Interdisciplinary Studies, Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies (558)
- Undergraduate
- BIS
- Education & Behavioral Science
- Leadership & Professional Studies, School of
Overview
The Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies (BIS) degree provides an academic option offering more flexibility than most traditional major programs. The BIS empowers students to select complementary courses from different disciplines or academic programs to create a course of study suited to individual interests and needs. This flexibility allows BIS students to complete their degree 100% online (if desired).
Areas of Concentration
- Arts (GSAR)
- Business (GSBU)
- Education (GSED)
- Health (GSHE)
- Humanities (GSHU)
- Organization and Communication of Ideas (GSCO)
- Social and Behavioral (GSSB)
- Science (GSSC)
- Social Justice and Equity Studies (GSSJ)
- Sustainability (GSSU)
- Technology (GSTE)
Program Requirements (36 hours)
A baccalaureate degree requires a minimum of 120 unduplicated semester hours. More information can be found at www.wku.edu/registrar/degree_certification.php.
Students who began WKU in the Fall 2014 and thereafter should review the Colonnade requirements located at: https://www.wku.edu/colonnade/colonnaderequirements.php.
The student must complete a concentration of at least 36 semester hours. These hours include a capstone course (student may choose from IDST 495 or IDST 499). Students pursuing a minor as a secondary area of study must meet the published requirements for that minor. In accordance with broader WKU policies, students who select a major and minor combination must have 54 hours total between the major and the minor and 48 hours unduplicated.
In addition to the broad concentrations for the Interdisciplinary Studies degree program, students also have the option of requesting a broad area of concentration not listed. The written request, based on specific individual objectives, must be made by the student and approved by a BIS advisor, the Director, and the Dean of the College of Education and Behavioral Sciences.
Minimum Academic Requirements for the Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies
-
36 hours in the concentration
-
42 hours of upper-level credits, including 12 upper-level hours in the concentration
- No more than 24 semester hours in a single academic discipline, no more than 30 semester hours in courses administered by the Gordon Ford College of Business.
Arts Concentration
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Students pursuing the Arts Concentration can apply the following prefixes and/or courses: | 36 | |
| AD, ANIM, ANTH, ART, DANC, ENG, FILM, FLK, HON | ||
HORT 209 | Floral Design | |
HORT 309 | Advanced Floral Design | |
HORT 330 | Wedding Floral Design | |
| IDST, JOUR, MUS, PERF | ||
PSYS 380 | Psychology and Science Fiction | |
| SPS, THEA, UCC, UX | ||
| Total Hours | 36 | |
Business Concentration
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Students pursuing the Business Concentration can apply the following prefixes and/or courses: | 36 | |
| ACCT, ACTU, AD, AGEC | ||
ART 243 | Digital Media | |
| BA, BDAN, BDAS, BE, BUS, CIS, CIT, CM, COMM, CRIM, CS, CSCI, DH, ECON, ENG, ENT, ENV, EMDS, FACS, FIN, FINC, GISC, HCA, HIM, HMD, HON | ||
HORT 420 | Floral Shop Management | |
| IDST, LEAD, MATH, MFG, MFGE, MGMT, MGT, MIL, MKT, OST, PH, PLS, PR | ||
PSYS 350 | Social Psychology | |
PSY 350 | Social Psychology | |
PSY 371 | The Psychology of Sales Behavior | |
PSY 470 | Psychology and Law | |
| RE, REC, SPM, SPS, STAT, SUPR, UCC, UX, VJP, WFA | ||
| Total Hours | 36 | |
Education Concentration
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Students pursuing the Education Concentration can apply the following prefixes and/or courses: | 36 | |
