Undergraduate Bulletin 2017-2018 Download

General and Interdisciplinary Studies

Faculty/Staff

General and Interdisciplinary Studies Program Director

Departmental Sponsors / Advisors

Descriptions of the Programs

Southwestern’s General and Interdisciplinary Studies Programs provide flexible, multi-disciplinary curricula that challenges students to achieve proficiency in several subjects rather than focusing on one major area of study.The General and Interdisciplinary Studies curricula are geared to prepare students for a lifetime of evolving opportunities aligned with their career aspirations.

These programs are designed for:

1)Students whose goal is to earn an interdisciplinary college degree that integrates two or more areas of emphasis.

2)Students who wish to attend Southwestern yet aspire to a career for which Southwestern does not offer a major, or that overlaps multiple existing majors.

3)Students who choose to attend Southwestern, but whose career goals require a general associate’s or bachelor’s degree rather than a specific major.

4)Students who have encountered a significant hurdle(s) in a specific major and wish to graduate in order to secure employment as a college graduate.

Programs

  • B.A. / B.S. Interdisciplinary Studies
  • B.S. General Studies
  • Associate of Science

Interdisciplinary Studies B.A. / B.S.

A student who has a specific career goal not included in the majors and minors offered by Southwestern may choose two or more areas of emphasis to create an interdisciplinary studies Bachelor’s degree. Working with the Records Office, an advisor and chairs from the sponsoring departments will prepare a graduation plan. This degree plan provides greater flexibility for students in the choice of coursework or emphases.

Possible career paths and emphasis combinations include:

  • Bioinformatics (Biology and Computer Science)
  • Entrepreneurial studies (Business and Communication)
  • Health insurance adjustors (Business and Nursing)
  • Paralegal studies (History and English / Communication)
  • ESL instruction for international teaching (English and Education)

Graduate School preparation, such as:

  • Art therapy (Art and Psychology)
  • ESL instruction for higher education (English and Education)
  • Global development (Business and Environmental Biology)
  • History consultant (Communication / Film Studies and History)
  • Pre-law (History / Political Science and Communication)
  • Orthotics and prosthetics (Kinesiology and Biology)

Specific requirements:

  1. Students will be assigned an academic advisor by the Records Office. Student and advisor will meet with advisors from the sponsoring departments to set a plan for graduation.

  2. Students will select two (or more) areas of emphasis, each to include 24 credit hours (9 upper division) to be determined by the sponsoring department. Emphasis areas will be identified on the student’s transcript and diploma.

  3. Bachelor’s candidates will meet all University requirements for QEP, general education courses, upper division, and GPA. In addition, all Bachelor’s candidates will complete the Interdisciplinary Studies introductory course, UNIV 220 (2 credit hours), and the Capstone seminar course, UNIV 420 (1 credit hour).

  4. BA graduates will meet the University’s foreign language requirement.

  5. After earning a Bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary Studies, a student may return to earn a second Bachelor’s degree. An area of emphasis may only be used as a major in the second degree if there are 30 additional hours available in the major.

B.S. in General Studies

This program serves three cohorts of students: it offers an entry point for freshmen (with 24 or fewer credits) who have not yet selected an academic path; it offers an exit path for seniors (90 or more credits) who may have encountered a significant hurdle in the their traditional major; and it serves distance education, adult students seeking a general bachelor’s degree.Traditional, on-campus students who begin college as General Studies majors will transfer into a traditional major, the integrative studies major, or the Associates Degree program upon reaching sophomore status.

The General Studies BS degree consists of 42 credits (18 upper division) within one of three broad categories: Humanities, Social Sciences, and Sciences.All University requirements for the QEP, general education courses, and GPA must be met.In addition, all General Studies bachelor’s degree graduates will complete the Capstone seminar course, UNIV 420 (1 credit hour).

Associate of Science

The Associate of Science, general studies, comprises all the general education courses required for a Bachelor of Science degree with the following exception: 6 hours of religion instead of 12, and no upper division credits are required.The Associate of Science degree is not awarded en route to or concurrently with a bachelor’s degree at Southwestern.However, a student who has earned an Associate of Science degree at Southwestern may elect to complete the requirements for a bachelor’s degree.

Courses

UNIV 220 - Introduction to General and Interdisciplinary Studies (2 hours)

This course introduces General and Interdisciplinary Studies students to a broad set of skills and resources that can be utilized in pursuing specific academic and career goals. It also provides the foundation for creating a successful academic plan within the Interdisciplinary Studies program.

UNIV 420 - Capstone Seminar (1 hour)

This course fulfills the requirement for a capstone/portfolio completion course in the student’s area(s) of emphasis.