Interdisciplinary Studies (B.A.)
Interdisciplinary studies is a unique major at Marymount. It provides students with a variety of innovative pathways to a degree, all of which challenge students to think across traditional disciplinary boundaries. The program's flexibility and variety allow students to engage more of their academic curiosities, and it positions them well for a job market that increasingly prizes critical thinking and multiple skillsets.
Students may specialize in two major fields, designated specializations. Some examples of specialization options are biology/physical sciences, business and information technology, communication, English, fine and applied arts, gender and society, graphic design, history, humanities, mathematics, philosophy/religious studies/theology, politics, and social sciences (psychology/sociology/criminal justice). Specializations may also be interdisciplinary themselves, such as digital advocacy, performance development, race and ethnic studies, future climates, gaming world: design and build, or the big questions. Other specializations may be considered, and should be discussed with an academic advisor and approved by the College Dean.
Students may instead focus on a single overarching interdisciplinary focus, such as environmental studies or social justice. These comprehensive interdisciplinary major specializations are designed to be extremely responsive to student interests and new trends and opportunities in the workplace and careers. To that end, these specializations might change over time with new ones taking their places. Students can check with their advisor about what specializations are currently being offered.
Finally, students may design their own comprehensive interdisciplinary major specialization. Working with their advisor and a faculty mentor, students build a deliberate, focused, and interdisciplinary specialization that includes at least 36 credits across a variety of academic disciplines. The plan needs to be agreed on and approved by the beginning of the student’s junior year or prior to the student completing 75 credits. (For students transferring in with more than 75 credits, the plan should be completed and approved by the end of the student’s first semester at Marymount.) The plan must be approved by the student’s advisor, faculty mentor, director of the School of Interdisciplinary Studies, and the Dean of the College of Sciences and Humanities. The plan must include a seminar capstone course and an internship, either IS 400 or 497.
Because of its flexible nature, interdisciplinary studies also allows students a streamlined way to complete their degree if they change majors after their sophomore year, if they transfer from another institution, or if they are a nontraditional student with previously earned college credits and full-time work experience. The program provides an efficient way to maximize the number of transfer credits and shorten the time required for graduation.
The interdisciplinary studies program also requires a seminar capstone course (either a senior seminar in a discipline related to the student’s specialization(s) or IS 420) and an internship (either IS 400 or 497).
The interdisciplinary studies program consists of three components: the Liberal Arts Core, the two specializations or single comprehensive major specialization, and the required interdisciplinary courses (LS 420 and either LS 400 or LS 497).
Upon successful completion of the interdisciplinary studies program, students will be able to
- demonstrate appropriate knowledge of content from either two areas of specialization or a single comprehensive major specialization;
- apply and integrate methods from different disciplines in research and analysis that examine an issue from multiple perspectives, effectively incorporating and synthesizing information from different disciplines;
- find, use, and evaluate a variety of sources of information and demonstrate competence in a documentation style appropriate to their discipline;
- produce a well-structured and well-written argumentative essay of substantial length that supports students' claims, evaluates opposing and/or alternate viewpoints, and reaches a conclusion logically arising from the discussion;
- communicate ideas clearly in an oral presentation, defending conclusions effectively and responding extempore to questions and critiques; and
- demonstrate an understanding of the value of lifelong learning by articulating how educational experiences relate to careers and daily life.
Degree Requirements — Interdisciplinary Studies
This degree requires a total of 120 credits.
Liberal Arts Core Requirements
See the Liberal Arts Core for details.
Major Requirements
To fulfill the requirements of the major, all students in this program will take the following coursework in a sequence determined in collaboration with an advisor.
Required Interdisciplinary Courses
A minimum of three (3) credits of LS 400 or LS 497 is required.
Specializations
Interdisciplinary studies majors will complete either two specializations or a single interdisciplinary comprehensive specialization for a total of 36 credits.
When choosing to complete two specializations, students may take 18 credits in each field or as few as 15 credits in one of the fields, as long as the required 36-credit total for the two specializations is met. Of these 36 credits, a total of 18 credits must be completed in specialization courses numbered 300 or above; students may take nine (9) credits in each field, or as few as six (6) credits in one of the fields, as long as the required total of 18 credits of 300-level courses is met.
When choosing to complete a single interdisciplinary comprehensive specialization, students must complete the sequence of courses associated with that specialization or have their interdisciplinary comprehensive specialization approved by the student’s advisor, faculty mentor, director of the School of Interdisciplinary Studies, and the Dean of the College of Sciences and Humanities. The interdisciplinary comprehensive specialization must include a minimum of 36 credits, with 12 credits in courses numbered 300 or above. The courses must demonstrate strong interdisciplinarity.
NOTE: Courses used to fulfill students' requirements in their specializations cannot be used to fulfill Liberal Arts Core requirements.
Details on available specializations are available from the academic advisor, and some examples are included below.
Gender and Society Specialization
Five to seven courses in a minimum of three academic disciplines from the following list. Courses selected for this specialization cannot be used to fulfill Liberal Arts Core requirements.
Humanities Specialization
Five to seven courses in a minimum of three of the following academic disciplines: English, fine arts, history, philosophy, and theology and religious studies. Courses selected for this specialization cannot be used to fulfill Liberal Arts Core requirements.
Sample Degree Plan — Interdisciplinary Studies
Due to the nature of the interdisciplinary studies degree, each student will create an individualized completion plan in conjunction with an advisor.