New Interdisciplinary Degrees

New Interdisciplinary Degrees

DescriptionPropose a combination of 2-3 specific disciplines (such as philosophy, biology, English, computer sciences, not just areas of study) that could become a viable degree for students going into a specific career. Identify that career, explain why each discipline is necessary, show how each discipline contributes to one’s knowledge of that career, and explain how it is interdisciplinary, not just multidisciplinary. The career you choose may not be brand new, but it should be unique, and it should not be yours; nor should the areas of study correspond exactly to your own. There is no word count minimum, but do not use more than 400 words.

For example, a student could propose music, theater, and creative writing as disciplines that would contribute to becoming a playwright of musicals. This would be interdisciplinary because without any one of those elements, the students (hypothetically) would be unable to operate in the proposed career.

A multidisciplinary example that would not be acceptable would be like proposing business and religion as disciplines for a pastor who wants to do accounting for his church. While he may be more likely to be hired, he is doing two separate things, not one. There is no integration.