Interdisciplinary Studies - Undegraduate Program
Overview
The Interdisciplinary Studies Program (INTS) provides students the opportunity to create a truly customized degree plan while maintaining high academic standards. The Interdisciplinary Studies Program is intended to meet the needs of creative, intellectually curious, and academically motivated students.
Interdisciplinary Studies is organized in five distinct tracks, each designed to encourage broad intellectual inquiry and the synthesis of diverse areas of study. The first is intentionally open to student choice. The others correspond to the four major themes of the UT Arlington Strategic Plan: Bold Solutions, Global Impact:
1) Health and the Human Condition
2) Sustainable Urban Communities
3) Data-Driven Discovery
4) Global Environmental Impact
Students in the program are expected to work closely with their adviser to develop an innovative program of study that draws on the rich academic resources of the University, including existing minors and certificates. As members of the Honors College, INTS students are also encouraged to pursue opportunities in experiential learning, including undergraduate research, internships, service learning, and study abroad.
Application Procedure
Students interested in an Interdisciplinary Studies major must meet the eligibility requirements set by the Honors College. Prospective students are strongly encouraged to apply to the Honors College as soon as possible, and they should meet early on with an academic adviser in the Interdisciplinary Studies program to begin developing a tentative degree plan. In order to be formally admitted to the program, a student must earn a B or better in INTS 2301 and have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.35. All students admitted to INTS will automatically become members of the Honors College, and as such will enjoy all benefits and be expected to meet all requirements of the College.
Requirements for the Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science Degrees in Interdisciplinary Studies
TOTAL HOURS REQUIRED FOR GRADUATION FOR BA AND BS DEGREES: 120 HOURS
Of these, at least 36 hours must be at the 3000/4000 level, 24 hours of which must be from UT Arlington.
| Program Requirements | ||
| INTS 2301 | ENVISIONING INTERDISCIPLINARITY | 3 |
| INTS 4391 | INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES SENIOR SEMINAR | 3 |
| Strategic Area From approved list | 3 | |
| Theory course from the following: SOCI 3373, SOCI 3372, ENGL 4356, ANTH 3300, SOCW 3301, or INTS 3320 | 3 | |
| Research Class (Methodology): SOCI 3462, CRCJ 3350, POLS 3310, BIOL 4343, CHEM 4343, GEOL 4343, KINE 4352, MATH 4381, or PHYS 4343. | 3 | |
| Honors Senior Project | 3 | |
| Total Hours | 18 | |
BACHELOR OF ARTS DEGREE IN INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES, GENERAL REQUIREMENTS
Degree Requirements
General Core Requirements 42
Program Requirements 18
Modern and Classical Languages 8
TRACK ONE: Another Department's Minor, or UTA Certificate Program, or Pre-defined
INTS Track, or Custom INTS Track 18
TRACK TWO: Another Department's Minor, or UTA Certificate Program, or Pre-defined
INTS Track, or Custom INTS Track 18
ELECTIVES 16
Total Hours 120
TRACKS
Each Interdisciplinary Studies degree plan has two areas of concentration that, along with the core INTS courses, make up the course of study for the INTS degree. Each area of concentration may be constituted of one of the following options: a Minor, a Certificate program, a pre-defined INTS Track, or a Custom Track. Each Track requires a minimum of 18 hours and must include 9 hours of 3000/4000 level course work. Students must take at least one Methods Class (from approved list) within one of their tracks for at least 3 credit hours.
Senior Project Options
Each major has up to four options for an Honors Senior Project:
- Thesis or creative project
- Semester or more of study abroad
- Community service learning project
- Internship
The Honors College works closely with undergraduate programs across campus to determine which senior projects are best for their majors, and not all options will be permitted by all academic units. Students interested in Honors are therefore encouraged to contact an Honors advisor about rules for the Senior Project in their particular field of study.
All four options require an approved proposal, a substantial written product, and an oral presentation at the Honors Research Symposium every fall and spring semester.
The flexibility of the Honors requirements makes it essential that students maintain close contact with both their departmental mentor and advisor and the Honors advising staff. Students must meet with an Honors advisor during each of their first three years, but are strongly encouraged to meet with the advising staff on a regular basis, preferably once per semester.
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE DEGREE IN INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES, GENERAL REQUIREMENTS
Degree Requirements
General Core Requirements 42
Program Requirements 18
TRACK ONE: Another Department's Minor, or UTA Certificate Program, or Pre-defined
INTS Track, or Custom INTS Track 18
TRACK TWO: Another Department's Minor, or UTA Certificate Program, or Pre-defined
INTS Track, or Custom INTS Track 18
Electives 24
Total Hours 120
For the Bachelor of Science degree, at least 18 hours in the two Tracks must be "science-for-science majors" course work; at least 12 of these must be at the 3000/4000 level.
