Dr. Jay Rickman, Head, History and Philosophy and Religious Studies
Ashley Hall 1202

Valdosta State University offers a program of study in Interdisciplinary Studies that leads to a Bachelor of Arts degree. Open to all students, the program allows flexibility in building a course of study that matches individual interests and goals. In creating a program of study, students build an interdisciplinary program from the ground up, offering an opportunity to explore vital connections among disciplines that will lead to exciting and far ranging results. It is often at the intersection of disciplinary boundaries that new work is being done, which will have substantial benefits to the individual pursuing these studies as well as to society, in which broad thinkers who can synthesize disparate materials can make important contributions. For the student who has a desire to develop a more personalized educational program that moves beyond the traditional major, the Interdisciplinary Studies Program is the place to begin conversation and exploration.

Selected Educational Outcomes

  1. Students will be able to articulate reasons for the interconnectedness of their chosen fields of study.
  2. Students will demonstrate knowledge in depth as well as in breadth through a selected range of their fields of study.
  3. Students will demonstrate critical, analytical, and synthesizing skills that characterize exploration beyond disciplinary boundaries.
  4. Students will engage in professionally oriented activities geared toward individual career or post-graduate goals.

Examples of Outcome Assessments

  1. Student-generated planning documents for the related fields of study.
  2. Examples of student work.
  3. Student exit interviews.

Requirements for the Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies

Core IMPACTS Curriculum60
Core IMPACTS Curriculum (See VSU Core Curriculum) 42
Core Curriculum Field of Study18
Guided Electives 1
INDS 2000
Senior College Curriculum60
Major Core9
Research-based Course from the discipline
Professional/Technical Writing/Communication
INDS 4000
Interdisciplinary Studies Capstone
Select Option A or Option B (Below)51
Total hours required for the degree120
1

Courses appropriate to the major will be chosen in cooperation with the director. If the student chooses, the Honors Option, 6 hours of foreign language and culture courses will be taken in this area.

Option A (See Concentration Areas Below)

First Concentration21 (18 upper-level)
Second Concentration21 (18 upper-level)
Free Electives9

Option B (See Concentration Areas Below)

First Concentration15 (12 upper-level)
Second Concentration15 (12 upper-level)
Third Concentration15 (12 upper-level)
Free Electives6

A minimum of 39 upper division hours (upper-level classes at 3xxx/4xxx level) must be taken across the disciplines in the student’s interdisciplinary major. All courses in Field of Study and the Senior College Curriculum must be completed with a grade of “C” or better.

If the Honors option is chosen, then the student must take 6 hours of Foreign Language and Culture plus the requisite Honors classes and maintain the GPA specified by the Honors College.

Concentration Areas

The Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies requires students to complete a concentration of courses (see Option A or B above) in a single disciplinary area or specified concentration area:

Helping Professions: 

NURS, NUTR, HSHS, HSEP, PSYC, SOCI, ANTH, CRJU, CHPE, EDUC, ELED, MGED, SEED, ASL, KSPE, ARAB, SPAN, FREN, LATN, JAPN, RUSS, CSD, DEAF, ESOL, FLED, GRMN, INTP, ITAL, MAED, MSED, MUE, SPEC, AS, MFL

Workforce Leadership:

BUSA, ACED, AS, ORGL, DATA, ACCT, FIN, ECON, HCAD, MKTG, MNGT, COPS, FTA, IB, PREL

Humanities:

ENGL, PHIL, REL, ARAB, SPAN, FREN, LATN, JAPN, RUSS, HIST, NAIS, AFAM, WGST (WGSS), ARTH, FLED, GRMN, ITAL, JOUR, MFL, ESOL

Social Sciences:

PSYC, SOCI, POLS, ECON, MKTG 1500, CRJU, GEOG 1100, 1101, 1102, 1103, GEOG 1125

Fine Arts:

ART, MUSC, THEA, ID, DANC, COMM, MDIA, ARED, ARTH, PREL, JOUR

Education:

EDUC, ECED, ECSE, ELED, MGED, SEED, ASL, KSPE, CHPE, ARAB, SPAN, FREN, LATN, JAPN, RUSS, ARED, COMD, DEAF, ESOL, FLED, GRMN, INTP, ITAL, MAED, MSED, MUE, SPEC, ELES

Health and Discovery:

BIOL, CHEM, PHYS, KSPE (exclude activity courses), PSYC, NUTR, NURS, HSHS, HSEP, COMD, INTP

STEM:

BIOL, CHEM, PHYS, MATH, CS, GEOL, ASTR, DATA, ISCI, ENGR, ENGT, GEOG 115, GEOG 1125, GEOG 1110