BA/BS in Interdisciplinary Studies
Interdisciplinary Studies is designed for traditional and adult returning students whose needs are not met with the historical major or minor program. Interdisciplinary Studies is all about looking at education from the student's perspective and offering them a customized plan to learn, professionalize, and access the best of what UNA offers.
Additionally, interdisciplinary programs have developed in response to demands from employers that college graduates have diverse "ready-to-work" skills, the ability to think across traditional academic lines, a change orientation, and excellent communication skills. To meet these demands we offer students an individualized path to complete their Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts degree by offering areas of emphasis containing complementary courses that cross traditional disciplinary lines.
Cost
Tuition Calculator
Credentials
Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts
Mode
Face-to-face and 100% online availability
Time to Complete
Variable
Why UNA?
UNA’s Department of Interdisciplinary and Professional Studies prioritizes meeting the individual academic needs of each student with whom we come in contact. Through professional advising, we are diligent to make the most of preexisting credit hours, actively work around students’ schedules, and our programming allows students to progress towards degree completion at their own pace with online, hybrid, or face-to-face courses. Through our interdisciplinary core curriculum, we adapt, inspire, and challenge our students to think creatively. We remain current of skills central to employment and graduate education, and we encourage students to pursue internships, study abroad experiences and applied research as these experiences build competencies invaluable to future employers.
Degree Requirements
The Interdisciplinary Studies (IDS) major offers two options: Option 1, a flexible and individualized program of study based on academic and career interests in one of eight areas of emphasis (Arts, Business, Health, Humanities, Organizational Leadership, Social and Behavioral Sciences, Technology, or Women's Studies); and Option 2, an Applied Entrepreneurship option that allows students who have earned an Associate of Applied Science or Occupational Technology Degree to apply approved technical coursework toward their overall degree requirements.
Below are the requirements for the overall degree including general education, interdisciplinary core curriculum, area of emphasis, and any other remaining coursework. Click the following link to review the IDS Program of Study.
Note: We realize this is a lot of information to sort through! Feel free to reach out to us directly to discuss how we can customize a program of study to meet your needs today. Contact Ms. Heather Stancil at hstancil@una.edu / 256.765.5003.
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General Education (44 credit hours minimum)
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IDS Core Curriculum (9 credit hours)
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Area of Emphasis (42 credit hours)
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Electives (remaining hours to reach a total of 120 credit hours minimum)
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Accreditations
Testimonials
"I decided to pursue an Interdisciplinary Studies Degree when I realized that one discipline of study was not going to make me as well-rounded as I needed to be for the type of work I wanted to do. This degree program has helped me learn many different skills from both the Entertainment Industry and Digital Media disciplines. My Post-Graduation plans are to work in a church as a Worship Leader and/or Creative Director, along with any freelance music and graphic design work I pick up along the way. I feel that once I graduate, I will have the skills to be able to set up, perform, and record music, while also being able to work on graphics, photography, video, and social media."
Patrick Crummie, Current Student - BS in Interdisciplinary Studies with an Emphasis in Art
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"Being a part of the IDS program has helped me find an unorthodox path with my educational venture. I've never wanted a cookie-cutter course path. I wanted to have more skin in the game when it came to the classes I took. This program has given me that and more. It has taught me a new way of thinking; how to use different perspectives to solve problems be it in life or my career. It's allowed me to be curious in my studies and creative in the way that I learn. I love the program and am thankful for finding it!"
Jeremiah Davis, Spring 2022 graduate - BS in Interdisciplinary Studies with an Emphasis in Business
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"I spent the first two years of my life at UNA not knowing what I wanted to do, so I tried to think about what I wanted to be doing after I graduate. I discovered IDS, which was the perfect way for me to learn about marketing and graphic design more like one entity. This program has helped me to be able to take classes and learn things not based on a discipline but based on what I need to know to be successful after college."
Hannah Thomas, Spring 2022 graduate - BA in Interdisciplinary Studies with an Emphasis in Business, a minor in marketing, and a certificate in graphic design
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"After years of changing my major around and ending up undecided again, I was introduced to the IDS degree program. The IDS degree has turned out to be one of the best decisions I have ever made. It enabled me to build my own Program of Study and really consider what it was that I was passionate about doing - it established my career choice. IDS allowed me to take Communication, Cultural Studies, Education, English, and Foreign Language courses that will all benefit my career choice of teaching English in Japan while allowing me to get a TESOL certification in the process that will help even more in my chosen career!"
Keri Smith, Fall 2021 graduate - BS in Interdisciplinary Studies with an Emphasis in Humanities and a TESOL certificate