THE INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES MAJOR
The Interdisciplinary
Studies major at Cal State L.A. is a highly restricted program
designed for students whose professional/academic objectives are
unique and cannot be met by existing master’s degree offerings.
Each student admitted to the IS major creates a unique program
that comprises course offerings from at least two
departments/divisions in related disciplines. Some recent examples
of IS programs include American Cultural Studies
(Departments of Communication Studies, History, and Anthropology),
Scenography (Departments of Theatre Arts and Technology),
Biomathematics (Departments of Biology & Microbiology and
Mathematics), and Environmental Science (Departments of
Geology, Geography, and Chemistry). In each case, the IS program
is prepared with the assistance and approval of faculty and
administrative advisers who evaluate the student’s proposal and
academic qualifications.
This highly restrictive
major was begun at Cal State L.A. in 1969, at the same time as the
Special Major baccalaureate program. These programs were created
in response to a Chancellor’s Office request that each campus
“develop specific requirements and/or restrictions to a special
major.” The CO’s request further advised that the special major’s
purpose was “to provide for exceptional cases of individual
students a carefully controlled opportunity for a specially
designed course of study leading to a degree when legitimate
academic and professional aims are not adequately accommodated by
standard degree majors” (AP 69-52; July 16, 1969).
The IS program at Cal
State L.A. is administered through the Office of Graduate Studies
and Research.
The goals of the IS
program are:
-
To provide
opportunities and appropriate advisement for students who choose
to develop individualized programs of study to serve their
unique career and professional development needs.
-
To provide the means
through which the campus’ academic community can experiment with
new and emerging fields of inquiry.
Graduate students that
wish to pursue a Master of Arts or Master of Science degree in
Interdisciplinary Studies fall into one of two categories:
Those wishing to pursue a master’s degree
combining programs from two departments within one college must
make formal written application to the appropriate college
graduate dean.
Those wishing to pursue a master’s degree
combining programs from two different colleges must make formal
written application to the Dean of Graduate Studies and
Research.
The following section
details the steps that must be followed in completing the
Interdisciplinary Studies major.
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