Contact Person: Derek C. Maus, Professor and Chair of the Interdisciplinary Studies department, Morey Hall 244, (315) 267-2196

The Interdisciplinary Studies program offers each student the opportunity to complete a college degree by working closely with a personal advisor and the faculty of the Interdisciplinary Studies department to construct an individualized major that fits their specific intellectual interests and career objectives.

The program is designed specifically to suit the needs of a wide range of students, including highly motivated, independent students who arrive on campus with a desired area of study that does not fit within existing programs on campus. It also is designed to appeal to students who know what topics they are interested in studying, but may not be sure which disciplines on campus are most suitable for developing skills related to those topics. It is also intended as a meaningful and timely path to completion for returning students who have accumulated college credits but have not completed a college degree.

Program Learning Outcomes:

Interdisciplinary Studies B.A. students will be able to:

   • satisfactorily achieve the learning outcomes in the main upper-level course of the two main disciplines composing his/her interdisciplinary major.
   • demonstrate the ability to synthesize the theories, methods, and critical perspectives of two or more disciplines and bring them to bear on particular issues of contemporary or historical concern.
   • formulate and effectively communicate - in written, oral, and/or other forms - novel ideas that utilize an interdisciplinary perspective.
   • demonstrate an understanding of the historical development of and major disputes within the various disciplines represented in the student’s major, including (but not limited to) how and why those disciplines vary across cultures.

How to Create an Interdisciplinary Studies Major (ISM):

Each student creates a highly individualized and unique program of study in consultation with a faculty member in the Interdisciplinary Studies (INDS) department. Ideally, this process happens in the required INDS 250  (Creativity and Design Thinking) course, which may be taken as early as the second semester of a student’s freshman year. Whether done directly in INDS 250  or not, a student intending to declare an ISM will first consult with their INDS advisor to identify and clarify the student’s topic of interest.  

Next, the student and advisor work together to craft a personalized ISM curriculum that meets the criteria specified below and which defines a coherent interdisciplinary program of study in the area of the student’s interest. If relevant, a student may include up to fifteen credits of previously completed coursework and/or credit-bearing experiences such as internships or service-learning courses in their proposed degree plan. A proposal should specify at least three student learning outcomes that the ISM curriculum is designed to achieve, as well as including a short narrative that explains how and why each of the proposed courses within the curriculum contributes to those outcomes. The student and advisor may seek feedback from members of the academic disciplines represented within the proposed program of study before drafting an official Personalized Degree Contract (PDC) and submitting it to the full faculty of the Interdisciplinary Studies department for approval.

The Personalized Degree Contract (PDC)

Each PDC must:

1. Specify all of the courses to be included in the proposed ISM major.
2. Specify all the other courses that must be completed for the student to complete a B.A. degree, including courses that meet Potsdam Pathways requirements and college-wide requirements. College-wide requirements include the upper-division credit hour requirement (45 credits or more of 300- or 400-level coursework) and the liberal arts requirement (at least 90 credits of the total coursework in the degree must carry liberal arts credit).
3. Include at least 33 credits of coursework in the proposed ISM major, 9 of which are specified as the three courses of the Interdisciplinary Studies Core (INDS 250 , INDS 300 , and INDS 490 )
4. Include at least 15 credit hours-not counting INDS 300  and INDS 490  -of upper-division (300- and 400-level) courses representing at least two academic departments or disciplines in the proposed interdisciplinary major.
5. Provide a brief title for the ISM that specifies its content and/or focus.
6. Include a statement of at least 300 words written by the student that describes the intent and posr-graduation goals of the proposed program of study.
7. Include a current college transcript.
8. Be signed by the Interdisciplinary Studies department chair and faculty advisor.
9. Specify at least three ISM-specific learning outcomes and include a brief narrative that explains how and why the courses specified for the major contribute to meeting these outcomes.