Interdisciplinary Studies (B.I.S.)

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Program Summary

The Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies (BIS) major requires students to integrate two (2) or more specific disciplines into a customized program of study, which is then linked together by a common core of classes (INDS 2000 , INDS 3000 , and INDS 4000 ) designed to help students synthesize and communicate the relevance of the integration. BIS majors must complete a minimum of 46 credits in the program, 4 of which comprise the BIS foundation core. The other 42 credits will be drawn from various SUU courses, depending on the student’s needs and in consultation with the BIS Program Director or the Chair of the Interdisciplinary department (INDS). A total of 30 upper-division credits must be within the BIS program of study (BIS disciplines).

Program Information

Course substitution is not allowed within the BIS foundational core (INDS 2000, INDS 3000, and INDS 4000).
For the BIS degree, a BIS discipline is defined as a collection of courses that have the same course prefix (e.g., CHEM, SPAN, HIST, etc.). A BIS discipline can also be a collection of topically related courses with different course prefixes that is designed in consultation with the BIS Program Director or INDS Department Chair.
All courses in the BIS discipline and total credit count must be passed with a “C-” (1.7) or better. Courses graded as Pass/Fail will only be accepted with permission of the INDS Department Chair.
Graduates from this degree program cannot be approved for state certification as a teacher using this major.
Interdisciplinary Studies is a stand-alone program and cannot be used as a double-major with any other baccalaureate program.
Students who choose to pursue a BIS degree must gain approval for their curriculum design (BIS disciplines) from the BIS Coordinator or INDS Department Chair before they have earned 75 total undergraduate credits. Students who have earned more than 75 credits should consider a different degree, such as General Studies (B.A., B.S.) or General Studies (B.G.S.) . Certain circumstances may warrant exceptions with approval from the INDS Department Chair.
Changes to a student’s BIS disciplines cannot be made within a student’s last earned 30 credits. Exceptions will be made under circumstances where a student’s BIS discipline course is no longer offered.

General Education Requirement (30-35 Credits)

See General Education for course options.

Core Course Requirements (12-15 Credits)
Knowledge Area Requirements (16-20 Credits)

Please note: All students must complete a minimum of 30 credits between the Core and Knowledge Area requirements.

Interdisciplinary Studies Curriculum (46 Credits)

BIS Foundation Core (4 Credits)

INDS 2000 - Introduction to Interdisciplinary Studies 1 Credit(s)
INDS 3000 - Interdisciplinary Studies Research Methods 2 Credit(s)
INDS 4000 - Interdisciplinary Studies Capstone 1 Credit(s)

Interdisciplinary Studies Courses (42 Credits)

Students must complete a program of study approved by the BIS Program Director or the INDS Department Chair.
Students must select one of the three tracks outlined below.

Track One (2 BIS Disciplines)

Discipline 1 - 21 credits minimum, of which 15 credits must be upper-division (3000- and 4000-level)
Discipline 2 - 21 credits minimum, of which 15 credits must be upper-division (3000- and 4000-level)

Track Two (2 BIS Disciplines)

Discipline 1 - 30 credits minimum, of which 18 credits must be upper-division (3000- and 4000-level)
Discipline 2 - 12 credits minimum, all 12 of which must be upper-division (3000- and 4000-level)

Track Three (3 BIS Disciplines)

Discipline 1 - 15 credits minimum, of which 9 credits must be upper-division (3000- or 4000-level)
Discipline 2 - 15 credits minimum, of which 9 credits must be upper-division (3000- or 4000-level)
Discipline 3 - 12 credits minimum, all 12 of which must be upper-division (3000- or 4000-level)

Free Electives (39-44 Credits)

Total elective credit is determined by General Education courses taken, degree type selected, additional credits earned, and any additional math or other prerequisite courses needed. For a bachelor’s degree, students must earn a minimum of 40 upper-division credits (courses numbered 3000-4999). Students may need to select additional upper-division courses not included in their major requirements in order to reach this minimum. Please consult the academic coordinator within the BIS program for details.