Interdisciplinary Program Requirements

The Interdisciplinary (ID) Major presents a unique opportunity for students to combine studies in any two of a number of selected liberal arts areas and develop in a structured way the interrelationships of different fields of knowledge.

Credit Requirements

Of the credits required for the bachelor of arts degree, a minimum of 30 credits must be taken in the two areas.

  • Fifteen credits (five courses) at the 200-level or above
  • Six credits (two courses) at the 300-level or above

Beyond the above specified requirements, students need to complete the Core requirements, the requirements of each ID area, and a total of at least 130 credits. Students must earn a GPA of at least 2.0 in each academic area and a GPA of 2.0 overall in order to graduate.

Capstone Project

In addition to completing course requirements in each academic area, students in the ID major also undertake a capstone experience involving a senior research essay. This essay brings together the two academic areas within the context of New Church doctrine.

The senior research essay must be completed during the junior and senior year under the guidance of a faculty member (essay advisor), with support from two other faculty members (secondary readers). The three faculty members together evaluate the final product. The capstone experience involves a total of eight credits:

  • Junior year, Spring term, 1 credit – ID 390: Research Seminar
  • Senior year, Fall term, 3 credits – ID 490: Senior Essay: Research
  • Senior year, Winter term, 3 credits – ID 491: Senior Essay: Written Product
  • Senior year, Spring term, 1 credit – ID 492: Senior Seminar

Admissions Requirements and Procedures

Application to the ID Program may be made after earning at least 50 college credits. For entrance, the College requires an overall 2.0 GPA minimum, with a 2.5 minimum in each of the intended areas (based on at least two courses in each area). Because the capstone experience in the ID Major depends heavily on research and writing ability, students must earn a minimum score of 2 in at least two Writing or Writing Intensive (W) courses and a minimum score of 1 in one Information Literacy (IL) course before acceptance into the major.

Students who have applied for entrance to the major but do not meet all of the entrance requirements will not be admitted to the major on any sort of provisional basis.

Contact:

Sonia Werner, PhD, Head of Interdisciplinary Studies Major
267-502-2502, soni.werner@brynathyn.edu

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