Interdisciplinary Studies (BS)

Overview

Interdisciplinary Studies is designed for students who prefer to customize their curriculum for a specific, personal career path rather than a discipline-specific program of study. This degree offers students the ability to create a plan of study that helps to meet their professional goals by creating connections across disciplines. 

The program's unique Pathway Plan and Capstone design will help students who may have a variety of credits or partially completed majors to refashion their academic experience into a coherent and meaningful whole, investing them with the knowledge and skills they need to meet their professional goals. Online, hybrid, and face-to-face courses provide flexibility to meet the needs of students, including military families, transfer students, and those returning to education after time in a career.

Under the guidance of admission coordinators and advisors, students tailor and personalize their degree program using courses from across the catalog. As part of this process, they will identify two of the following pathways to bring together relevant courses for a focus on topics as diverse as healthcare administration and national security to cybercrime and community-engaged leadership.

Data Management and Application Pathway:

Students will take courses that train them to gather, organize, and evaluate a variety of data related to practical applications. 

Ethical, Creative, and Critical Reasoning Pathway:

Students will take courses that will teach them about the importance and enduring value of created works of art, history, and literature by interpreting and/or participating in the creative process.  

Health and Community Welfare Pathway:

Students will learn to articulate and apply skills that support and improve the wellbeing of individuals and their communities. 

Leadership and Communication Pathway:

Students will work to identify and address contemporary problems by developing strategies that effectively build and support collaborative work. 

Public Service and Security Pathway:

Students will take courses to identify, analyze, and develop solutions for complex public safety and security situations. 

Science and Technology:

Students will take courses that have them learn and apply scientific knowledge and methods to address contemporary and/or anticipated issues affecting society. 

CREATE YOUR PATHWAY

Developed by the student under the guidance of interdisciplinary advisors and approved by the Interdisciplinary Governance Board.

Program of Study

Course List
Code	Title	Credit Hours
Core IMPACTS Area : Institutional Priorities ¹		7
Take the following courses
PERS 1506	Perspectives 1-hour
RIVR 1101	Taking the Plunge
RIVR 2101	Navigating Deeper Waters
Core IMPACTS Area : Mathematics & Quantitative Skills ¹		3-7
DATA 1501	Introduction to Data Science	3
MATH 1001	Quantitative Skills and Reasoning	3
MATH 1101	Introduction to Mathematical Modeling	3
MATH 1111	College Algebra	3
MATH 1113	Pre-Calculus	4
MATH 1125	Applied Calculus	3
MATH 1131	Calculus with Analytic Geometry I	4
MATH 1132	Calculus with Analytic Geometry II	4
MATH 1165	Computer-Assisted Problem Solving	3
MATH 1401	Introduction to Statistics	3
MATH 1501	Calculus I	4
MATH 2125	Introduction to Discrete Mathematics	3
STAT 1401	Elementary Statistics	3
Core IMPACTS Area : Political Science and U.S. History		6
HIST 2111	U. S. History to 1865	3
or HIST 2112	U. S. History since 1865
POLS 1101	American Government	3
Core IMPACTS Area : Arts, Humanities, and Ethics		6
Select one Fine Arts course		3
ARTH 1100	Art Appreciation
ARTH 2125	Introduction to the History of Art I– Prehistoric through Gothic
ARTH 2126	Introduction to the History of Art II– Renaissance through Modern
MUSC 1100	Music Appreciation
THEA 1100	Theatre Appreciation
ITDS 1145	Comparative Arts ²
Select one Humanities course		3
ENGL 2111	World Literature I
ENGL 2112	World Literature II
ITDS 1155	The Western Intellectual Tradition
ITDS 1774	Introduction to Digital Humanities
PHIL 2010	Introduction to Philosophy
ITDS 1145	Comparative Arts ²
Core IMPACTS Area : Communicating in Writing		6
ENGL 1101	English Composition I	3
ENGL 1102	English Composition II	3
Core IMPACTS Area : Technology, Mathematics, and Sciences ^1,3		7-11
ANTH 1145	Human Origins	3
ASTR 1105	Descriptive Astronomy: The Solar System	3
ASTR 1106	Descriptive Astronomy: Stars and Galaxies	3
ASTR 1305	Descriptive Astronomy Lab	1
ATSC 1112	Understanding the Weather	3
ATSC 1112L	Understanding the Weather Lab	1
BIOL 1125	Contemporary Issues in Biology Non-Lab	3
BIOL 1215K	Introductory Biology	4
BIOL 1225K	Contemporary Issues in Biology with Lab	4
CHEM 1151 & 1151L	Survey of Chemistry I and Survey of Chemistry I Lab	4
CHEM 1152 & 1152L	Survey of Chemistry II and Survey of Chemistry II Lab	4
CHEM 1211 & 1211L	Principles of Chemistry I and Principles of Chemistry I Lab	4
CHEM 1212 & 1212L	Principles of Chemistry II and Principles of Chemistry II Lab	4
CPSC 1105	Introduction to Computing Principles and Technology	3
CPSC 1301K	Computer Science I	4
ENVS 1105	Environmental Studies	3
ENVS 1105L	Environmental Studies Laboratory	1
ENVS 1205K	Sustainability and the Environment	4
GEOG 2215	Introduction to the Geographic Information Systems	3
GEOL 1110	Natural Disasters: Our Hazardous Environment	3
GEOL 1121	Introductory Geoscience I: Physical Geology	3
GEOL 1121L	Introductory Geoscience I: Physical Geology Lab	1
GEOL 1122	Introductory Geo-sciences II: Historical Geology	3
GEOL 1322	Introductory Geo-sciences II: Historical Geology Lab	1
GEOL 2225	The Fossil Record	4
PHYS 1111 & PHYS 1311	Introductory Physics I and Introductory Physics I Lab	4
PHYS 1112 & PHYS 1312	Introductory Physics II and Introductory Physics II Lab	4
PHYS 1125	Physics of Color and Sound	3
PHYS 1325	Physics of Color and Sound Lab	1
PHYS 2211 & PHYS 2311	Principles of Physics I and Principles of Physics I Lab	4
PHYS 2212 & PHYS 2312	Principles of Physics II and Principles of Physics II Lab	4
Core IMPACTS Area : Social Sciences		3
Select one course
ECON 2105	Principles of Macroeconomics
ECON 2106	Principles of Microeconomics
PHIL 2030	Moral Philosophy
PSYC 1101	Introduction to General Psychology
SOCI 1101	Introduction to Sociology
ANTH 1107	Discovering Archaeology
ANTH 1105	Cultural Anthropology
ANTH 2105	Ancient World Civilizations
ANTH 2136	Language and Culture
ENGL 2136	Language and Culture
GEOG 1101	World Regional Geography
HIST 1111	World History to 1500
HIST 1112	World History since 1500
ITDS 1156	Understanding Non-Western Cultures
Core IMPACTS Total Hours		42

