Interdisciplinary Education in the College of Arts and Sciences The College of Arts and Sciences recognizes that many of today’s problems are most effectively addressed by using flexible methodologies and a full range of conceptual tools. In order to better prepare students and faculty to understand and respond to challenges and opportunities that are increasingly multi-faceted, complex and quickly evolving, the College encourages interdisciplinary education in many forms.
While continuing to celebrate the value and integrity of its traditional disciplines, the College also fosters informal and formal collaborations among faculty across these boundaries.
For students, the College offers degree programs based on coherently organized perspectives and skill sets, providing developmental trajectories that are intellectually rigorous and experientially rich. Students might choose to tailor their major around focused plans to pursue careers in specific global areas, for example, Arabic or East Asian studies, combining courses in foreign language, geography, literature and more.
The College’s support of visiting interdisciplinary speakers and special events, presents further challenges to newly utilize and transcend traditional ways of investigating, engaging and creating.
For most students, the traditional disciplinary majors provide the right combination of intellectual preparation and skill development to move successfully into the work force or toward further educational paths.
However, some students’ goals will require a more individualized program of study. For the student who is passionate about understanding and working towards a more equitable global economic climate, for example, a track that combines Political Science, Economics and History might be the best fit. For someone fascinated by the nature of cognition and artificial intelligence, a combined study of selected courses from psychology, biology, and philosophy could be the surest route to success.
Degree Requirements
For more information, or to begin the process of creating your major, contact the Office of Undergraduate Advising in the College of Arts and Sciences.
The College of Arts and Sciences has an annual award to recognize the importance of interdisciplinary education and the rich connections between scholarship and teaching