TRACKS
Each Interdisciplinary Studies degree plan has two areas of concentration that, along with the core INTS courses, make up the course of study for the INTS degree. Each area of concentration may be constituted of one of the following options: a Minor, a Certificate program, a pre-defined INTS Track, or a Custom Track. Each Track requires a minimum of 18 hours and must include 9 hours of 3000/4000 level course work. Students must take at least one Methods Class (from approved list) within one of their tracks for at least 3 credit hours.
Senior Project Options
Each major has up to four options for an Honors Senior Project:
- Thesis or creative project
- Semester or more of study abroad
- Community service learning project
- Internship
The Honors College works closely with undergraduate programs across campus to determine which senior projects are best for their majors, and not all options will be permitted by all academic units. Students interested in Honors are therefore encouraged to contact an Honors advisor about rules for the Senior Project in their particular field of study.
All four options require an approved proposal, a substantial written product, and an oral presentation at the Honors Research Symposium every fall and spring semester.
The flexibility of the Honors requirements makes it essential that students maintain close contact with both their departmental mentor and advisor and the Honors advising staff. Students must meet with an Honors advisor during each of their first three years, but are strongly encouraged to meet with the advising staff on a regular basis, preferably once per semester.
Courses
INTS 1310. INTRODUCTION TO POPULAR CULTURE. 3 Hours.
This course will introduce students to the role of popular culture in American society. It examines culture as a process through which people make symbolic meaning out of the world. Since everyone has access to popular culture, it constructs the way that people think about the world around them. The course will explore the creation, production, dissemination, reception and consumption of popular culture.
INTS 2301. ENVISIONING INTERDISCIPLINARITY. 3 Hours.
This foundational course is designed to introduce students to a variety of academic discourses and modes of knowledge-making, and to present some of the key concepts and aims of interdisciplinary studies. Students must complete the course with a "B" or better to enter or continue in the Interdisciplinary Studies Program.
INTS 2388. SPECIAL TOPICS INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES. 3 Hours.
Special topics or problems that lend themselves to an interdisciplinary approach. May be repeated for credit when the topic changes.
INTS 3320. INTERDISCIPLINARY THEORY. 3 Hours.
This course examines the important theories that form the foundation for interdisciplinary studies. These theories are put into a historical context that not only covers the origins of the disciplines, but the theories and ideas that have come to dominate the 21st century outlook on knowledge and the world. Prerequisite: Junior Standing or Permission of the instructor.
INTS 4388. SPECIAL TOPICS INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES. 3 Hours.
Special topics or problems that lend themselves to an interdisciplinary approach. May be repeated for credit when the topic changes. Prerequisite: Completion of INTS 2301 with a grade of B or better, or Honors College approval.
INTS 4391. INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES SENIOR SEMINAR. 3 Hours.
The purpose of this course is to allow students to engage with each other across disciplines and areas of interest at the end of their academic career. The seminar includes both readings on a topic of general academic interest and guest speakers from across campus to engage topics from an interdisciplinary perspective. This will provide students the opportunity to reflect on their own interdisciplinary degrees at the same time that they see how their peers envisioned interdisciplinarity.Students are encouraged to use the seminar as a foundation for the Honors College Senior Project. Prerequisite: Completion of INTS 2301 with a grade of B or better, or Honors College permission.
INTS 4392. INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES SERVICE LEARNING. 3 Hours.
Students work with a UTA faculty mentor to produce a detailed, substantive written project that focuses on a disciplinary problem and documents how the community service learning project helped them in addressing and/or understanding the problem. Students are encouraged to use the service learning project as a foundation for the Honors College Senior Project/INTS Thesis/Project. May be repeated with permission. Prerequisite: Completion of INTS 2301 with a grade of B or better, or Honors College permission.
INTS 4394. INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES SENIOR THESIS/PROJECT. 3 Hours.
Students complete sustained original research or creative activity under the guidance of a UTA faculty mentor in their area(s) of concentration. Prerequisite: Completion of INTS 2301 with a grade of B or better.
INTS 4395. INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES INTERNSHIP. 3 Hours.
Students work with a UTA faculty mentor to produce a detailed, substantive written project that focuses on a disciplinary problem and documents how the internship helped them in addressing and/or understanding the problem. Students are encouraged to use the internship project as a foundation for the Honors College Senior Project/INTS Thesis/Project. Prerequisites: Completion of INTS 2301 with a grade of B or better, or approval of the Honors College.
INTS 4396. INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES STUDY ABROAD. 3 Hours.
Students work with a UTA faculty mentor to produce a detailed, substantive written project that focuses on a disciplinary problem and documents how a study abroad experience helped them in addressing and/or understanding the problem. Students are encouraged to use the study abroad experience as a foundation for the Honors College Senior Project/INTS Thesis/Project. Prerequisite: Completion of INTS 2301 with a grade of B or better, or approval of the Honors College.