Interdisciplinary University Studies (IDSC)

The Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary University Studies allows students to attain a broad education and acquire diverse skill sets unique to a profession they desire to enter. Students seeking an Interdisciplinary University Studies degree have the opportunity to create a personalized academic program by customizing a curriculum that demonstrates proficiency in broad skills as well as discipline-specific knowledge.

Students enter the program as pre-majors. Admission to the major requires successful completion of the following pre-requisites: a student must first (1) complete Life, Career, and Everything (IDSC 1010) with a grade of C or better, (2) complete Foundations of Interdisciplinary University Studies (IDSC 2190) with a grade of C or better, and (3) complete an approved individualized curriculum plan. Students must be admitted to the major before enrolling in Advanced Interdisciplinary Problem Solving IDSC 3210. Students with more than 90 hours of coursework must receive special permission to be admitted to the major.

Students must also earn a grade of C or better in Public Speaking (COMM 1000), and in one advanced written communication class to be selected from Writing in Law and Justice (ENGL 3020), Technical Writing (ENGL 3040), Writing in the Health Professions (ENGL 3060), Business Writing (ENGL 3080) or Advanced Composition (ENGL 4000). Students may elect to use COMM 1000 to meet 3 hours of the Humanities Core requirements. Students admitted during Fall 2017 and after must take IDSC 3210 before they will be allowed to take the Capstone course. IDSC 3210 cannot be taken until the student has passed IDSC 2190 with a grade of C or better. All students must also complete a capstone experience (IDSC 4930 or IDSC 4920) with a grade of C or better. In the capstone experience, students integrate acquired knowledge through a research project (IDSC 4930), or an internship program (IDSC 4920). Students must earn 3 hours of capstone credit and may earn a maximum of 6 hours of capstone credit. Students electing to take the capstone course twice must use elective hours for the additional three hours.

The student creates two or three identifiable areas of emphasis using coursework from two or three different Schools or Colleges. The major must have a total of 45 hours of approved coursework. The IDSC faculty review committee will not approve a combination of minors or areas of emphasis that substantially recreates an existing degree program in those areas. If a student elects to have two areas of emphasis, they must have at least 21 hours of coursework in one emphasis (the majority of which is from one college or school) and up to 24 hours in the other (the majority of which is from the second college or school) for a total of 45 hours. Twenty-seven of the 45 hours in the major must be at or above the 3000 level. If a student elects to have three areas of emphasis they must have at least 15 hours of coursework in each emphasis. Students with three areas of emphasis may use existing minors as emphasis areas or they may work with the departmental representative in a specific area to develop an emphasis. Within the 15-hour emphasis plan, at least nine-hours of each emphasis must be 3000 level or above coursework. If a student elects to use existing minors and a minor requiring more than 15 hours is selected, the student must complete the entire minor. Students electing to use minors are subject to all rules of those minors, for example, minimum grades to count courses in the minor will also apply to the Interdisciplinary Studies degree plan. Minors used as emphases become part of the Interdisciplinary Studies degree and will not be listed on the official transcript or the diploma.

Additional information about this major can be found at Interdisciplinary Studies.

Interdisciplinary University Studies

Code	Title	Hours
Auburn University Core Curriculum (old or new core curriculum)		41-42
Required IDSC Foundations Courses		9
IDSC 1010	Life, Career, and Everything 1
IDSC 2190	Foundations of Interdisciplinary University Studies 1
IDSC 3210	Advanced Interdisciplinary Problem Solving 1
Interdisciplinary Supporting Coursework		6
Oral Communications 1,2
Advanced Written Communication 1
Select one of the following: (each course is 3 hours)
ENGL 3020	Writing in Law and Justice
ENGL 3040	Technical Writing
ENGL 3060	Writing in the Health Professions
ENGL 3080	Business Writing
ENGL 4000	Advanced Composition
Capstone Experience 1		3
IDSC 4930	Interdisciplinary Capstone Experience
or IDSC 4920	Interdisciplinary Capstone Experience
Major Course Hours 3,4		45
Prerequisites/Major Supporting Courses/Electives 5		Varies
Minimum Number of Required Hours		120

1	Must have grade of C or better.
2	Oral Communication (COMM 1000) may be used to satisfy 3 hours of Humanities in the University Core Curriculum.
3	Major course hours are used to calculate the GPA in the major.
4	The Individual Plan of Study will include a total of 45 hours selected across two emphases (at least 21 hours in one emphasis and no more than 24 hours in the second emphasis) or across three emphases (each with at least 15 hours). Emphases must be selected from at least two different Schools or Colleges. Approval of the appropriate academic advisor, faculty advisor, program director or department head for courses in each emphasis is required; a plan of study substantially recreating an existing degree program in one of these areas will not be approved. Students may use existing minors for emphases and they must follow all rules for those minors. Students must receive a grade of C or better in IDSC coursework to successfully progress to the upper level IDSC courses.
5	Total number of prerequisite/major supporting course/elective hours varies depending on choices made. Students who elect to use existing minors with more than 15 hours must use elective hours to complete the minor; students who elect to take a second capstone must use elective hours for the second course. Elective hours may also be used to allow the student to complete a minor outside of their areas of emphasis and must be used to bring the total number of hours in the students degree plan to 120. The minors used as emphases become part of the Interdisciplinary Studies degree and will not be listed on the official transcript or diploma.