School of Interdisciplinary Studies
The School of Interdisciplinary Studies provides an environment that allows students to understand and integrate the liberal arts and sciences. The school administers interdisciplinary degree programs that afford students the opportunity to design their degree plans on an individualized basis. To assist the student in pursuing a course of study leading to successful completion of an undergraduate degree, the school provides a unique support structure. Included in this structure is the school's Internship Program that supports professional work experience in diverse career settings. The educational environment of Interdisciplinary Studies is especially congenial to students eager to pursue unconventional or innovative combinations of coursework.
Faculty
All faculty in the university are eligible to participate.
Professors: George W. Fair, Karen J. Prager, Lawrence J. Redlinger
Associate Professor: Erin A. Smith
Senior Lecturers: Kathleen Byrnes, Candice T. Chandler, Susan P. Chizeck, Dachang Cong, Jillian Duquaine-Watson, Jonathan Frome, Patricia A. Leek, Angela McNulty, Rebekah Nix, Elizabeth M. Salter, Nancy C. Van, Tonja Wissinger
Programs
The School of Interdisciplinary Studies administers the programs for the Bachelor of Arts in American Studies, the Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Studies, the Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies, and the Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies. The program in American Studies is designed for students who wish to learn more about United States' institutions, arts, and society, both in the past and present. The Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Studies is designed for those planning to enter the healthcare professions and affiliated fields. The Bachelor of Arts and the Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies Programs emphasize a broad learning experience and a wider perspective than that provided by traditional undergraduate majors. All programs are designed for students who wish to choose among conventional disciplines, both to explore a variety of topics and to integrate courses focusing on a particular area of interest. They are also appropriate for those students who seek a thorough grounding in the traditional arts and sciences from an interdisciplinary perspective. For students in other schools who wish to broaden their education by including a School of Interdisciplinary Studies program, the double degree is recommended. This option calls for a minimum of 30 semester credit hours at the upper division beyond those necessary for the major with the larger credit hour requirement. In addition, the student must satisfy all requirements for both majors. The School of Interdisciplinary Studies encourages double majors in American Studies, but a double major is not an option in Interdisciplinary Studies. Students seeking to double major in American Studies must consult with the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education in the School of Interdisciplinary Studies. The School of Interdisciplinary Studies is now working in collaboration with the Health Professions Advising Center to offer health courses under the prefix of HLTH. In order to graduate with a degree from the School of Interdisciplinary Studies, students must complete 51 hours of upper-division coursework. They must complete a minimum of 45 hours at UT Dallas. In the final semester, all the coursework should be taken at UT Dallas.
Internship Program
All undergraduates in the School of Interdisciplinary Studies are encouraged to take an internship with an organization in the community. Internships provide students with the opportunity to apply the knowledge and skills that they have mastered in their academic work. Students applying for internships must be in their junior or senior year and in good academic standing, have completed the appropriate coursework, and receive approval of the Internship Director. Students normally enroll for 3 to 6 semester hours. Students interested in the program should see the Internship Director of the School of Interdisciplinary Studies or call 972/883-2354.
Honors in the Major
The School of Interdisciplinary Studies offers Honors Programs, which vary, by major, and provide an intellectually challenging opportunity for the brightest and best students in the School of Interdisciplinary Studies.
Junior and Senior students with a cumulative UT Dallas GPA of 3.900 are eligible to apply for the honors programs, which consist of a 30 hour defined curriculum, including an upper-division writing course, and an internship component. Due to our high GPA entrance requirements, an honors thesis is not required for honors in the major. For Honors with distinction, however, an honors thesis is required. This thesis must be submitted at least one week before the end of classes, and must be nominated by the supervising professor as being of exceptional quality. The faculty of the school (or a subgroup thereof) will then determine if the thesis warrants this level of distinction. Students must apply for Departmental Honors through their academic advisor at the time they apply for graduation. For applications and more details, please consult your Interdisciplinary Studies academic advisor.
Minors
The School of Interdisciplinary Studies offers minors in American Studies, in Environmental Studies, in Exercise Sciences, in Gender Studies, and in Healthcare Studies. The latter is designed for students from any major who have an interest in pursuing a career in one of the healthcare fields. Students in the BA in American Studies program can pursue a minor as part of their degree plans. Students in the IS degree programs cannot have a minor. Nor is there a minor offered in Interdisciplinary Studies. The requirements for each minor are listed below the degree requirements.
Minor in American Studies
The American Studies minor is 18 semester hours. AMS 3302 and BIS 3320 are required in addition to four other approved American Studies courses chosen from AMS 3300, AMS 3321, AMS 3322, AMS 3326, AMS 3374, AMS 4360, AMS 4379, ISIS 3335, and ISIS 3338. Students pursuing a degree in American Studies can incorporate a minor from another discipline in their degree program.
Minor in Environmental Studies
This minor will provide students from all majors with a better understanding of environmental issues and the skills to analyze future environmental problems. The name "Environmental Studies" reflects the goal of this interdisciplinary minor to encourage students to learn to view environmental issues from scientific, political, and social standpoints. The 18-hour Environmental Sciences minor enables UT Dallas students to develop expertise in this important area. The framework provides all students with a policy and science perspective and allows students to tailor the minor, through choice of electives, to their individual goals. Students will be strongly encouraged to include an Environmental Studies Internship in their minor though it may not be possible for all students.
The Environmental Studies minor will be housed within the School of Interdisciplinary Studies with a Supervisory Committee consisting of Dr. Elizabeth Salter and the professors of the two required courses, Dr. Lloyd Dumas and Dr. Lynn Melton.