¹: The hours applied in the Institutional Priorities; Mathematics & Quantitative Skills; and Technology, Mathematics, and Sciences areas must add to 18 credit hours.
²: ITDS 1145 Comparative Arts, though listed under both Fine Arts and Humanities, may be taken only once.
³: At least 4 of the credit hours in this area must be in a lab science course.

Major Requirements

Course List
Code	Title	Credit Hours
Core Requirements
Complete the core requirements for this program		45
Core Total		45
Field of Study Requirements
ITDS 2791	Interdisciplinary Pathways	1
ITDS 2792	Information Literacy and Critical Analysis	1
ITDS 2793	Interdisciplinary Research and Careers	1
Students apply 15 credit hours at the 1000-2000 level. These credits must be approved in the student’s Pathway Plan by meeting prerequisite requirements for upper level courses in the student's Pathway Areas or supporting the learning outcomes of their chosen Pathways..		15
Field of Study Requirements Subtotal		18
Required for the Major
All students take the following two courses:		3
ITDS 4901	Interdisciplinary Capstone Proposal
ITDS 4902	Interdisciplinary Capstone
Select two distinctly different Pathway Areas from the following list for a total of 36 credit hours. At least 12 hours in each Pathway must be at the 3000 level or above.		36
1. Data Management and Application Pathway: Students gather, organize, and evaluate a variety of data related to practical applications.
2. Ethical, Creative, and Critical Reasoning Pathway: Students explain the enduring value of created works of art, history, and literature by interpreting and/or participating in the creative process.
3. Health and Community Welfare Pathway: Students articulate and apply skills that support and improve the wellbeing of individuals and their communities.
4. Leadership and Communication Pathway: Students identify and address contemporary problems by developing strategies that effectively build and support collaborative work.
5. Public Service and Security Pathway: Students identify, analyze, and develop solutions for complex public safety and security situations.
6. Science and Technology: Students apply scientific knowledge and methods to address contemporary and/or anticipated issues affecting society.
7. Create Your Pathway: Students, through the formulation and fulfillment of a unique Degree Pathway Plan, will articulate and achieve measurable learning outcomes specific to their personal and professional goals.
Required for the Major Subtotal		39
General Electives
Select 21 credit hours of coursework. Students may need to apply upper level credit in this area to meet the program’s overall requirement of 39 credits at the 3000-level or above.		21
All students must complete 31 hours at CSU to meet the 25% residency requirement.
General Electives Subtotal		21
Total Credit Hours		123

Admission Requirements

There are no program specific admission requirements.

Additional Program Requirements

There are no program specific academic regulations.

Academic Catalog 2025-2026