Interdisciplinary Studies

Students who elect this program must make application according to the following governing rules:

1. 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 Academic Dean.
2. 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 semester hours of credit toward the degree. A minimum of three full-time semesters must be devoted to the program.
3. The student’s written academic program proposal must meet the following criteria:
   a. It is genuinely unique and not readily pursued within an existing major program.
   b. It is a logical, consistent, and coherent approach toward a well-defined educational objective.
   c. It includes at least 48 semester hours of upper division courses.
   d. It satisfies the liberal arts core requirements for a baccalaureate degree.
   e. It includes, in lieu of the traditional major, a major plan of study of at least 42 semester 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.
   f. 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.
   g. It is realistic with regard to the staff and library resources of the College.
4. 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 Academic Dean should devise a plan for assessment of these outcomes once the student’s proposal is accepted.
5. 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.
6. The program proposal and all revisions must be approved by the Supervisory Committee, the Interdisciplinary Studies Major Review Committee, and the Academic Dean.
7. Any deviation from these rules must be approved by the Interdisciplinary Studies Major Review Committee and the Academic Dean.
8. Additional information and application forms are available in the Office of the Academic Dean.