover Sheet: Fill out this coversheet; be sure to include a brief statement of your theme. (Please note, the coversheet says “Letters, Arts, and Sciences,” which was, until recently, the name of this major. It is still okay to use this coversheet.)
2. Statement of Theme: This is an in-depth essay in which you a) clearly and precisely articulate your theme of study, and b) explain why you are not able to accomplish your goals in a standard major.
3. Academic Plan: This is a detailed justification of your selection of each of the twelve courses selected to complete the core and option areas. In the core, you must justify how each course relates to your theme, as well as how each course leads to the development of skills in the prescribed categories (research, critical analysis, communication, and theory/application). In the option, you must justify how each course relates to your theme and how the courses are related to one another. This section should not simply reiterate course descriptions or informational content; rather, it should address your specific curricular expectations.
4. Statement of Educational and Career Expectations: This is a paragraph (at minimum) in which you summarize your educational and career goals.
5. Summary of Related Activities: This is a paragraph (at minimum) in which you summarize any activities (extracurricular, employment, internship, etc.) that contribute to or are enhanced by your academic plan.

3. Submit Your Proposal

Submit your proposal via email to Julianna Chaszar , the academic adviser for Multidisciplinary Studies. Note that your proposal must be completed and approved prior to completion of 60 credits, so plan to allow enough time for any suggested revisions. Your academic adviser will contact you when your proposal has been reviewed.

4. Declare Your Major

Approval of a proposal does not automatically admit one into the Multidisciplinary Studies major. If approved, you will work with your academic adviser to request the major through LionPATH.

5. Continuous Assessment

Your plans may change as you progress through your education. Similarly, you should plan to participate in a continuous assessment of your academic plan to make sure that it accurately reflects any changes in your educational or career goals. You may find that courses other than those on your proposal would be more appropriate choices. If you determine that your academic plan should be amended to include different course selections, complete the Proposal Amendment Form  and submit it to Julianna Chaszar  for approval.