| AGED, BE, CNS, EDU, ELED | ||
ART 411 | Foundations of Art Education and Methods II | |
ART 413 | Foundations of Art Education and Methods III | |
BIOL 303 | Life Science for Middle Grades Teachers | |
CHEM 470 | Chemistry / Middle School | |
DANC 301 | Dance Pedagogy | |
ENG 407 | Linguistic Analysis | |
ENG 408 | Psycholinguistics and Sociolinguistics | |
ENG 416 | Literature/EST Capstone | |
ENG 469 | 2nd Language Acquisition Theory | |
ENG 470 | Methods and Materials for Teaching English as a Second Language | |
ENG 471 | Teaching English as a Second Language Practicum | |
| FACS, HED, HON, ID, IDST, IECE, LME, LTCY | ||
GEOL 305 | Earth System Science for Teachers | |
HIST 311 | History Teaching Methods | |
MATH 205 | Number Systems and Number Theory for Teachers | |
MATH 206 | Fundamentals of Geometry for Teachers | |
MATH 302 | Introduction to Advanced Mathematics for Middle Grades Teachers | |
MATH 308 | Rational Numbers and Data Analysis for Teachers | |
MATH 403 | Geometry for Elementary and Middle Grades Teachers | |
MATH 411 | Problem Solving for Elementary and Middle Grades Teachers | |
MATH 421 | Problem Solving for Secondary Teachers | |
MATH 490 | Seminar in Middle Grades Mathematics | |
| MGE, MKT, MLNG, PE, PETE, REC, SEC, SMED, SPED, SPS, UCC | ||
MUS 310 | Pedagogy for Performance Majors | |
MUS 311 | Music for the Elementary Teacher | |
MUS 312 | Teaching Music in the Primary Grades | |
MUS 314 | Comprehensive Arts Education for the Elementary Teacher | |
PSY 310 | Educational Psychology: Development and Learning | |
PSY 331 | Psychology of Learning | |
PSY 422 | Adolescent Psychology | |
PSY 432 | Psychology of the Gifted and Creative | |
PSY 435 | Moral Development and Education | |
PSY 436 | Applied Cognitive Psychology | |
PSYS 321 | Child Developmental Psychology | |
THEA 392 | Production of Theatre for Children | |
THEA 425 | Play Production in the Schools | |
| Total Hours | 36 | |
Health Concentration
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Students pursuing the Health Concentration can apply the following prefixes and/or courses: | 36 | |
| AH, BIOL, CD, CHEM, CHHS, COMM, DH, ENV, EXS, FACS, GERO, HCA, HED, HIM, HMD, HON, IDST, NURS, PE, PETE, PH | ||
PHIL 322 | Biomedical Ethics | |
PHIL 330 | Philosophy of Science | |
SOCL 440 | Sociology of Health and Illness | |
| REC, SFTY, SPM, SPS, SWRK, UCC | ||
| Total Hours | 36 | |
Humanities Concentration
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Students pursuing the Humanities Concentration can apply the following prefixes and/or courses: | 36 | |
| AFAM, ANIM, ANTH, ARBC, ARC, ART, ASL, BCOM, CHIN, CHNF, DANC, DCS, ENG, FILM, FLK, FREN | ||
AGEC 468 | World Food Development | |
GEOG 300 | Writing in the Geosciences | |
| GERM, HIST, HON, HUM | ||
IDFM 332 | History of 20th Century Fashion | |
| IDST, JAPN, LME, MLNG, MUS, PERF, PHIL, POP | ||
MATH 409 | History of Mathematics | |
PSYS 380 | Psychology and Science Fiction | |
PSYS 481 | History of Psychology | |
| RELS, SPAN, SPS, SUS, THEA, UCC | ||
| Total Hours | 36 | |
Science Concentration
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Students pursuing the Science Concentration can apply the following prefixes and/or courses: | 36 | |
| ACTU, AGEC, AGED, AGMC, AGRI, AGRO, AH, ANSC | ||
ART 444 | Computer Animation III | |
BCOM 429 | Broadcast Meteorology | |
| ASTR, BDAS, BIOL, CE, CHEM, CHHS, CM, CS, DH | ||
EDU 385 | Climate, Resources, & Society | |
ELED 406 | Teaching Science in the Elementary School | |
| EE, EM, EMDS, ENGR, ENV, EXS, GEOG, GEOL, GISC, HCA, HIM, HMD, HON, HORT, IDST, MATH, ME, METR, MFGE, NURS, PH, PHYS, PSY, PSYS, REC, SEAS, SMED, SPS, STAT, UCC | ||
| Total Hours | 36 | |
