College Catalog 2024-2025
Interdisciplinary Studies
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Interdisciplinary Studies Major
For students who wish to pursue studies not available under established majors, The University of Virginia’s College at Wise offers the Interdisciplinary Studies Major. This major is under the general supervision of the Interdisciplinary Studies Major Review Committee appointed by the Provost. Students accepted into this program are designated Interdisciplinary Studies majors. Examples of past interdisciplinary majors are:
- Appalachian Studies
- Art and Psychology combined
- Communication and Natural History combined
- English and Humanities combined
- English and Library Science combined
- History and Philosophy combined
- History and American Cultural Studies
- International Sports Culture
Students who elect this program must make application according to the following governing rules:
- The student must recommend a Supervisory Committee consisting of at least three faculty members. The committee must be representative of the student’s areas of interest and must be approved and appointed by the Provost or the Provost’s designee.
- Written application to the Interdisciplinary Studies Major Review Committee should be made no later than the fourth semester of residence (or equivalent), and ideally should be made prior to the attainment of 75 credit hours of credit toward the degree. A minimum of three full-time semesters must be devoted to the program.
- The student’s written academic program proposal must meet the following criteria:
- It is genuinely unique and not readily pursued within an existing major program.
- It is a logical, consistent, and coherent approach toward a well-defined educational objective.
- It includes at least 48 credit hours of upper division courses. Of these, 28 upper division hours will be those upper division hours required in 3e below.
- It satisfies the Liberal Arts Core requirements for a baccalaureate degree.
- It includes, in lieu of the traditional major, a major plan of study of at least 42 credit hours, two-thirds of which (28 credit hours) must be upper division, and none of which may be used to satisfy Liberal Arts Core requirements.
- It includes a capstone project which is designed to integrate the disciplines included in the major. The project will require a paper and oral presentation.
- It is realistic with regard to the staff and library resources of the College.
- The student’s advisor should, with the assistance of the student, develop learning outcomes for the major, and these learning outcomes should be incorporated into the program. The advisor, the Director of Assessment, and the lead faculty should devise a plan for assessment of these outcomes once the student’s proposal is accepted.
- All courses in the proposed program (item 3e) should normally be completed at UVA Wise and may not be taken under the credit-no credit option. Waiver of this requirement must be in accordance with item 6 below.
- The program proposal and all revisions must be approved by the Supervisory Committee, the Interdisciplinary Studies Major Review Committee, and the Provost.
- Any deviation from these rules must be approved by the Interdisciplinary Studies Major Review Committee and the Provost.
- Additional information and application forms are available in the Office of the Academic Affairs.
| INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES MAJOR CHECKLIST |
| Governing Rules: |
COMPLETE |
| Step 1 |
Supervisory Committee (3 Faculty) |
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| Step 2 |
Written Application |
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| Step 3a |
Genuinely unique |
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| Step 3b |
Logical, consistent, coherent, well-defined objectives |
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| Step 3c |
48 hours upper division coursework out of the 120 required for all degrees |
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| Step 3d |
Satisfies Liberal Arts Core Requirements |
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| Step 3e |
At least 42 hours in Major plan of study (28 hours of those must be upper division coursework - See 3c above. (no Liberal Arts Core)) |
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| Step 3f |
Includes a capstone project resulting in a paper and oral presentation |
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| Step 3g |
It is realistic with regard to the staff and library resources of the College |
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| Step 4 |
Must include Learning Outcomes developed by the Advisor |
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| Step 5 |
All courses taken at Wise and no CR/NC courses allowed. |
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| Step 6 |
Program proposal must be approved by the Supervisory Committee, the Interdisciplinary Studies Major Review Committee, and the lead committee faculty member. |
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| Step 7 |
Any deviation from the rules above must be approved by the Interdisciplinary Studies Major Review Committee and the Provost. |
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| Step 8 |
Additional information and application forms are available in the Office of the Academic Affairs. |
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