Interdisciplinary Studies Program

The Interdisciplinary Studies Program at CSULB allows students to design unique courses of study leading to a Bachelor's or Master's degree. The Program expands upon the traditional university education by offering both undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity to design their own programs of scholastic inquiry. Interdisciplinary Studies students have a vision and the program assists the students in creatively applying that vision to unique courses of study, paving the way for the acceptance of new academic disciplines that meet the needs of students with diverse viewpoints and heritages.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION:

The Interdisciplinary Studies Program offers students the opportunity to develop individualized, coherent, intellectually challenging , cross disciplinary academic plans, utilizing courses from selected departments at California State University Long Beach. Students, with the help of a faculty advisor, must select courses and focus their program on the basis of a unifying issue, theme or topic—called an area of concentration. Interdisciplinary Studies students choose courses from two or more disciplines and work closely with faculty to design programs that meet their diverse educational and career goals. The area of concentration must meet three criteria to be acceptable:

- First, the area of concentration must be interdisciplinary. This means the area of concentration must integrate and focus approaches and knowledge from at least two fields and disciplines. The principle of integration can be historical, regional, thematic or problem-focused.

- Second, the area of concentration must not replicate any existing major. The purpose of the Interdisciplinary Studies Major is to link students with clusters of courses and faculty where no structure or formal program exists.

- Third, the area of concentration must be feasible. Each student's proposed program must be discussed with a faculty advisor to ensure that the range and number of courses required will be available. Note: The student's role in the selection of the area of concentration is active not passive. The student must actively plan his/her program and cultivate relationships with assigned or designated faculty. Furthermore, the student has the greater initial responsibility in shaping his/her program. The Program also provides an opportunity for groups of faculty to develop new majors. The bachelors degrees in Engineering Technology and Women's Studies originated in the Interdisciplinary Studies Program.

Students have created such cross-disciplinary programs as: Music Management, Neuroscience, Sport Psychology, Ecological Studies, Sport Management, Sport Nutrition, Biomedical Ethics, Feminism in Philosophy and Literature, Marine Toxicology, Global Relations Management, Audio Engineering, Technology-Based Learning. (These are merely titles that students created to indentify their program of study. The ISP does not have actual programs for you to use as a framework to follow. Students who are interested in the ISP need to do research and come up with their own proposed program of study.)