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DEPARTMENT OF INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES

Office: 252 Elkins
Phone: 985-448-4459
Professor: R. Alexander (Head).
Associate Professor: K. Allemand, Giguette, C. Richard.
Assistant Professors: Amy Hebert, L. Richard.
Instructors: Bouzigard, B. Burbante, El. Folse, Ford, Picou, Rhodes.

Mission

The Department of Interdisciplinary Studies coordinates and fosters cross-disciplinary connections across all disciplines to help students realize their academic, personal, and professional aspirations. For those students who wish to design their own course of study, the department offers the Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies (B.I.S.), an interdisciplinary degree that provides a flexible course of study with a strong foundation in the liberal arts. Because students are required to demonstrate depth in an academic area and to take courses in oral and written communication and the humanities, the Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies provides an interdisciplinary emphasis that prepares students for entry into postgraduate studies and the professional world with a new global focus. The department also cultivates greater opportunities for service learning and leadership initiatives across all disciplines and coordinates campus-wide development of interdisciplinary minors and activities available to all majors.

DEGREES AWARDED

The university awards two degrees in Interdisciplinary Studies: the Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies and the Associate of General Studies. Students seeking to earn either degree must complete all degree program requirements and satisfy the minimum requirements of the university and the specific requirements for the degree.

Minors

The Department of Interdisciplinary Studies offers five minors in a variety of subject matters. Any baccalaureate degree seeking student is able to obtain a minor listed below upon graduation if specified course requirements are met.

Bayou Studies Minor

The university offers a minor in Bayou Studies after successful completion of 18 hours of courses that include content about local or regional history, literature, culture, language and geography. Nine hours must include IDST 201 (Bayou Region Field Explorations) and ENGL 426 (Bayou Culture) as well as either ENGL 427 or HIST 371. The remaining nine hours can be chosen from the following list, with at least three of those hours coming from GEOG 375, SOCI 204, or SOCI 395:

BIOL 215: Pirogue Biology FREN 102: Elementary French II
CULA 401: Culinary History of the South GEOG 375: Geography of Louisiana
CULA 279: Cajun and Creole Cuisine HIST 371: Louisiana History
ENGL 326: Intro to Folklore HUMA 303: French Literature in Translation
ENGL 427: Louisiana Literature SOCI 204: Cultural Diversity of America
ENGL 490: Language and Culture SOCI 395: Racial and Cultural Minorities
FREN 101: Elementary French I

Students may substitute up to six hours of other special topics or themed courses that have a main focus or theme that addresses bayou studies or, more broadly, Louisiana. Approval of department head of Interdisciplinary Studies required for substitutions.

Computer Science (CMPS)

The university offers a minor in Computer Science upon the successful completion of CMPS 130, 135, 221, 312, 406, 410, and 418. A grade of C or better is required in each computer science course.

Humanities (HUMA)

The University offers a minor in the Humanities upon the successful completion of at least 18 hours above GENED requirements in the following curricula:

ART (non-performance) HUMA (any course)
CULA 101, 401 IDST 420 (depending on topic)
EDUC 339 MACO 101, 355
ENGL (literature, film studies) MUS (non-performance)
FACS 480 PHIL (any course)
FNAR (non-performance) PSYC 303
Foreign Languages SOCI 204, 372 (depending on topic), 395
GEOG 104, 340 SPCH (non-performance)
GOVT 355
HIST (any course)

The total hours in the humanities minor (18) must include courses in at least three areas of the humanities outside the student’s major with a minimum of 9 hours in courses numbered 300 or above. Students must earn a C or better in all courses counted toward the minor.

Internet Studies and Web Development (ISWD)

An innovative minor offered to students wishing to supplement their major with knowledge of the Internet while focusing on different areas including Web tools, webpage and online database creation, and other current topics. The minor consists of CMPS 125, CMPS 250, CMPS 340, CMPS 470 and 6 hours of 300-and 400-level electives that address content and issues related to Internet Studies and Web Development. Preferably these 6 hours of electives will be in courses in the student’s major. These electives must be approved by the Head of the Department of Interdisciplinary Studies.

Social Sciences (SSCI)

The university offers a minor in the Social Sciences upon the successful completion of at least 18 hours above General Education requirements in the following curricula:

Economics Mass Communication
Family and Consumer Sciences Psychology
Geography Sociology
Government

The total hours in the social sciences minor (18) must include courses in at least three areas of the social sciences outside the student’s major with a minimum of 9 hours in courses numbered 300 or above. Students must earn a C or better in all courses counted toward the minor.

Programs

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