Individualized+Interdisciplinary+Studies

Individualized Interdisciplinary Studies (IIS), also known as Individualized Integrative Studies, is one of several interdisciplinary major options offered at [|Old Dominion University]. It is housed under the heading of the College of Arts and Letters, but the degree conferred can be either a bachelor of arts or of science depending on the content of the major. Students design their own major based on programs offered at the other universities (undergraduate or graduate), research into the career they believe it prepares them for, and the knowledge of experts in academia. This alternative program is aimed at students who are interested in new fields of study or in careers that cannot be neatly contained in one or two majors. [[|1]]

__Proposal and Acceptance__

Acceptance into the IIS program is more complicated than simply declaring an intent to major in it. Students may declare the major, but a formal process examines the student's academic standing (2.00 minimum GPA) as well as the proposal that outlines the student's proposed course of study. In order to create their outline, students must have two faculty sponsors from different disciplines in their proposed majors. These sponsors help refine the student's class list and participate in the decision to accept the student's program design. This acceptance is also dependent on the Coordinator of Interdisciplinary Studies and the Advisory Committee. [[|1]]

__Program Requirements__

The program requires that a student take classes from a minimum of three different disciplines, that it not have more than 9 courses in any one discipline, that it must have 30 credits that the student will take after acceptance, and that it must have a 42 credit minimum over all with 30 of those credits being at the 300-400 level. The program must also not duplicate any major already in existence at the university. To avoid this students can go through the entire list of [|majors] offered at ODU as well as paying special attention to the interdisciplinary majors already created. [[|2]]

__Class Components__

There are four components to the IIS program. The first is the completion of upper and lower general education requirements for their chosen degree. The second is the six hours of core studies required for the IIS major. This includes IDS 300W Introduction to Interdisciplinary Studies which everyone must take. It also includes a choice among three IDS classes that constitute a senior project. These may be an internship, a senior project, or an electronic portfolio. The third component of the major is the concentration requirements as described above. The fourth and final component is the electives needed to reach a minimum of 120 credit hours for graduation. In addition, students must maintain an overall GPA of 2.0 to graduate with this degree. Complete instructions for designing a major can be found [|here]. [[|2]]



Sources: 1: [] Retrieved 11 March 2012 2:[] Retrieved 11 March 2012