By: Lillian Kraft
Have you ever felt stuck when choosing a degree, like no single major was the right fit for you? Maybe you have multiple majors in mind and wish you could blend them together? Perhaps you’re like me, and you want to pursue a business degree with more marketing and less statistics? The University of Northwestern offers a solution: an Interdisciplinary Studies degree.
What Is Interdisciplinary Studies?
According to Caleb, an IDS student, “Interdisciplinary Studies has truly been the perfect way for me to further my education and prepare me for my career.” In the Department of Interdisciplinary Studies, students have the chance to design a comprehensive degree that fits their individual goals and vision for the future. Once their program is designed, the courses are passed through an advisory committee to ensure the soundness and validity of the student’s customized degree. In the IDS department, a student is appointed 3 advisors, which is 2 more than the average Northwestern undergraduate. These advisors work in tandem to ensure the highest expectations and support for an IDS student and their degree.
“Interdisciplinary Studies has truly been the perfect way for me to further my education and prepare me for my career.”
At the senior level of an Interdisciplinary Studies major, students complete a capstone project to summarize and demonstrate the skills learned with their degree. To demonstrate their program objectives have been met, the student submits a capstone proposal and gives a formal presentation of their work to the advisory committee. After the committee has reviewed and accepted the proposal, the student completes the capstone project and assembles a portfolio to demonstrate competency in their chosen field.
(Northwestern Student giving her final IDS capstone presentation.)
An Interdisciplinary Studies program requires a minimum of a 2.0 GPA and 125 credits to graduate. The core curriculum covers an array of bible and leadership courses, which totals to 55 credits. This allows for 48 personally chosen major credits and 22 elective credits for the degree. For more information on major requirements, click here.
A student can choose between a Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor of Science in their degree. A third, more credit-intensive option for students is included in an Associate of Arts in Liberal Studies. This option is mainly designed for a student to prepare for grad schooling at UNW or another institution. You can find more information on Bachelors and Associate degree options here.
What Does IDS Offer?
An IDS degree offers, above all, flexibility. Dr. Dan Crane, Chair of the IDS Department, says, “A major in the Department of Interdisciplinary Studies is exciting because IDS affords students opportunities to pursue their individual dreams.” If students find a connection between 2 or more degrees and want to fuse them together, IDS can make their dreams a reality. Examples of interdisciplinary majors include Art & Psychology, Biblical Counseling, Linguistics & Ancient Languages, Pre-law, Sports Business Administration, and many more. The sky (or UNW’s curriculum) is the limit! For more examples of interdisciplinary majors, click here.
“IDS affords students opportunities to pursue their individual dreams.” – Dr. Dan Crane
(Dr. Dan Crane, Chair of the IDS Department)
How Do I Apply for an IDS Major?
If an Interdisciplinary Studies degree sounds like a good fit for you, there are 3 beginning steps you need to take. To start, you can request, fill out, and return an “Expression of Interest” form to the IDS Northwestern email: IDS@unwsp.edu. Next, work out a sample curriculum with your appointed or chosen advisors for your custom degree. Finally, submit your curriculum and wait for approval from the advisory committee. For more information on an IDS major application, click here.
As a current senior in the Interdisciplinary Studies Department myself, I wish I had known sooner about the benefits of pursuing an IDS major. Thanks to Dr. Crane and my other advisors, I will be graduating this spring with a degree in Strategic Marketing and Communications. I hope this article can inspire others to pursue their personal goals with a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies!
