Multidisciplinary Studies (BA, BS)

Why Earn a Bachelor’s in Multidisciplinary Studies at Indiana State?

The Multidisciplinary Studies program is designed for highly motivated students with multiple areas of interest or specialized career or professional goals. The program offers flexibility plus opportunities for focused study, making it ideal for entering freshmen with no prior college experience, sophomores and juniors looking to add a second major or find a new path, and adult learners with prior learning credits.

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Pursue a Dream You Design

Indiana State’s Multidisciplinary Studies program offers you the opportunity to design a major across programs in the liberal arts, health, education, business, and sciences. In contrast to pursuing a double major, the Multidisciplinary Studies program allows you to blend different disciplines as they relate to your interests and career goals.

As a Multidisciplinary Studies major, you have the option to develop an Individualized Program of Study with your advisor. Or, you can complete one of five designated concentrations, including Gender Studies, International Studies, Liberal Arts: Business Minor Track, Social Justice and Sociology, and Visual Arts Administration.

The result is a degree that mirrors the ways in which subject matter overlaps and blends in the real world. For this reason, this degree program can open the door to greater career opportunities—and enable you to pursue a dream you could not as easily follow without this flexible, blended approach.

Learn from Our Excellent Faculty

The Multidisciplinary Studies program is housed in the Department of Multidisciplinary Studies in the College of Arts and Sciences. The program is offered in cooperation with all Colleges of the University.

This means that as a Multidisciplinary Studies major, your classes will be developed and taught by faculty members with diverse specialties. Most hold doctoral degrees, and many edit journals, publish books and articles, conduct research, and speak at national and international meetings within their specializations. Small class sizes ensure you will receive their individualized attention.

In addition to classroom experiences, you will have opportunities to enrich your learning, build leadership skills, and interact with faculty and students. A few clubs and organizations available include the Feminist Majority, and the Student Coalition for Social Justice. Other opportunities include study abroad programs and field trips with faculty to places like Washington, DC, to view oral arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court and to visit the Holocaust Museum and other landmarks.

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What You’ll Learn in the Multidisciplinary Studies Program

As a Multidisciplinary Studies major, you will work with an advisor to select a program of study tailored to your interests and career goals. You have the option of completing an Individualized Program of Study or one of five faculty-designed Designated Concentrations.

Individualized Program of Study

This option allows students to design a major across programs in liberal arts, sciences, health, technology, education, and business. This option is ideal for students with diverse personal and academic interests or students who want to choose their own paths.

Multidisciplinary Studies Concentrations

This concentration promotes a critical, feminist, and cross-cultural understanding of structural inequalities in a local and global context from historical and contemporary perspectives. Students explore the intersections of gender, sexuality, social class, nationality, ethnicity, race, religion, age, and ability.

arrow_forward View the Gender Studies Concentration Degree Map

This concentration is an interdisciplinary field devoted to the study of global affairs. Students develop a deep knowledge of the global structures that shape our world, learn how to communicate across cultures, and demonstrate an ability to solve problems as ethical, global citizens

arrow_forward View the International Studies Concentration Degree Map

This concentration is designed for students who want to pursue a discipline in the College of Arts and Sciences as well as prepare for a potential career in business.

arrow_forward View the Liberal Arts: Business Minor Track Concentration Degree Map

This concentration enables students to analyze and examine human social behavior, patterns of social relationships, social interactions, and other aspects of everyday culture.

arrow_forward View the Sociology Concentration Degree Map

This concentration combines art, business, and nonprofit leadership coursework with internships and other professional experiences. Students are prepared to enter leadership roles in arts organizations such as museums, galleries, arts philanthropies, and community-building arts programs. This concentration is also preparation for graduate studies in arts administration, museum studies, and related disciplines. Students may pursue additional work to earn the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance Certification.

arrow_forward View the Visual Arts Administration Concentration Degree Map

Transfer Credit

Indiana State University accepts credit from regionally accredited colleges and universities within the United States, and from selected schools located outside the United States. Credit also may be granted for military training and experience. Previously earned college credit can be applied toward completion of the program per Indiana State's transfer guidelines.

Transfer Guidelines

Career Possibilities for Multidisciplinary Studies Graduates

The Multidisciplinary Studies program is designed to meet the needs of students with different backgrounds and career goals. Each student works closely with an academic advisor to develop a plan that best meets the student's current and future academic and career objectives. Many of our graduates pursue graduate or professional study in medicine, humanities, law, or business.

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Maximize Your Experience at Indiana State

Explore our Honors College to learn how you can maximize your college experience with faculty mentors, undergraduate research, internships, and Honors housing. Students in the Honors College also enjoy opportunities to travel across the nation and abroad for conferences, service-learning trips, and immersive academic and cultural studies.

Learn About the Honors College