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2024-2025 General Catalog [Current] 
    
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2024-2025 General Catalog [Current]

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

Location(s): Online Campus

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Program Admission

See Admissions Requirements  for this program.

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 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 concentrations, and one 6-credit concentration from the following programs of study:

  • Arts Administration
  • Aviation Management*
  • Business Administration
  • Contemporary Animal Services Leadership*
  • Contemporary Animal Services Leadership* - Executive Leadership Certification Graduates
  • Cybersecurity & Information Assurance
  • Education*
  • English: Creative Writing
  • English: Writing & Rhetoric
  • Leadership Studies
  • General Studies
  • Human Values
  • Leadership Studies
  • 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)
  • Sports & Athletic Management
  • Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) (no endorsement)

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

M.I.S. students will complete their program with a 3-credit capstone project (INDS 6900 - MIS Capstone Project ) or 3-credit internship (INDS 6890 - Interdisciplinary Internship ). Capstone experiences provide students the opportunity to show they have achieved mastery of the course competencies in their chosen academic areas, and they are able to synthesize these competencies into a meaningful whole. Capstones should achieve the following goals: (1) combine the student’s concentrations in a meaningful way that demonstrates mastery of disciplinary knowledge and interdisciplinary approaches; (2) the project should be informed by research using scholarly sources; (3) the project should address an issue or solve a problem (in the case of an internship, this means helping an organization solve a problem, assess data, or move a project along); (4) the capstone, whether project or internship, must be completed during the current, final semester; and (5) the capstone project or internship cannot be directly related to the student’s regular, paid employment. If the capstone cannot be completed within one (1) semester, students must be continuously enrolled in INDS 6901 - MIS Capstone Continuation  until their capstone is completed.

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 an accredited master’s degree program, with director approval. Courses cannot be older than 10 years from the date the degree was awarded, must be applicable to the desired course of study, and must have a “B-“ or better grade. Official transcripts are required for consideration.
  • Using the Senior Benefit option, SUU undergraduate students that have participated in 5000+-level work that has not been counted toward an undergraduate program may bring up to six (6) of those credits into the M.I.S. program with director approval.
  • Only nine (9) credits total of 5000-level work may be applied to the degree, from any source, including transfer credits and Senior Benefit.

Interdisciplinary Studies Curriculum (30 Credits)

Required Core Course (3 Credits)

Capstone Course (3 Credits)

Complete one of the following:

Concentration Options (24 Credits)

Complete 9 credits each from two concentrations and 6 credits from a third concentration for a total of 24 credits.

Arts Administration

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

Aviation Management

Students may complete either 9 credits (one concentration) or 18 credits (two concentrations) from the following courses. AVTN courses are offered online and face-to-face and are full semester in length. The Aviation Management concentration 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 concentration courses. Business courses are online and face-to-face and are 7 weeks in length.

Complete Two of the Following

Contemporary Animal Services Leadership (CASL)

Students may complete 9 credits (one concentration) or 18 credits (two concentrations) 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, complete 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.

CASL Electives

Complete 6 or 15 credits from the following:

Contemporary Animal Services Leadership (CASL) - ELC Graduates

For Best Friends Animal Society Executive Leadership Certification (ELC) program graduates, complete 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 Cybersecurity with Information Assurance  before they take any other CSIA course unless they have permission from the CSIA program director.

Complete Two of the Following

Education

Students may complete 9 credits (one concentration) or 18 credits (two concentrations) 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 concentration 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 concentration.

Human Values

Human Values courses use a variety of disciplines to address fundamental questions about the meaning and value of human life and the ethical relationships of individuals and societies. Complete three courses from the following:

Leadership Studies

Complete 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.

Complete Two of the Following

National Parks & Public Lands

The purpose of the this concentration 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 concentration 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 concentration (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 concentration, 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 are full semester in length.

Complete Two of the Following

School Library

Students may complete 9 credits (one concentration) or 18 credits (two concentrations) from the following courses. Students who complete all 18 credits will 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 are full semester and 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 complete 9 credits (one concentration) or 18 credits (two concentrations) 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 concentration.

Complete Two of the Following (6 Credits)

Sports & Athletic Management

The Sports and Athletic Management concentration offers a unique blend of sports-focused education within a flexible interdisciplinary framework. Students who complete this concentration will graduate with a broad skill set and deep understanding of the sports industry, preparing them for diverse careers in sports management and athletic administration. Complete three courses from the following:

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 concentration.

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.

Program Learning Outcomes

  • Students will effectively communicate and present ideas with clarity and persuasive force.
  • Students will demonstrate graduate-level information literacy and integrate interdisciplinary concepts in scholarly research.
  • Students will demonstrate graduate-level writing skills. 
  • Students will apply interdisciplinary concepts to solve challenges in their communities.
  • Students will be able to strategically market themselves as interdisciplinary thinkers to advance their professional goals.

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