Interdisciplinary Studies, BS

Melissa Hovsepian, PhD, Program Director
S601, 713-221-8926

Faculty
Hovsepian

Mission Statement

The Bachelor of Science with a major in Interdisciplinary Studies (BS-IS) degree program permits students to select those courses that most interest them and to present 36 upper-level semester credit hours of those courses as their major. The degree shares the basic core curriculum with other degrees and includes a distribution of courses to ensure a good academic foundation. Since the degree is interdisciplinary, it is often a suitable degree completion alternative for transfer students and for students who wish to pursue a multidisciplinary degree that meets their academic and professional interests. Although a minor is not required, students are strongly encouraged to complete one or more, using the required area of concentration as a basis.

Graduates are qualified to undertake a variety of employment or community service opportunities and challenges. By careful selection of courses with the help of a college advisor, students who complete the degree can prepare themselves for advancement in their current position, new directions in their career path, and a variety of post-baccalaureate programs. Students should consider taking advantage of the option to complete up to 6 upper-level credit hours of field experience or internship.

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates who earn a BS in Interdisciplinary Studies will:

Be able to produce clear, mature, well-organized college-level writing which uses proper grammar and sentence structure.
Be able to:
1. research topics in one or more arts/science disciplines;
2. articulate a well-stated purpose or argument;
3. use research to advance the thesis of the paper; and
4. cite sources correctly in original papers.
Be able to apply disciplinary and interdisciplinary knowledge to work-based task or project.
Be able to use software to produce documents which are professional in appearance.

Academic Requirements

Consistent with the University of Houston-Downtown’s commitment to quality undergraduate education, the BS in Interdisciplinary Studies degree program adopts this policy regarding admissions, the declaration of majors, course enrollment, and degree requirements.

Admission and Declaration of Major

Students continuing at UHD who meet the following criteria may be admitted into the BS in Interdisciplinary Studies degree program as a declared major:

UHD GPA of 2.00 or higher

Students transferring to UHD who meet the following criteria may be admitted into the BS in Interdisciplinary Studies degree program as a declared major:

Transfer GPA of 2.00 or higher

Students who meet Freshman Admissions criteria may be admitted into the BS in Interdisciplinary Studies degree program as a declared major upon admission to UHD.

Students who do not meet the criteria above do not qualify for admission into the BS in Interdisciplinary Studies degree program and will be classified as Pre-Interdisciplinary Studies majors.

Dismissal from the BS in Interdisciplinary Studies Degree Program

Students admitted to the degree program who seek to change their major must submit that request in writing to be released from the degree program.

Students admitted to the degree program whose UHD GPA falls below 2.0 for three consecutive semesters will be placed on academic suspension in accordance with the current UHD Catalog. Students placed on academic suspension may be dismissed from the program.

If a student subsequently seeks readmission to the degree program, s/he must reapply and meet the admission and declaration standards in effect at the time of the reapplication.

Satisfaction of Prerequisites

Prerequisites are NOT optional. Prerequisites ARE requirements or courses that must be completed PRIOR to taking a course. The prerequisites for a course are described in the catalog course descriptions. It is the student’s responsibility to insure that s/he meets the prerequisites prior to enrollment in a course. If the student enrolls and does not meet the prerequisites, s/he may be administratively withdrawn from the course at any time. Any variance in prerequisite requirements or this policy must be obtained in writing from the program director prior to enrollment in the course.

Course Approvals and Advising

Students admitted to the degree program will be advised by University College advisors and will be granted self-advising privileges as long as they maintain a GPA of 2.0 or above and they follow all prerequisites.

Degree Requirements

The degree requires the completion of 120 semester credit hours. At least 36 hours of upper-level course work are required. Thirty hours must be successfully completed in residence with UHD coursework. Additionally, 18 of the 30 must be upper level coursework in the major. A minimum GPA of 2.00 at UHD and in the Major Requirements is required for graduation. Students who have declared a minor must also meet the requirements governing the minor. Prior to applying for graduation, enrollment in ISS 4098 - Senior Portfolio for BS-ISS in the expected term of graduation is recommended, and successful completion is required for graduation.

No more than 27 hours in the same discipline may be applied towards this degree, excluding courses used to satisfy the common core requirements. No more than 3 hours of physical activity-related classes (physical education or sports) may be applied towards this degree. Any course substitutions or waivers must be approved by the Program Director. Developmental (e.g., ENG 1300 or below, MATH 0300 , MATH 1300 and RDG 1300 or below) and workforce or equivalent hours are not applicable towards this degree. UHD courses and any transfer courses that are equivalent or appear similar cannot both be applied toward this degree. Also, the college reserves the right to limit the number of directed study, field experience, internship, service learning, experience learning, and credit-by-examination hours that can be applied towards the degree.

Common Core Requirements (42 hours)

All students seeking a BS in Interdisciplinary Studies from the University of Houston-Downtown must complete the Common Core Requirements as listed in this catalog.

Preparatory Requirements (18 hours)

Three hours of literature, six hours of arts and humanities, six hours of social sciences, and three hours of mathematics, natural sciences, or computer science. These requirements may be satisfied with either lower-level or upper-level course work.

Major Requirements (36 hours)

At least 36 hours of upper-level course work are required and 18 of the 36 must be UHD course work. Within these requirements, students must complete a concentration consisting of at least 9 hours in a single discipline or area of concentration, without exceeding the limit of18 hours in a single discipline or area of concentration. Six hours must be in UHD writing-intensive courses, including at least one ENG course with “Writing” in the title. Although a minor is not required, students are strongly encouraged to complete one or more minors, using the concentration as a basis. A 3- or 6-hour internship or field experience is highly recommended, but not required. Successful completion of ISS 4098 - Senior Portfolio for BS-ISS is required for graduation.

Electives (24 hours)

Free electives may be courses from any department at any level, with the restrictions noted in the degree requirements above. Students who did not complete an Ethics course through class selections in the Core, Preparatory, or Major area, must complete an Ethics course as an Elective. Ethics courses include any Philosophy course except for “Critical Thinking” or “Logic.” Non-Philosophy options for Ethics include

CJ 3311 - Ethics in Criminal Justice
POLS 3300 - Ethics and Public Life
COMM 3340 - Communication and Leadership
Any other course with “Ethics” in the title or course description