BS Interdisciplinary Studies

The Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies Program emphasizes a broad learning experience and a wider perspective than that provided by traditional undergraduate majors. They are designed to offer the student the opportunity to participate in an interdisciplinary, coherent, academically sound, and goal-oriented education directly relevant to the student's intellectual development and career aspirations. They are appropriate for those students who seek a thorough grounding in the traditional arts and sciences from an interdisciplinary perspective.

Each student in the Interdisciplinary Studies program becomes an active partner in the formulation of his or her program of study, working in consultation with an advisor to devise an appropriate individual degree plan. Within the framework of two foundation areas, a university-wide interdisciplinary Studies sequence, and a multidisciplinary concentration, a student may draw upon the resources of all schools of the university to create a degree program. In addition to organized courses, students are encouraged to participate in the Internship Program and thereby combine academic with practical experience. Double majors including Interdisciplinary Studies are not available.

Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies Degree Requirements (120 hours)

I. Core Curriculum Requirements¹: 42 hours
    A. Communication (6 hours)
        3 hours Communication (RHET 1302)
        3 hours Communication Elective
    B. Social and Behavioral Sciences (15 hours)
        6 hours Government (GOVT 2301 and GOVT 2302)
        6 hours American History
        3 hours Social and Behavioral Sciences Elective
    C. Humanities and Fine Arts (6 hours)
        3 hours Fine Arts (ARTS 1301)
        3 hours Humanities (HUMA 1301)
    D. Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning (6 hours)
        6 hours Calculus (MATH 1325 and MATH 1326)²
    E. Science (9 hours including at least one course with a substantial laboratory component)

¹ Curriculum Requirements can be fulfilled by other approved courses from accredited institutions of higher education. The courses listed in parenthesis are recommended as the most efficient way to satisfy both Core Curriculum and Major Requirements at UT Dallas.

II. Major Requirements: 54 hours
    Major Core Courses (12 hours)
        Three Science IS courses
        BIS 3320 The Nature of Intellectual Inquiry³
    Major Related Courses (42 hours)
        Two Foundations: 12 hours each (24 student credit hours)
            Foundation I consists of courses taught by the School of Natural Sciences and
                Mathematics, Computer Science, or Science courses from the School of Behavior and
                Brain Sciences.
            Foundation II is drawn from Arts and Humanities, Behavior and Brain Sciences (if not used
                for Foundation I), Computer Science, Interdisciplinary Studies , Management, and Social
                Sciences.
        One Concentration: 18 hours
            Each student devises, in consultation with his/her advisor, the topic for the Concentration
                and selects 18 student credit hours of course work related to the topic, drawn from at
                least three academic disciplines. Appropriate IS course work may be selected. Three
                courses must be science courses and one must be a statistics course.

III. Elective Requirements: 24 hours
    Advanced Electives (6 hours)
    Free Electives (18 hours) ²
        Students must complete 51 hours of upper-division course work to graduate.

2 Students may elect to substitute MATH 2417 and 2419 and count two of the credit hours as Free Electives.
3 An additional (or fourth) IS course (science or non-science) will be taken if BIS 3320 is used to satisfy the Core Curriculum Communication Elective requirement

Highly Recommended

Internships, basic computer skills, foreign languages, international studies, courses in literature and history, and participation in workshops offered by the School of Interdisciplinary Studies are highly recommended. Students should consult closely with their advisors on particular areas of interest they wish to include in their programs.