Mar 28, 2024  
2018-2019 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
2018-2019 Undergraduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Interdisciplinary Studies


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Faculty

Director

Stephen Freeland, Ph.D.

Assistant Director

Steven McAlpine, Ed. M.​

Caroline Sauter, M.S.

Administrative Assistant II

Samirah Hassan, M.A.

General Associate

Eric Brown, M.A.

Interdisciplinary Studies Committee

http://inds.umbc.edu/staff-and-faculty/interdisciplinary-studies-committee/

Courses in this program are listed under INDS.

The Interdisciplinary Studies program (INDS) exists for students to design a unique major that combines coursework from two or more academic disciplines. The program teaches a core curriculum of INDS classes to guide each student through a process of identifying and exploring the connections between the different insights offered by these disciplines. No student can graduate with a degree from the program unless they have submitted an explicit proposal for an INDS degree to the Interdisciplinary Studies Committee, and had this proposal approved. Program staff work through the INDS core curriculum to guide students in preparing these proposals, and then designing and executing a capstone research project that exemplifies the degree.

Career and Academic Paths

Interdisciplinary Studies graduates design degrees specifically to prepare them for post-graduation goals. As a result, recent graduates have secured places in professional training programs (medical school, law school, physical therapy programs etc.), graduate studies (Ph.D. and Masters programs), as well as direct entry into the workforce (in the commercial, non-profit and government sectors).

Academic Advising

Students are invited to contact assistant director Carrie Sauter in order to set up an initial advising session. Each student will then be assigned to a specific member of program staff for comprehensive, developmental advising throughout their degree. In addition to working with an INDS advisor, students will obtain two faculty mentors from two disciplines strongly represented in their degree proposal.

Departmental Honors

To graduate with Interdisciplinary Studies Honors, students must have a minimum 3.5 overall GPA and are required to take honors courses including INDS 330H - Ways of Knowing  or INDS 430H - Honors Interdisciplinary Studies Seminar , and INDS 490H - Interdisciplinary Studies: Capstone Project - Honors .

Internship Opportunities

Internships, INDS 410 , and independent studies , INDS 400 , are encouraged. Students arrange their own internships under the guidance of Interdisciplinary Studies advisors or with the Shriver Center. Interdisciplinary Studies majors have completed internships in such areas as law enforcement, business, government, health care, education, and the environment. Students are also encouraged to seek additional research and travel opportunities and, in some cases, may receive credit for INDS 400 - Interdisciplinary Studies: Independent Study .

Student Organizations

The Interdisciplinary Studies Council of Majors is open to students interested in an interdisciplinary approach to education. The Council, which meets on the second and fourth Mondays of each month, sponsors service, social and educational events throughout the year and provides an informal student network among Interdisciplinary Studies majors.

 

Courses

    Interdisciplinary Studies

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