The Bachelor of Arts Degree in Interdisciplinary Studies (IDS) offers rigorous but flexible curricula that allow students to design their own programs of study and pursue an education that builds on their unique interests, backgrounds, and career goals. The IDS programs are appropriate for students who have prior educational credit or for those just beginning their university experience. IDS students complete an interdisciplinary core that emphasizes critical thinking and communication skills, fosters cultural understanding, and engages them in both interdisciplinary theory and practice. In addition to the core requirements, students complete at least 15 hours of course work in a single disciplinary concentration or in gender studies and international studies. IDS graduates are among the most broadly educated on Middle Georgia State's campuses, and they are attractive to employers as workers who can communicate effectively, adapt well to change, demonstrate intercultural understanding, and apply creative solutions to complicated problems.
Students must earn a grade of "C" or higher in Area F and all upper-level coursework.
Note: The Interdisciplinary Studies Program of Study requires a minimum of 39 hours of upper-level course work (3000/4000 level) with a minimum of 18 hours of course work at the 4000-level.
Curriculum for the Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies
Core Curriculum (Credit: 42 hours)
See listing of requirements
Area F: Lower Division Major Requirements (Credit: 18 hours)
Major Field
| HUMN 2151 | Special Topics | 3 credits |
| Any approved Area C-F Course | 0-15 credits |
No courses already applied in Areas A-E may be applied in Area F.
Upper-level courses (Credit: 60 hours)
Upper-level courses in Interdisciplinary Studies are divided into three areas: Interdisciplinary Studies Core (18 hours), Interdisciplinary Concentration (15 hours), and Interdisciplinary Electives (27 hours). Of these upper level classes, a minimum of 18 hours must be completed at the 4000-level.
Interdisciplinary Studies Core (Credit: 18 hours)
Communication Elective: Choose One
| COMM 3015 | Intercultural Communication in a Global Society | 3 credits |
| ENGL 3106 | Professional Writing and Communication | 3 credits |
| NMAC 3108 | Writing for Digital Media | 3 credits |
Cultural Studies Elective: Choose One
Theory Elective: Choose One
| COMM 3010 | Communication Theory | 3 credits |
| ENGL 3010 | Introduction to Literary Studies | 3 credits |
| HUMN 3010 | Introduction to Cultural Studies | 3 credits |
| BIOL 3110 | Scientific Thought and Theory | 3 credits |
| HIST 3000 | Historical Methods | 3 credits |
Interdisciplinary Studies Praxis Course: Choose Two
| HUMN 3999 | Special Topics | 3 credits |
| IDS 4010 | Gender, Media, and Culture | 3 credits |
| IDS 4020 | Science, Politics, and Culture | 3 credits |
| IDS 4030 | Film, Literature, and Culture | 3 credits |
| IDS 4040 | Fashion, Literature, and Culture | 3 credits |
| IDS 4050 | Performance, Literature, and Culture | 3 credits |
| IDS 4060 | Madness, Literature, and Culture | 3 credits |
| IDS 4070 | Organizations, Technology, and Culture | 3 credits |
Interdisciplinary Studies Required
| IDS 3800 | Methods in Interdisciplinary Research | 3 credits |
Selected Discipline Concentration (Credit: 42 hours)
Take the following:
A. 15 hours of Courses from any One Discipline
The Interdisciplinary Studies Degree requires students to complete five (5) 3000-4000 level electives in a single disciplinary area (HIST, POLS, ENGL, etc.) to be selected with the guidance of an advisor.
B. 27 hours of Electives
The Interdisciplinary Studies program of study requires 27 credit hours of IDS elective course work. Students can receive no more than twenty-one (21) credit hours of lower division (1000/2000) credit outside of Areas A-F.
Approved academic electives are those deemed by any Media, Culture, and the Arts advisor to be appropriate to the special academic and career goals of the student; these electives are not course substitutions; therefore, no paperwork needs to be filed.
OR
Gender Studies Concentration (Credit: 42 hours)
Note: All Gender Studies Students must take ENGL 3010 – Introduction to Literary Studies as their Theory Elective and HUMN 3206 – Gender Studies as their Cultural Studies Elective in the IDS Core.
A. Take the following (Credit: 15 hours)
| COMM 3016 | Gender Roles and Communication | 3 credits |
| ENGL 4440 | Literature by Women | 3 credits |
| IDS 4010 | Gender, Media, and Culture | 3 credits |
| HIST 4760 | Gender, Marriage and Family in American History | 3 credits |
| PSYC 3801 | Psychology of Gender | 3 credits |
Note: Any 3000-4000-level Humanities or English Course may be substituted at the discretion of the advisor with documentation of a gendered focus in the class.
B. 27 hours of electives
The Interdisciplinary Studies program of study requires 27 credit hours of IDS elective course work. Students can receive no more than twenty-one (21) credit hours of lower division (1000/2000) credit outside of Areas A-F.
Approved academic electives are those deemed by any Media, Culture, and the Arts advisor to be appropriate to the special academic and career goals of the student; these electives are not course substitutions; therefore, no paperwork needs to be filed.
Note: Students who take courses for the IDS Gender Studies Concentration may not use those courses for a minor in Gender Studies.
OR
International Studies Concentration: 42 hours
A. International Studies Concentration students must take the following courses in the Interdisciplinary Studies Core (Credit: 9 hours)
Communication Elective
| COMM 3015 | Intercultural Communication in a Global Society | 3 credits |
Cultural Studies Elective
| HUMN 3010 | Introduction to Cultural Studies | 3 credits |
Theory Studies Elective
B. International Studies Concentration students must take five (5) of the following courses to fulfill their IDS Concentration (Credit: 15 hours)
| POLS 3701 | International Relations | 3 credits |
| HIST 3700 | History of American Foreign Relations | 3 credits |
| HIST 4020 | Technology, Environment and Empire | 3 credits |
| HIST 4040 | Humans and their Environment since 1945 | 3 credits |
| HUMN 4471 | Comparative Cultures | 3 credits |
| HUMN 4472 | Studies in Culture | 3 credits |
| ECON 3175 | International Economics | 3 credits |
| ITEC 4710 | Globalization and Technology | 3 credits |
| PSYC 3201 | Cross-Cultural Psychology | 3 credits |
| CRJU 3515 | Comparative Criminal Justice Systems | 3 credits |
| HIST 4010 | The Atlantic World | 3 credits |
| HIST 4030 | European Colonization | 3 credits |
Note: Any 3000-4000 level History or Study Abroad course with an international studies focus may be substituted as an IDS Concentration course at the discretion of the advisor.
C. 27 hours of Electives
The Interdisciplinary Studies program of study requires 27 credit hours of IDS elective course work. Students can receive no more than twenty-one (21) credit hours of lower division (1000/2000) credit outside of Areas A-F.
Approved academic electives are those deemed by any Media, Culture, and the Arts advisor to be appropriate to the special academic and career goals of the student; these electives are not course substitutions; therefore, no paperwork needs to be filed.
Note: Students must take 12 hours of the same modern language. These 12 hours may be completed in Area C, Area F, and/or in the IDS electives.