Graduate Program in Interdisciplinary Studies
Faculty
All faculty
in the university are eligible to participate.
Professors: George W.
Fair, Karen J. Prager, Lawrence J. Redlinger
Associate Professor:, Erin A. Smith
Senior Lecturers: Susan P. Chizeck, Dachang Cong, Jillian Duquaine-Watson, Lynne Mabe, Elizabeth
M. Salter, Tonja Wissinger
Objectives
The Graduate Program in Interdisciplinary Studies,
leading to the degree of Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies, is
designed for students who wish to continue their intellectual development
within an interdisciplinary framework and for those with specialized training
who wish to broaden their education. The objective of the program is to provide
students the opportunity to develop an approach to topics and problems from the
perspectives of more than one discipline and to develop a better understanding
of many of the social, cultural, and scientific forces which affect the
individual and society.
Admission Requirements
The University’s general admission
requirements are discussed here.
For admission to the program, the student must have a
bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution, with a grade average of B or
better. A verbal plus quantitative GRE score of 1000 (or equivalent
examination) is advisable based on our experience with student success in the
program. All students not meeting the above criteria
are considered on an individual basis. A student who has a deficit in either
GRE score or grade point average may be conditionally admitted to the program.
Degree Requirements
The University’s general degree requirements
are discussed here.
For the degree of Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary
Studies, 36 hours of course work must be completed. These hours are distributed
as follows:
Interdisciplinary Seminars (3 hours)
In the first year the student must complete an
interdisciplinary seminar (MAIS 5300, 5301, 5311, 5313, 5315, 5316,, 5333, 5335 or 5336). The seminars are designed to
introduce students to graduate work and to give them experience in
interdisciplinary approaches to subjects and problems.
Core Requirements (9 hours)
From the graduate courses offered in this catalog, the
student selects, in consultation with the adviser, at least three hours each
from at least two of the following areas: Humanities, which includes Aesthetic
Studies, History of Ideas, and Studies in Literature; Natural Sciences and
Mathematics, which includes courses in Biology, Chemistry, Geosciences,
Mathematical Sciences, Physics, and selected courses in Science Education;
Economic, Political and Policy Sciences, which includes courses in Public
Affairs, Criminology, Economics, Geospatial Science, Public Policy &
Political Economy, Political Science, and Sociology; Management, which includes
Management and International Management Studies, Accounting, Information
Technology, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Management and Administrative
Sciences, Finance and Healthcare Management.
Concentration (12 hours)
From the graduate courses offered in this catalog, the
student selects, in consultation with the adviser, at least 12 additional hours
of course work in one or two of the general areas listed above.
Electives (6 hours)
From the graduate courses offered in this catalog, the
student selects, in consultation with the adviser, at least six semester hours
of courses.
Capstone Seminar and Research Project (6
hours)
The seminar and project are the culmination of the
student's program. The seminar includes readings in, and discussion of,
interdisciplinary theory and preparation for the research project. Each student
will develop a research topic which lends itself to an interdisciplinary
approach. The topic should be sufficiently broad to draw upon knowledge and
techniques gained throughout the program. To complete the project, students
should synthesize and integrate information from various sources, utilizing
different methodologies, and thus draw conclusions which present a new
perspective on the topic as a result of this interdisciplinary approach.
Graduate Program in Interdisciplinary Studies
At the beginning of the degree program each student participates
in a specially designed interdisciplinary seminar on topics related to the
development of human beings and their world. At the end of the program, each
student participates in a capstone seminar and completes an interdisciplinary
research project. The remainder of the program is individually designed by the
student, in consultation with the adviser, to meet particular personal
interests and professional needs.