Contents > New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences > Interdisciplinary Studies
Interdisciplinary Studies
Robert D. Taylor, PhD, Director
Anokye, Bredbenner, Broaddus, Collins-Chobanian, Cuádraz, Elenes, Gilkeson, Hattenhauer, Mengesha, Miller, Murphy Erfani, Sabatini, Stryker, Taylor, Vaughan, Wertheimer
The MA degree in Interdisciplinary Studies offers advanced undergraduates the opportunity to begin graduate work in the program once they have completed 90 semester hours of course work toward an undergraduate degree. Undergraduate students admitted to the accelerated program can share credits between their undergraduate and graduate degrees, counting a maximum of one 400-level course and two 500-level courses toward both degrees.
Students in the accelerated program must complete all degree requirements for the MA degree in Interdisciplinary Studies. Each semester of joint study must include a combination of graduate and undergraduate work until all requirements for the undergraduate degree have been completed. Students are considered undergraduates until all undergraduate degree requirements have been completed and the appropriate bachelor’s degree has been awarded, but are eligible to enroll in approved graduate-level courses and seminars.
Admission to the accelerated BA/MA program is open to individuals who meet the following criteria:
1. The applicant must have a minimum GPA of 3.25 in the last 75 hours of undergraduate course work completed at the time of application.
2. The applicant must be an undergraduate student in the New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences and majoring in one of the following programs: American Studies (BA); Integrative Studies (BA); Social and Behavioral Sciences (BA, BS); Women’s Studies (BA, BS); or Ethnicity, Race, and First Nations Studies (BA).
3. The applicant must have at least 90 semester hours of course work for the undergraduate degree successfully completed before enrollment in the accelerated program.
The application deadline is May 1 for the fall semester. For admission procedures, access www.west.asu.edu/mais.
Students are eligible for graduate teaching assistantships and financial aid once they have completed all requirements for the undergraduate degree and the undergraduate degree has been posted.
The Master of Arts degree in Interdisciplinary Studies is a graduate program designed to fulfill the needs of postbaccalaureate students who wish to pursue an advanced degree for
1. job advancement or redirection,
2. personal development and intellectual growth, or
3. preparation for further graduate study.
Prospective students include those working in the public educational system, particularly secondary education teachers who intend to increase and integrate their knowledge in content areas; those employed in the corporate sector and social service system; and professionals who wish to return to the university and pursue enrichment in liberal arts areas.
The degree is composed of 30 semester hours of course work. Three required core courses develop advanced critical thinking skills and knowledge of current research tools, technologies, and methodologies in a variety of fields. Working with a faculty mentor, each student plans a set of emphasis courses to meet their educational goals. Emphasis courses may be selected from graduate course offerings from departments throughout the New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences, as well as from other colleges and schools with approval from the director. Examples include a plan to study ethics and environment, media and ethnicity, urban studies, and the arts. The program of study may include one elective course and will conclude with a capstone experience requiring a written or applied project.
Admission to the master’s program is open to individuals who meet the following criteria:
1. holders of baccalaureate degrees from institutions with regional accreditation,
2. demonstrated promise of success through previous schooling and experience,
3. have academic and career goals that are compatible with the educational objectives of the program, and
4. have taken the Graduate Record Examination (GRE).
The GRE requirement may be waived if the applicant has attended a graduate or professional school that required a standardized admission test.
The application deadline is May 1 for fall semester. For admission procedures access the Web site at www.asu.edu/graduate/admissions.
Letters of recommendation for admission processing should be sent to
Ma In Interdisciplinary Studies Program
Each application is reviewed by a faculty committee. Candidates are selected after consideration of the undergraduate GPA, GRE scores, academic and work experiences, letters of recommendation, personal statement, and writing sample, as specified by program application forms.
Working with a faculty mentor, students select 15 to 18 semester hours of graduate-level course work that reflects a particular area of specialty or interest. Students may elect to take the degree in conjunction with the graduate Certificate in Gerontology.
COURSES
Information about all courses is available on the Web at ASU Interactive. For more information, see Classification of Courses.