Social and Behavioral Concentration
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Students pursuing the Social and Behavioral Concentration can apply the following prefixes: | 36 | |
| AERO, AFAM, ANTH, ARC, ASL, ATCU, CNS, COMM, CRIM, ECON, EDU, ELED, FACS, FLK, GEOG, GERO, GWS, HIST, HON, ID, IDFM, IDST, IECE, JOUR, LEAD, LME, LS, MIL, MKT, PE, PETE, PH, PLS, POP, PS, PSY, PSYS, RELS, SOCL, SPED, SPM, SPS, SWRK, UCC | ||
| Total Hours | 36 | |
Technology Concentration
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Students pursuing the Technology Concentration can apply the following prefixes and/or courses: | 36 | |
| AGMC, ANIM, BCOM, BE, CE, CIS, CIT, CM, CS, CSCI, EE, EM, ENGR, ENV, GISC, HIM, HON, ID, IDFM, IDST, INS, ME, MFG | ||
MKT 331 | Social Media Marketing | |
| OST, SEAS, SPS, UCC, UX, WFA | ||
| Total Hours | 36 | |
Organization and Communication of Ideas Concentration
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Students pursuing the Organization and Communication Concentration can apply the following prefixes and/or courses: | 36 | |
| AD, AERO, ARBC, ART, ASL, BCOM, CD, CHHS, CHIN, CHNF, COMM, DH, EMDS, ENG, ENV, FILM, FLK, FREN, GERM, HCA, HON | ||
HORT 316 | Greenhouse Maintenance and Operation | |
HORT 317 | Greenhouse Maintenance and Operation Laboratory | |
HORT 420 | Floral Shop Management | |
| IDST, ITAL, JAPN, KORE, LTCY, PE, PETE, PH, REC, RUSS, SOM, SPAN, SPM, SPS, SUPR, SWAH, SWRK, UCC, WFA | ||
| Total Hours | 36 | |
Social Justice and Equity Studies Concentration
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Students pursuing the Social Justice and Equity Concentration can apply the following prefixes and/or courses: | 36 | |
| AFAM, CRIM, DCS, ENV, GWS, HON, IDST, PH, PHIL, PLS, PS | ||
PSYS 353 | Psychology of Prejudice and Stereotyping | |
| SPS, SWRK, UCC | ||
| Total Hours | 36 | |
Sustainability Concentration
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Students pursuing the Sustainability Concentration can apply the following prefixes: | 36 | |
| AGRI, AGRO, ENV, GEOG, HON, HORT, IDST, SPS, UCC | ||
| Total Hours | 36 | |
Finish in Four Plans
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| IDST 199 | 3 | COMM 145 | 3 |
| ENG 100 | 3 | ENG 200 | 3 |
| MATH 116 or MATH 109 | 3 | HIST 101 or HIST 102 | 3 |
| Foreign Language (if Level II is not appropriate in the first semester) | 3 | Foreign Language II (meets world language requirement) | 3 |
| Colonnade: Natural & Physical Sciences | 3 | Colonnade: Arts & Humanities | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| ENG 300 | 3 | Colonnade: Natural & Physical Science w/Lab | 3-4 |
| Colonnade: Social & Behavioral Science | 3 | IDST Concentration | 3 |
| IDST Concentration | 3 | IDST Concentration | 3 |
| General or Certificate Elective | 3 | General or Certificate Elective | 3 |
| General or Certificate Elective | 3 | General or Certificate Elective | 3 |
| 15 | 15-16 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| IDST 395 | 3 | Colonnade: Connections (Local to Global) | 3 |
| Colonnade: Connections (Social & Cultural) | 3 | IDST Concentration | 3 |
| IDST Concentration | 3 | IDST Concentration | 3 |
| IDST Concentration | 3 | IDST Concentration | 3 |
| General or Certificate Elective | 3 | General or Certificate Elective | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| Colonnade: Connections (Systems) | 3 | IDST 495 or IDST 499 | 1-3 |
| IDST Concentration | 3 | IDST Concentration | 3 |
| IDST Concentration | 3 | IDST Concentration | 3 |
| General or Certificate Elective | 3 | General or Certificate Elective | 3 |
| General or Certificate Elective | 3 | General or Certificate Elective | 3 |
| 15 | 13-15 | ||
| Total Hours 118-121 | |||