Interdisciplinary Studies, Associate of Arts

Program Philosophy and Objectives

This two-year program is intended for those students who wish to gain a broad background of durable skills, including communication, ethical behavior, technology fluency, information literacy, critical thinking, numeracy, and disciplined inquiry. The Interdisciplinary Studies Associate of Arts degree provides a well-rounded foundation for future academic and professional growth by offering transferable skills and knowledge. In addition, the IDS AA has several elective credits, offering students opportunities to pursue their interests as well as earn certificates and plan for their four-year degree.

Program of Study

The Associate of Arts degree program in Interdisciplinary Studies includes courses in writing and speaking, research, technology, history, mathematics, sciences, psychology or sociology, and critical thinking. Students are encouraged to pursue a certificate as a part of their associate's program to build cross-disciplinary and technical skills. Students are also encouraged to pursue a three-credit internship (IDS 289 - Experiential Education for Interdisciplinary Studies) with their elective credits.

Curriculum

General Education Requirements (42 credits)

CTA 206 Computer Applications

OR

CTA 210 Intro to Technology

OR

CTA 326 Integrating Excel into Business Problem Solving

ECO 105 Fundamentals of Economics

ENG 121 English Composition I

ENG 122 English Composition II

ENG 131 Public Speaking

FIN 101 Financial Literacy

HIS 300 World and Regional Geography

HIS 381 Contemporary Global Issues

OR

POL 300 American Politics

IDS 289 Experiential Education for Interdisciplinary Studies

MAT 205 Introductory Survey of Mathematics

PHI 100 Introduction to Critical Thinking

PSY 101 Introduction to Psychology

OR

SOC 101 Introduction to Sociology

Natural Science Elective

HUM Humanities Elective

Humanities Elective: Select one course with prefix: ART, BBM 319, COM 245, CUL, DRA, DSN 110, ENG 360, ETN, HIS 230, HUM, IDS, LIT, MUS, PHI, SPA, TEC 215, VFP 311, VFP 312, and VFP 313.

Electives (or core specialization) (18 credits)

Students with less than 16 transfer credits are required to take FYE 101 as one of their electives.

Students are encouraged to build skills across the curriculum by getting a certificate in another college, like Criminal Justice, Construction Management, Digital Evidence Discovery, Artificial Intelligence, Sport Media, or Cloud Practitioner. Please look at the Certificates page for more options.

This information applies to students who enter this degree program during the 2024-2025 Academic Year. If you entered this degree program before the Fall 2023 semester, please refer to the academic catalog for the year you began your degree program.