Interdisciplinary Studies Degree Programs
Degrees offered:Master of Arts with a major in Interdisciplinary Studies
Master of Science with a major in Interdisciplinary Studies
The Master of Arts (MA) or Master of Science (MS) degree with a major in Interdisciplinary Studies is designed for the student whose educational needs can best be met by a nontraditional course of study. The objective is to provide students with the opportunity to pursue graduate-level studies in multiple disciplines, to upgrade their formal education in their fields of specialization, and to develop broader professional skills. The MA or MS degree designation will be determined by the discipline in which the research component is fulfilled.
Admission Requirements: In addition to the general requirements for admission to the College of Graduate Studies, an applicant must submit a proposal which describes the rationale for choosing an interdisciplinary studies program, identifies the three disciplines of study to be incorporated in the degree, and discusses how this degree will serve to meet the applicant's educational needs. The student must meet the undergraduate prerequisites required of each of the three disciplines of study. For Regular admission, the student must have a score of at least 1900 using the formula: 200(grade point average of the undergraduate degree program) + the score on the verbal portion of the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) + the score on the quantitative portion of the GRE + the Analytical Writing Conversion Score on the analytical portion of the GRE. Applicants who fall slightly short of this formula may be considered for provisional admission if there are strong additional indicators that the applicant will be successful in the graduate program. The Department Head or the Program Advisor for each of the three disciplines chosen must recommend the applicant for admission to the Graduate Dean, who will make the final admission decision.
Degree Requirements: The Dean of the College of Graduate Studies will serve as the coordinator for this degree program and will advise all students in the program in accordance with the student's individual goals and the guidelines established by the academic departments. A graduate faculty member from each of the three disciplines chosen and the Dean of the College of Graduate Studies will comprise the Advisory Committee for the student. The Advisory Committee will assist the student in devising a degree plan before the student enters the Graduate School or during the first semester of enrollment.
The 36 semester credit hour (sch) degree plan will include at least 30 hours of courses selected from the approved courses offered by at least 3 disciplines. At least 9 sch of graduate courses must be taken in each of the three disciplines selected, and a course in research methods in one of those disciplines must also be taken. The other 6 sch of the required 36 sch may include graduate courses for which the student has a sufficient background, provided the courses contribute to the overall rationale of the interdisciplinary degree. In no case may a student take more than 12 sch in any one discipline.
The student must maintain a 3.0 or better grade point average in each of the three disciplines on the degree plan as well as a 3.0 or better index overall. Candidates for the degree must successfully complete an oral comprehensive exam administered by the Advisory Committee during the last long semester of study.
Plan of Study:
Typical disciplines chosen for the Interdisciplinary degree have included:
Business Administration, Communications, Government
Business Administration, Communications, Education
Business Administration, Education, Psychology
Business Administration, Education, Government
Business Administration, Government, Psychology
Communications, Education, Psychology
Animal Science, Education, Government
Education, Government, Psychology
Other combinations of disciplines are also possible, as long as the applicant meets the requirements set by the individual departments.
