B.S. Interdisciplinary Studies
Nova Southeastern University Undergraduate Programs
Key Information
Campus location
Fort Lauderdale, USA
Languages
English
Study format
On-Campus
Duration
4 years
Pace
Full time
Tuition fees
USD 33,510
Application deadline
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Earliest start date
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Scholarships
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Introduction
Challenge Your Ability to Synthesize Knowledge in the Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
Most careers require multiple skills and perspectives. Nova Southeastern University’s B.S. in Interdisciplinary Studies readies you for the realities of the marketplace with a customized educational experience designed to open doors and create opportunities. This program offers you the flexibility to design a course of study that best fits your academic or professional goals. It also offers the option of a clear path to medical school and the health sciences through the humanities and social sciences.
In NSU’s Interdisciplinary Studies program, you’ll take core courses in speech, ethics, and global issues. You’ll explore and develop your skills in a range of disciplines in the arts, humanities, and social sciences. And you’ll have the option of choosing one of 28 different minors offered at NSU’s Halmos College of Arts and Sciences. If your plan is to apply for medical school, you can take a pre-med concentration. This program offers to learn through opportunities in research, travel study, and hands-on experiences. NSU will prepare you to enter the next phase of your education or career with strong critical thinking, reasoning, and communication skills, and enhanced flexibility in your personal and professional life.
Why Should You Major in Interdisciplinary Studies at NSU?
- 28 minors to choose from in the Halmos College of Arts and Sciences.
- Pre-med concentration is available to prepare you for medical school.
- Clinic Exploration Program: Shadow health professionals at one of NSU’s health clinics.
- The NSU Center for Humanities Annual Student Conference and the Undergraduate Student Symposium and Film Festival offers opportunities to showcase your research.
- Internal scholarships and awards to participate in both travel study opportunities and attendance at regional and national academic conferences.
- Opportunity to participate in academic teams such as Mock Trial and Model U.N.
- Learn from professors who are experts in multiple academic fields.
Admissions
Scholarships and Funding
Curriculum
Bachelor’s in Interdisciplinary Studies Curriculum
Create a customized program of study by drawing on the diversity and strength of the academic disciplines housed in the Halmos College of Arts and Sciences at Nova Southeastern University. Considering that most careers require multiple skills and perspectives, you will be ready for the realities of the marketplace. This major is grounded in the liberal arts and promotes the acquisition of “soft skills” highly valued by employers. The major provides flexibility for students to design a course of study that best fits their academic or professional aspirations. It also offers the option of a clear path to medical school and the health sciences through the humanities and social sciences. Take ownership of your educational arc with a degree in interdisciplinary studies.
Core Courses (13 credits)
- Interdisciplinary Readings Seminar
- Global Issues
- Public Speaking
- Senior Seminar Capstone
One of the following courses:
- Ethical Issues in Communication
- Biomedical Ethics or Biomedical Ethics Honors
- Ethics and Sport
- Environmental Ethics
- Ethics of War and Peace
Concentration I: An Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences Minor
Required Courses (21-24 credits)
- 2000-level or higher: Any LITR or HIST
- 2000-level or higher: Any LITR or HIST
Any arts, humanities, and social sciences minor.
Concentration II: Pre-Medical Track
Required Courses (41 credits)
- 2000-level or higher: Any two LITR or HIST
- Two semesters of Biology with lab (or equivalent)
- Two semesters of Chemistry with lab (or equivalent)
- Two semesters of Organic Chemistry with lab (or equivalent)
- Two semesters of Physics with lab (or equivalent)
- One semester of Mathematics (college level)
Experiential Learning/Internships
As an Interdisciplinary Studies student, you’ll have the opportunity to enhance your chosen area of study through research, travel study, and experiential learning. Additionally, you’ll have opportunities to participate in internships and volunteer work in the community that allow you to explore your interests even further. Some NSU students choose to intern on-campus at the Halmos College of Arts and Sciences’ Center for the Humanities.
The Center for the Humanities serves as a resource for both students and scholars at NSU and from elsewhere. It hosts workshops, conferences, and other professional development events. You can participate in exciting Center for the Humanities initiatives such as “the Story of Home: Immigration Narratives about Homelands and Homecoming” or showcase your own projects as part of the center’s Digital Humanities initiative.
Clinic Exploration Program
The Clinic Exploration Program (CEP) offers students the opportunity to shadow medical professionals on the job in many of NSU’s medical and health clinics. Program participants gain a broad perspective that shows how various medical fields work together and a practical, up-close review of several medical career options.
All undergraduate students may take part in CEP, no matter what major they pursue. Each rotation lasts two hours per week, for three weeks. Because this is a volunteer program, member commitments are flexible and voluntary.
Career Opportunities
Gain the Soft Skills Employers are Looking For
A number of recent surveys in higher education point conclusively to the fact that employers want college graduates who have “soft skills” such as critical thinking and good writing and communication skills. By allowing you to shape your own course of study, the interdisciplinary studies program opens the door to a variety of career paths. It ensures that you will have the well-rounded education so many employers seek in a college graduate.
Average Starting Salary
Salaries you can earn with a B.S. in Interdisciplinary Studies vary widely because of the many career offerings associated with this degree. According to PayScale.com, the average annual salary for someone with an interdisciplinary studies degree was $55,599 in 2020.
Shark Destinations
With a bachelor’s in interdisciplinary studies, you have a lot of flexibility in the job location. Some of the fields in which NSU graduates are currently pursuing careers include aviation, elementary arts education, international relations (United Nations), marketing, hospitality management, and graphic arts. Additionally, many NSU graduates go on to pursue advanced degrees at NSU and other prestigious universities around the world.