Mar 28, 2024  
2021-2022 General Catalog 
    
2021-2022 General Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG–FOR INFORMATION ONLY]

Master of Interdisciplinary Studies (M.I.S.)


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Program Summary

The Master of Interdisciplinary Studies (M.I.S.) provides an opportunity for students to build a graduate degree from three disciplines, resulting in a unique interdisciplinary experience. This 30-credit degree allows students to develop an individualized program of study, tailored to students’ personal passions and career objectives. Students will enjoy the flexibility of online and/or face-to-face courses, taught by highly qualified faculty.

To build the individualized 30-credit M.I.S. program of study, students complete a three-credit introductory course, a 3-credit capstone, two 9-credit learning blocks, and one 6-credit learning block from the following programs of study:

  • Arts Administration
  • Aviation*
  • Business Administration
  • Contemporary Animal Services Leadership*
  • Contemporary Animal Services Leadership* - ELC Graduates
  • Cybersecurity & Information Assurance
  • Education*
  • English: Creative Writing
  • English: Rhetoric/Composition
  • Leadership Studies
  • General Studies
  • Global Health
  • Human Values
  • Music Technology
  • National Parks & Public Lands
  • Non-Profit Management
  • Online Teaching & Course Design
  • Public Administration
  • School Library* (endorsement available)
  • Social Media & Public Relations
  • Special Education* (no endorsement)
  • Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) (no endorsement)

* Students may complete a total of 18 credits within these learning blocks.

M.I.S. students will complete their program with a 3-credit capstone (INDS 6900 - MIS Capstone Project ), 3-credit internship (INDS 6890 - Interdisciplinary Internship ), or 3-credit thesis (INDS 6910 - MIS Capstone Thesis ), which provides students the opportunity to show they have achieved mastery of the course competencies in the academic areas and they are able to synthesize these competencies into a meaningful whole. If the capstone project cannot be completed within one semester, students must be continuously enrolled in INDS 6901 - MIS Capstone Continuation  until completion.

Program Learning Outcomes

  • Learners will be able to effectively communicate and present ideas with clarity and persuasive force.
  • Learners will explore and apply various concepts of scholarly research.
  • Learners will develop and demonstrate scholarly writing skills corresponding to graduate level.

Program Information

  • All courses must be passed with a “B-” (2.7) or better to be counted in the program.
  • Students must earn a minimum overall GPA of 3.0 to graduate. Students who fail to maintain a 3.0 GPA average may be dismissed from the program.
  • Graduate courses cannot be repeated more than once.
  • Graduate students must complete their program within six (6) years of matriculation.
  • Students may transfer up to nine (9) graduate credits from a regionally accredited master’s program. See program advisor for details.
  • Students may bring up to nine (9) graduate credits taken as an undergraduate SUU student into the MIS program.

Interdisciplinary Studies Curriculum (30 Credits)


Required Core Course (3 Credits)


Capstone Course (3 Credits)


Select one of the following:

Learning Block Options (24 Credits)


Select 9 credits each from two learning blocks and 6 credits from a third learning block for a total of 24 credits.

Arts Administration


Students must first meet with the Arts Administration Program Director for permission to take this learning block. Students can study up to 12 credits (the fourth course will count toward the General Studies Learning Block). AA courses are offered online and face-to-face and are full semester in length.

Aviation


Students may select either 9 credits (one learning block) or 18 credits (two learning blocks) from the following courses. AVTN courses are offered online and face-to-face and are full semester in length. The Aviation Learning Block does not include flight labs.

Business Administration


Students must first complete BA 6000 before they take any other business administration course. In some cases, and by permission from the School of Business, BA 6000 may be waived if a student studied business as an undergraduate from an AACSB-accredited institution and substituted with one of the other Business Administration Learning Block courses. Business courses are online and face-to-face and are 7 weeks in length.

Contemporary Animal Services Leadership (CASL)


Students may select 9 credits (one learning block) or 18 credits (two learning blocks) from the following courses. Students must take INDS 6414 - Foundations of Contemporary Animal Services Leadership (CASL)  before they take any CASL electives. Students must first take BA 6000 before FIN 6100 or MGMT 6100. For Best Friends Animal Society Executive Leadership Certification (ELC) program graduates, select 9 credits from the following courses. CASL courses are online and face-to-face and are 7 weeks in length.

