What Are Interdisciplinary Studies? Interdisciplinary Studies can range from the study of any subject that does not fit neatly into existing disciplines to the deliberate juxtaposition and synthesis of disciplines. In the context of a liberal arts curriculum, interdisciplinary courses, majors, and/or minors can provide students with opportunities to understand how knowledge is constructed and continually reconstructed. Students can also acquire the skills of using multiple perspectives and synthesizing new approaches using those perspectives to solve complex problems. Developing an understanding of and seeking answers to complex questions often requires integrating knowledge and methods from multiple disciplines. Reflection on and integration of disciplinary knowledge is central to interdisciplinary studies. Beloit College offers students numerous opportunities to develop the ability to understand and integrate different approaches through interdisciplinary learning. From the very first FYI seminar to the senior capstone seminars, students construct new ideas and novel solutions by creating innovative connections that cross disciplinary boundaries. Important questions and issues are often best understood by using knowledge, methods, and perspectives from many different disciplines. Beloit’s curriculum allows for the synthesis of disciplinary insights through interdisciplinary approaches and courses. Interdisciplinary work is one of the hallmarks of the Beloit College curriculum which students pursue in a variety of ways. They are required to complete one unit of Interdisciplinary Studies; this requirement may be fulfilled by taking an Interdisciplinary Studies course, such as Psychology and Law, Environmental and Science Policy, and Liberal Education and Entrepreneurship, or by simultaneously enrolling in a set of “paired courses” such as Introduction to Mass Media and U.S. Media and Politics.
Interdisciplinary Minors Students may also elect a minor in one of the established interdisciplinary programs: African Studies, American Studies, Ancient Mediterranean Studies, Asian Studies, Environmental Studies European Studies, Health Care Studies, Journalism, Latin American Studies, Legal Studies, Linguistics, Museum Studies, Performing Arts, Russian Studies, and Women’s and Gender Studies. (Environmental Studies and Women’s and Gender Studies also offer majors.) These minors address a particular area of inquiry around a specialized theme or question and include examination of intellectual, methodological, and practical implications of focusing inquiry in the context of social issues, global concerns, values, and personal and public responsibility.
Self-Designed Interdisciplinary Majors and Minors Beloit offers students the option of designing their own interdisciplinary majors or minors to meet their particular educational goals. Students who pursue these programs work closely with faculty advisors to plan and complete the major or minor. These self-designed majors and minors combine courses from various departments/programs and independent study projects into a cohesive curriculum. In the recent past, such self-designed majors have included Peace and
|
Interdisciplinary Studies Overview