Interdisciplinary Studies

The Interdisciplinary Studies degree approaches complex problems that are best addressed by integrating several academic schools of thought, specialized knowledge from multiple research areas, or methods and perspectives from different disciplinary fields. This degree emphasizes the practice and methodology of interdisciplinarity to enable students to merge different scholarly areas and fields. With a selection of courses drawn from a variety of departments (from the Sciences, Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities) focusing on quantitative, qualitative and cultural approaches, the degree prepares students to produce college-level cross-disciplinary work and grants them the freedom to design a major around their intellectual interests and professional goals.

Program Requirements

1. Lower Division Required Course (3 units)

INDS 250 Introduction to Interdisciplinary Studies (3)

2. Upper Division Required Courses (12 units)

INDS 300 Frameworks for Interdisciplinarity (3)
INDS 350 Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies (3)
INDS 400 Interdisciplinary Studies Projects (3)
INDS 490 Interdisciplinary Studies Capstone (3)

3. Methodological Course Requirements (15 units)

A. Logic, Literacy and Rhetoric (3 units)

Select one course from the following:

COMS 321 Rhetorical Discourse (3)
COMS 351 Communication Theory (3)
ENGL 436 Major Critical Theories (3)
ENGL 455 Literacy, Rhetoric and Culture (3)
LING 408 Semantics and Pragmatics (3)
PHIL 350 Epistemology (3)
PHIL 355 Philosophy of Mind (3)

B. Quantitative Approaches to Complex Problems (3 units)

Select one course from the following:

BIOL 330/L Design and Analysis of Experiments and Lab (2/1)
ECON 309 The Use and Interpretation of Economic Data (3)
GEOG 306/L Intermediate Geographical Information Science and Lab (2/1)
LING 455 Computational Linguistics (3)
SBS 320 Social Science Research Methods (3)
SOM 120 Basic Business Statistics (3)
URBS 340A Quantitative Urban Research Methods (3)

C. Qualitative Approaches to Complex Problems (3 units)

Select one course from the following:

AAS 331 Research Methods in Asian American Studies (3)
AFRS 398 Research Methods and Paradigms in Pan African Studies (3)
ART 313 History of Design (3)
GWS 302 Feminist Methods (3)
PHIL 380 Aesthetics (3)
RS 395 Theory and Method in Religious Studies (3)
URBS 340B Qualitative Urban Research Methods (3)

D. Cultural Approaches to Interdisciplinarity (6 units)

Select one course from the following Lower Division list and one course from Upper Division list:

Lower Division (3 units)

Upper Division (3 units)

AFRS 300 Contemporary Issues in the African-American Community (3)
AIS 333 American Indian Philosophy (3)
CAS 311 The Central American Diaspora (3)
CHS 351 Survey of Mexican Philosophical Thought (3)
ENGL 421A-Z Selected Topics in Popular Culture (3-3)
GWS 351 Gender, Race, Class and Sexuality (3)
LING 325 Language, Gender, and Identity (3)
QS 301 Perspectives in Queer Studies (3)

4. Disciplinary Course Requirements (18 units)

In consultation with Liberal Studies Interdisciplinary Studies faculty, select:

1. 9 units from an existing major or minor across the University. At least 3 of these 9 units must be upper division. Students may not select more than 3 units of General Education courses to count toward these 9 units.
2. 9 units from an existing major or minor across the University that can be productively integrated with the choices in A. At least 3 of these 9 units must be upper division. Students may not select more than 3 units of General Education courses to count toward these 9 units.

5. General Education (48 units)

Undergraduate students must complete 48 units of General Education as described in this Catalog, including 3 units of coursework meeting the Ethnic Studies (ES) graduation requirement.

Total Units in the Major/Option: 48

General Education Units: 42-45

Additional Units: 27-30

Total Units Required for the B.A. Degree: 120