Note: PRDV 5000 - Professional Development Best Friends National Conference is taken through SUU’s Office of Community and Professional Development.

Contemporary Animal Services Leadership (CASL) - ELC Graduates


For Best Friends Animal Society Executive Leadership Certification (ELC) program graduates, select 9 or 18 credits from the following. Students must first take BA 6000 before FIN 6100 or MGMT 6100. CASL courses are online and face-to-face and are 7 weeks in length.

Note: PRDV 5000 - Professional Development Best Friends National Conference is taken through SUU’s Office of Community and Professional Development.

Cyber Security & Information Assurance


Students may take three CSIA courses from the courses offered to MIS students. They must first take CSIA 6000 - Foundations of Cyber Security & Information Assurance  before they take any other CSIA course unless they have permission from the CSIA program director.

Education


Students may select 9 credits (one learning block) or 18 credits (two learning blocks) from the following courses. Five of the seven EDUC courses are only offered during the summer semester. EDUC courses are offered online and are full semester in length.

English: Creative Writing


ENGL courses are offered online and are full semester in length.

English: Rhetoric/Composition


ENGL courses are offered online and are full semester in length.

General Studies


This learning block is specifically designed for those transferring in an academic discipline that SUU’s MIS degree does not include. There is no curriculum attached to this course. It is solely for the purpose of course substitutions for transfer courses. Alternatively, students may create their own 6- or 9-credit learning block.

Global Health


Select three courses from the following. These courses are online and are 7 weeks in length.

Leadership Studies


Select 9 credits from the following courses. These courses are online and are 7 weeks in length.

Music Technology


Students must first take MUSC 6103 before any other MUSC course. Courses are online and are 7 weeks in length.

National Parks & Public Lands


The purpose of the this Learning Block is to provide students who have an interest in parks and public lands a foundation in history, stewardship (through archaeological stewardship), and current interdisciplinary practices, policies, and issues. This block serves as a foundation for an MIS degree focusing on public land leadership in which students will gain an understanding of National Park history, the importance of archeological stewardship, and an introduction to the interdisciplinary management of parks and public lands. This is a hybrid learning block (i.e., one week of the semester will be dedicated to master naturalist, site steward, and interpretive training. For this portion of the course, students would be housed at the SUU Mountain Center. All remaining coursework will be online and are full semester in length.).

Non-Profit Management


Courses are online and are 7 weeks in length.

Online Teaching & Course Design


For this Learning Block, students must take the INDS courses in numeric order. Courses are online and are 7 weeks in length.

Note: PRDV 5000 - Professional Development: Online & Remote Teaching Foundations is taken through SUU’s Office of Community and Professional Development.

Public Administration


Students must first take PADM 6000 before they take any other PADM course. Courses are online and face-to-face and are full semester in length.

School Library


Students may select either 9 or 18 credits from the following courses. Students who complete all 18 credits will not need to complete another learning block and will also be eligible to receive a Utah School Library endorsement. Students must take LM 6100 either concurrently with or before other LM courses. Courses are online and full semester and are 7 weeks in length.

Social Media & Public Relations


COMM 6210 and 6230 are online and face-to-face and are 7 weeks in length. INDS 6211 is online and is 7 weeks in length.

Special Education


Students may select 9 credits (one learning block) or 18 credits (two learning blocks) from the following courses. Students must first complete SPED 6100 before any other SPED course. Courses are online and face-to-face and are full semester in length.

Note: Students do not receive a SPED endorsement from this Learning Block.

Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)


Students must first complete TESL 6010 and 6030 before taking TESL 6890. Courses are online and face-to-face and are 7 weeks and full semester in length.

Note: Students do not receive a TESOL endorsement from this Learning Block.

Total Credits, M.I.S. Degree: 30


Note


Please note that some students may ultimately earn more credits than listed above for the master’s degree. If the capstone cannot be completed within one (1) semester, students must be enrolled continuously in INDS 6901 - MIS Capstone Continuation  until completion.

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