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Interdisciplinary Studies Programs

INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES PROGRAMS

MISSION STATEMENT

Our mission is to offer interdisciplinary programs and courses that provide students with the tools for academic success and the flexibility to design a degree path that enhances their learning experiences and career opportunities.

Interdisciplinary Study means to explore emerging relationships between several fields. Within one emphasis area, students seek out courses that can better prepare them for answering future questions that cannot be satisfactorily addressed using single methods or linear disciplinary approaches. By concentrating on related areas of study combined with personal interests or prior experience, each individual can realize significant overlaps of integration with new understanding.

WHAT IS "INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES"?

Definitions of "interdisciplinary studies" vary. In his book Introduction to Interdisciplinary Studies (the adopted text for core IDST courses at WKU), scholar Allen Repko offers this integrated definition:

"Interdisciplinary studies is a cognitive process by which individuals or groups draw upon disciplinary perspectives and integrate their insights and modes of thinking to advance their understanding of a complex problem with the goal of applying the understanding to a real-world problem" (28).