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: Scherry F. Johnson, Erin
A. Smith
Senior Lecturers: Susan P. Chizeck, Dachang Cong, 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, 5307, or 5330). 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: Behavioral Sciences,
which includes courses in Communication Disorders, Human Development, and
selected courses in Education; 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; Social Sciences,
which includes courses in Public Affairs; Management, which includes Management
and International Management Studies; and Engineering and Computer Science.
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.