The Integrated Studies, BA provides students with maximum flexibility and multiple pathways through the curriculum, to complete a degree through the combination of two course clusters. The Integrated Studies major allows students to be creative with their educational experiences by going beyond the boundaries of traditional disciplines and awarding a BA or a BS, depending on the the courses that students take.
With this major, students will gain the foundation of a liberal arts education that includes critical thinking, effective communication, cultural diversity, data analysis, quantitative and digital literacy, integration of information and ideas across different contexts, and problem solving. They also will learn to tackle complex issues from several perspectives.
For example, a student may create a cluster focused on climate change by selecting courses from environmental science, economics, statistics, and history and then pair the cluster with a minor in Geography for the B.A. The B.S. would require the student to substitute a minor in Statistics or Computer Science for the minor in Geography. Another example for either the B.A. or B.S. would be data analysis as it pertains to a specific discipline. The capstone project will cement their skills in recognizing a problem, formulating a holistic methodology to address the fundamental issues, and devising solutions from multiple approaches.
Having students design their degrees will leverage their knowledge, inspire confidence and resilience, empower their decisions, and generate deeper participation in their learning processes. As stated above, the goal is to provide maximum flexibility and multiple pathways through the curriculum tailored to each individual such that, when they return to school, they can switch gears if necessary, re-engage, and complete their degrees.