18 semester credit hours are required, all of which must be upper-division hours.
Foundation Courses (required) (6 hours)
ECON 4336: Environmental Economic Theory and Policy
NATS 2333: Energy, Water, and the Environment
Electives (12 hours) (choose 4 from this list, or three from the list with one alternate course accompanied by written permission of the Supervisory Committee)
BIOL 4324 Field Ecology
BIS 3310 Environmental Studies Project (This course is strongly recommended.)
ECON 4332 Energy and Natural Resources Economics
ECON 4333 Environmental Economics
GEOS 2302 The Global Environment
GEOS 3310 Environmental Geology
GEOS 3122 Coal in Our Society
GEOS 3124 Geology and Human Health
GEOS 3321 Geology, Resources and Environment of Latin America
GEOS 4V08 Special Topics in Geology or Geophysics [When topic is applicable for Environmental Studies]
HIST 4378 Topics in American History: [when topic is offered on American Environmental History]
ISNS 3367 The Oceans
ISNS 3368 Weather and Climate
ISSS 3349 World Resources and Development
ISIS 3390 Costa Rica Field Trip
MECH 4V95 Topics in Mechanical Engineering [When topic is Introduction to Wind Energy]
Minor in Exercise Sciences
This 18 hour minor in Exercise Sciences is ideal for students who are interested in broadening their experience and knowledge base in the study and analysis of principles related to human movement, exercise and athletics. Students will acquire new information on key domains of the field including exercise physiology, psychological approach to health, nutrition principles and injury prevention and treatment strategies. Specifically, the minor provides students with an introductory grounding in physiologic principles that help us understand not only how human systems respond to exercise stress, but also how the body changes with chronic exercise stress.
Required Courses (9 hours)
HLTH 1301 Introduction to Kinesiology
HLTH 1322 Human Nutrition
BIOL 3370 Exercise Physiology
Upper-Division Requirements (at least 9 hours from the following courses) Note many of these courses have pre-requisites and you must have them to take the course.
BIOL 3455 Human Anatomy and Physiology with Lab I
BIOL 3456 Human Anatomy and Physiology with Lab II
ECON 3315 Sports Economics
HLTH 3101 Medical Terminology
PHYS 3317 Physics of the Human Body
PSY 4328 Health Psychology
Minor in Gender Studies
The minor in Gender Studies is designed to examine the ways in that gender as a complex social construction intersects with class, race, age, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, and sexual identity; to examine the lives and experiences of groups that have been underrepresented in traditional academic work; and to acquaint students with the fundamental methodologies of women's and gender studies.
The Gender Studies minor is 18 semester hours. The courses consist of GST 2300/SOC 2300, two courses chosen from GST 3301/PSY 3324, GST 3302/HIST 3302, and GST 3303/SOC 3354, and nine hours chosen from: AMS 3300, BIS 4V04, CRIM 3324, GST 3301/PSY 3324, GST 3302/HIST 3302, GST 3303/SOC 3354, GST 4311, GST 4325, GST 4360/AMS 4360, GST 4380/SOC 4380, HIST 3324, HIST 3366, HIST 3384, HIST 4360, ISIS 3306, ISIS 3312, LIT 3327, LIT 3380, PSCI 3353, PSY 3338/CLDP 3338, PSY 4345/CLDP 4345, PSY 4346, SOC 3343, SOC 3352, or SOC 4375.
Minor in Healthcare Studies
The Healthcare Studies minor is designed for students from any major who have an interest in pursuing a career in one of the healthcare fields. Students will learn important aspects of the health profession including appropriate terminology and the foundational elements of professionalism in the healthcare setting. Students will also gain an understanding of basic biological and medical principles related to human health and disease, the fundamental aspects of the history or philosophy of healthcare, and psychological, social, or economic issues associated with healthcare or the healthcare system in America.
This minor is well suited for traditional pre-health students (medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, and optometry) as well as those interested in allied health fields (physical therapy, physician assistant studies, clinical nutrition, etc.), public health, clinical psychology, and counseling.
18 semester credit hours are required, 12 semester credit hours of which must be upper-division courses. No courses used to fulfill requirement of a major or another minor may be used.
Health Career Development Foundations
BIS 4V04 Internship or HLTH 4304 Health Professions Internship (1-6 hours)
HLTH 1100 Career Explorations for the Health Professions
HLTH 3300 Pre-Health Professional Development
HLTH 3101 Medical Terminology
Historical, Legal, and Philosophical Foundations
At least one of the following courses:
HIST 3328 History and Philosophy of Science and Medicine
PHIL 4320 Medical Ethics or PHIL 4321 Philosophy of Medicine (both of these topics may be taken when offered)
PSCI 4365 Law and Medicine
Biological Foundations
At least one of the following courses:
BIOL 3370 Exercise Physiology
BIOL 3455 Human Anatomy and Physiology with Lab I
BIOL 3456 Human Anatomy and Physiology with Lab II
HLTH 1322 Human Nutrition
ISIS 3306 Human Female: Biology and Culture
ISIS 3308 Bones, Bodies, and Disease
NSC 3344 Anatomy and Physiology of Speech and Hearing
NSC 4356 Neurophysiology
NSC 4366 Neuroanatomy
Psychological, Social and Economic Foundations
At least one of the following courses:
ECON 3330 Economics of Health
HLTH 3301 Issues in Geriatric Healthcare
PSY 4328 Health Psychology
PSY 4346 Human Sexuality
GEOG 3357 Spatial Dimensions of Health and Disease
SOC 4372 Health and Illness
SPAN 3341 Medical Spanish