Major Standing Courses

BIS Students are required to complete the BIS Introduction Course, BIS 3000 Introduction to Interdisciplinary Studies. This course, taken at the beginning of the plan of study coursework, is designed to assist students understand interdisciplinary theory and how it connects their previous coursework to the courses in their plan of study.
 
Course Content and Objectives

BIS 3000 will advance your comprehension of what it means to earn an interdisciplinary degree and will provide insights of the history of interdisciplinary studies.  Course content will examine academic disciplines and methods through interdisciplinary research, and career preparedness which will allow for development and understanding when articulating an interdisciplinary degree.  Class service learning will allow for a deeper understanding of civic responsibility and connects interdisciplinary students with one another and the community.

Learning Outcomes

As a result of this course, students will be able to:

• Formulate an interdisciplinary lexicon in order to be able to effectively communicate, orally and in writing, the relevance of an integrative theoretical/methodological approach through the Autobiographic Map.
• Recognize and effectively communicate the uniqueness and comprehensiveness of their interdisciplinary degree and how to effectively communicate their personalized degree to employers.
• Understand and effectively communicate knowledge about an academic discipline and through the discipline how the scholar interprets the world via Research on a Disciplinary Practitioner & the Practitioner's Research.
• Write formal papers using APA style formatting.
• Model civic responsibility and recognize and reflect on the interdependence of our community through the Service Learning Project.

BIS Students are required to complete the BIS Capstone Course, BIS 4930 Interdisciplinary Research. This course, taken at the end of the plan of study coursework, is designed to integrate previous academic coursework into a coherent understanding of how the educational experience serves to enhance individual and community well being. It includes a research project, service learning project, and an electronic career portfolio.

Course Content and Objectives

The capstone course is designed to integrate knowledge gained through the general education requirement and your individual major. We will explore knowledge integration, specifically how the knowledge fields you have encountered through your education relate to individual and community well being, as well as broader social contexts. In this course we will examine the foundations and perspectives of several disciplines. This course will improve your ability to read closely, write and think critically, communicate clearly, research effectively and work collaboratively.

Learning Outcomes

Students will demonstrate the ability to:

• Cope with a complex problem
• Identify the defining elements of disciplines relevant to the problem
• Assess the relationships among disciplines relevant to the problem
• Integrate insights into the problem
• Understand a problem that is more comprehensive than is possible using a single subject approach
• Apply APA writing style
• Function as a member of a collaborative learning experience
• Write formal papers
• Communicate effectively in speaking and writing

As an Interdisciplinary Studies student you have the option to earn a minor(s) in a variety of different areas. Please view the Minor Options to see if there is an area you are interested in pursuing. After completing your initial research contact your adviser to discuss how a minor may fit into your plan of study.