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California State University, Long Beach
Graduate Interdisciplinary Studies Program
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Prospective Students

Contents
What is the Graduate Interdisciplinary Studies Program?
Who is eligible to apply for the Graduate Interdisciplinary Studies Program?
What should be included in my Graduate Interdisciplinary Studies Program of Study?
What are the application procedures for the Graduate Interdisciplinary Studies Program?



What is the Graduate Interdisciplinary Studies Program?

The Interdisciplinary Studies master's program is a vehicle for creating unique, rigorous courses of study that cannot be accommodated by an existing CSULB master's degree augmented with electives from other fields. Recent examples include "Promotional Communications," designed to further a career in development and fundraising, and "Neuroscience," a study of brain and body interaction.  These are truly new, truly interdisciplinary areas of study rather than a multidisciplinary approach where a student combines course work from several disciplines.

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Who is eligible to apply for the Graduate Interdisciplinary Studies Program?

The minimum requirements for acceptance to the Graduate Interdisciplinary Studies Program (ISP), in addition to general University requirements for post-baccalaureate admission, are as follows:

  1. A Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university.
  2. Upper division or graduate level preparatory course work, as it is required by each department in the program of study, (upper division units are CSULB 300-400 level courses or their equivalent at another institution; graduate units are CSULB 500-600 units or their equivalents at another institution).
  3. A grade point average of 3.0 in the baccalaureate degree or in the last 60 units of upper division and/or graduate course work completed at an accredited college or university. And a 3.0 average in all prerequisite course work listed on the Prerequisite Check Sheet for the Graduate Interdisciplinary Studies Program Adobe PDF. Please note that lower division courses (CSULB 100-200 level courses or their equivalent at another institution) must be excluded from qualifying G.P.A. calculations.
  4. Submit Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores from the three sections of the General Test taken within five years of applying to the Graduate Interdisciplinary Studies Program..

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What should be included in a Graduate Interdisciplinary Studies Program of Study?

Graduate programs may be composed of graduate level (500-600) and certain upper division (400) undergraduate level course work.

The unique nature of an interdisciplinary program of study may require more than the minimum number of course units in order to assure its academic integrity. Programs of Study in Graduate Interdisciplinary Studies frequently total 36 or more units; it is helpful to use the unit requirement of the primary department as a guide in determining an appropriate number of units for a proposed program.

The Graduate Interdisciplinary Studies Program of Study Adobe PDF should consist of no less than 30 units of graduate (500-600) and upper division undergraduate (300- 400) course work, including the following requirements:

  1. No less than 70% of course work shall be at the 500-600 level. These must be done in residence at CSULB. Extension 500-600 level courses are not acceptable as part of the Graduate ISP.
  2. The largest number of graduate units (~70%) shall be completed within a primary department. The primary department will be the degree-issuing department.
  3. No more than three units of independent study in addition to thesis in a minimum 30-unit program. Exceptions to this regulation are as follows:
    1. Up to six units of independent study in addition to thesis may be permitted in a minimum 30 unit program when the projected studies are not to be taken in the same department; when the focus of each projected independent study is clearly distinct from the other (as evidenced on Independent Study Agreement Forms for each study to be submitted with all other application materials.)
    2. In excess of six units of independent study in addition to thesis may be permitted in cases when an Interdisciplinary Studies graduate program exceeds the minimum 30 units; when the focus of each independent study is clearly distinct from any others (as evidenced on Independent Study Agreement Forms for each study to be submitted with all other application materials). Programs with more than six units of independent study may be referred to the Interdisciplinary Studies Program Advisory Board for approval and recommendation.

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What are the application procedures for the Graduate Interdisciplinary Studies Program?

  1. Determine if you are eligible to apply to the Graduate ISP by consulting the Web site.
  2. If you believe you meet the basic eligibility requirements to apply to the Graduate ISP, contact the Director of the Graduate ISP at least two months prior to the application deadline of March 30 via e-mail at the address shown below to submit an ISP proposal. The proposal should be a 3-5 page Word document  detailing the conceptual framework of the program of study you envision.  The proposal must address your undergraduate preparation for such study, as well as future career and educational goals that the program of study is designed to achieve. 
  3. The director will review the proposal  in consultation with appropriate faculty.  If you receive approval to apply, you must complete the California State University, Long Beach application  through CSU Mentor.
  4. Apply to the Graduate Interdisciplinary Studies Program by submitting the following materials to the Director of the Graduate Interdisciplinary Studies Program:
    1. The Prerequisite Check Sheet for the Graduate Interdisciplinary Studies Program Adobe PDF, as completed in consultation with the Graduate Advisors in the primary and secondary departments/programs of interest.
    2. The student's proposed Graduate Interdisciplinary Studies Program of Study Adobe PDF as completed in consultation with the Graduate Advisors in the primary and secondary departments/programs of interest.
    3. GRE scores from the three sections of the General Test, taken within five years of applying to the Graduate Interdisciplinary Studies Program.

Make sure to keep a copy of all of your application materials for your own records.

Application materials should be e-mailed to: Dr. Cecile Lindsay, Vice Provost for Academic Affairs and Dean of Graduate Studies, at clindsay@csulb.edu. 

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