Bachelor of Arts Interdisciplinary Studies with a Major in Individualized Integrative Studies (BA)
http://www.odu.edu/ids/individualized
Virginia Tucker Steffen, Advisor
vmtucker@odu.edu
Interdisciplinary Studies with a major in Individualized integrative studies at Old Dominion University is a degree program that seeks to serve the needs of students whose goals cannot be met within existing departmental curricula. Through interdisciplinary studies, students are able to combine courses from three or more disciplines into an individualized degree. The program makes possible the pursuit of a wide variety of interests in areas such as medieval and renaissance studies, advertising, legal studies, ecological studies, public relations, management of technical services, photo journalism, and health care administration.
A proposal is required to begin development of a custom degree representing at least three disciplines. Students who decide to design their own degrees must have committee approval and faculty sponsorship. The degree awarded is a Bachelor of Arts in interdisciplinary studies in the student's area of interest.
Requirements
Lower-Division General Education
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Written Communication | 6 | |
| Oral Communication | 3 | |
| Mathematics | 3 | |
| Language and Culture | 0-6 | |
| Information Literacy and Research | 3 | |
| Human Behavior | 3 | |
| Human Creativity | 3 | |
| Interpreting the Past | 3 | |
| Literature | 3 | |
| Philosophy and Ethics | 3 | |
| The Nature of Science | 8 | |
| Impact of Technology | 3 | |
Written Communication: Grade of C or better required in both courses and in ENGL 110C before declaring major.
Language and Culture: Proficiency through 202 required for BA; not met by completion of an associate degree
Impact of Technology met by ENGL 307T/IDS 307T.
Upper-Division General Education
Met in the major.
Requirements for Graduation
Requirements for graduation include the following:
- Minimum of 120 credit hours.
- Minimum of 30 credit hours overall and 12 credit hours of upper-level courses in the major program from Old Dominion University.
- Minimum overall cumulative grade point average of C (2.00) in all courses taken.
- Minimum overall cumulative grade point average of C (2.00) in all courses taken toward the major.
- Minimum overall cumulative grade point average of C (2.00) in all courses taken toward a minor.
- Completion of ENGL 110C, ENGL 211C or ENGL 231C, and the writing intensive (W) course in the major with a grade of C or better. The W course must be taken at Old Dominion University.
- Completion of Senior Assessment.
Interdisciplinary Studies Core
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| IDS 300W | Interdisciplinary Theory and Concepts (C or better required) * | 3 |
| ENGL/IDS 307T | Digital Writing | 3 |
| Select one of the following: ** | 3 | |
| Internship in Interdisciplinary Studies | ||
| IDS Electronic Portfolio Project * | ||
| IDS Individualized Senior Project | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 9 | |
- *
Offered online only.
- **
Senior standing and completion of IDS 300W are required for enrollment in IDS 368, IDS 493, or IDS 497.
Individualized Integrative Studies Major
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| General Education | ||
| Complete lower-division requirements | 38-44 | |
| Complete upper-division requirements (met in the major) | ||
| Complete foreign language coursework through the 202 level | 0-6 | |
| Interdisciplinary Studies Core | ||
| Complete interdisciplinary studies core | 9 | |
| Individualized Major | ||
| Complete individualized major coursework | 42 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 89-101 | |
All individualized program students must design a major that includes a minimum of 42 credit hours. This includes courses from three or more disciplines that the student integrates into a single program, subject to departmental approval. At least 30 hours must be upper level. No more than two-thirds of the major area may be in one discipline. Topics courses, such as ENGL 395 /ENGL 495, COMM 395/COMM 396, etc., must be approved by the student's advisor to ensure that the topic is appropriate for the major. No more than two classes, or six credits, may be counted for both the major and a minor.
All IDS individualized program students must prepare and submit a proposal to the Interdisciplinary Studies Committee for approval. The purpose of the proposal is to outline the courses and other learning experiences that will lead to the fulfillment of the proposed course of study. Students must have at least 30 hours of course work left in their overall degree program (this can include current and proposed courses) when the proposal is submitted to the IDS Committee. Students must complete at least 15 hours of course work in their major after acceptance into the program. Any exceptions must be approved by the IDS Committee. Students must also identify two faculty sponsors who will provide guidance as they develop their proposals and progress through the program. Acceptance decisions are made by the director of Interdisciplinary Studies, the Interdisciplinary Studies Committee, and faculty sponsors. For more information see http://www.odu.edu/ids/individualized.
Students must receive a grade of C- or better in all courses taken within the concentration area.
Electives
Elective courses may be taken for the remainder of the minimum 120 credits required for the degree.
Linked BA/BS in Interdisciplinary Studies - Individualized Integrative Studies and MA in Humanities
The linked BA/BS program in interdisciplinary studies-individualized integrative studies (IIS) and the MA in humanities makes it possible for exceptional students whose IIS major is humanities oriented to count up to 12 hours of graduate courses toward both an undergraduate and graduate degree. Students must earn a minimum of 150 credit hours (120 discrete credit hours for the undergraduate degree and 30 discrete credit hours for the graduate degree). Please refer to the Humanities section of this Catalog for additional information on the linked program.
BA or BS to MBA (Master of Business Administration) Linked Program
The linked BA/MBA or BS/MBA program is an early entry to the MBA program of study. The early-entry program is designed for well qualified non-business undergraduate ODU students to start their MBA program prior to completing their undergraduate degree. Well qualified non-business undergraduate students may take MBA-level courses as early as three semesters prior to graduation and count up to 12 graduate credits toward their undergraduate degree. Students participating in the early-entry program must earn a minimum of 150 credit hours (120 discrete credit hours for the undergraduate degree and 30 discrete credit hours for the graduate degree). Early-entry program students should carefully consider their undergraduate degree program requirements when planning their course of study. Students in the early-entry program work in close consultation with the MBA Program Office and should refer to information in the Strome College of Business section in the graduate catalog to develop an individualized plan of study based on the required coursework.
BA or BS to MPA (Master of Public Administration) Linked Program
The linked BA/MPA or BS/MPA program provides qualified Old Dominion University undergraduate students with the opportunity to earn a master's degree in public administration while taking credits in the MPA program as an undergraduate student. The program is designed for highly motivated students with the desire to immediately continue their education after the bachelor's degree. The program is especially relevant to individuals seeking to work (or currently working) in the public or non-profit sectors, but is suitable for students from any undergraduate major. Graduate courses may be taken during the fall and spring semester of the student's senior undergraduate year. Up to 12 graduate credits can count toward both the undergraduate and graduate degree and can meet upper-level General Education requirements. After receiving the undergraduate degree, a student will continue with the MPA program, taking MPA courses until completing the required 39 credit hours. Students in the linked program must earn a minimum of 150 credit hours (120 discrete credit hours for the undergraduate degree and 30 discrete credit hours for the graduate degree).
Requirements for admission to the graduate program can be found in the School of Public Service section of the Graduate Catalog. For additional information, please contact the School of Public Service in the Strome College of Business.