Overview
The Collaborative for Interdisciplinary/Integrative Studies is a signature program of the College of Arts and Sciences at Quinnipiac University, launched in 2016 with generous support from the Davis Educational Foundation. Its mission is to afford students and faculty opportunities to put into practice the relevance and value of the arts and sciences for their everyday lives. The Collaborative oversees the administration of interdisciplinary programs, supports the development of interdisciplinary curricula and initiatives, and promotes collaboration among faculty in teaching and research. Click here to meet the faculty affiliated with the Collaborative.
Interdisciplinary opportunities abound in the College of Arts and Sciences. Here are just a few examples:
- Scholars at Quinnipiac Integrating Difference (SQUID) certificate program
- Global Engagement Fellows
- Collaborative research opportunities through QUIP-RS
- Various minors in our departments, including gerontology, biochemistry and behavioral neuroscience
- Events such as the Socrates Café
Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies
The interdisciplinary studies (IDS) major is intended for students pursuing academic, civic and/or career interests that privilege interdisciplinary and/or transdisciplinary knowledge and practice. The IDS major exposes students to a number of disciplines and academic areas, and emphasizes critique, analysis, evaluation and the development and iterative application of skills in critical thinking, writing, public speaking, data gathering, evaluation and presentation. This type of academic foundation prepares students for virtually any academic path or career of their choosing.
The interdisciplinary studies major is structured around a concentration, supported by one of the academic departments at Quinnipiac University. A number of concentrations are currently in development. At this time, the education studies concentration, designed for students pursuing the elementary education track leading to the master of arts in teaching (MAT), is the only concentration available. Students wishing to pursue interdisciplinary studies with a different focus should consider designing an independent major.
Click here for an overview of the BA in Interdisciplinary Studies curriculum. Click here to view information about the IDS major in the Course Catalog.
Interdisciplinary Minors
Human culture, creativity and knowledge are often produced and experienced in the spaces across and between the traditional disciplines. Interdisciplinary minors—those that focus on areas of interest rather than established disciplines—afford students an opportunity to examine topics from multiple disciplinary perspectives.
Through these cross-departmental minors, students embark on an ambitious, meaningful learning experience that complements their work in their majors and in the University Curriculum. Students hone critical intellectual skills by evaluating facets of human culture and the natural world from various viewpoints and integrating these insights to form new knowledge and understanding.
Click here to learn more about Interdisciplinary Minors.
Independent Majors
The College of Arts and Sciences offers independent majors for self-motivated students whose interests are not adequately met by an existing major. A student may design a unique major program to suit his or her individual academic and professional goals. Since independent majors are typically interdisciplinary, students work with faculty advisers from various departments to design their major and plan their course of study as well as to seek out and develop opportunities for experiential learning.
Students pursuing an Independent Major may take courses in the other undergraduate schools on campus, but the preponderance of courses for the major must be completed in the College of Arts and Sciences.
To learn more about the interdisciplinary studies major or the independent major, contact Prof. Mary Paddock at mary.paddock@qu.edu
For information about the master of arts in teaching program, contact the School of Education at schoolofeducationinfo@qu.edu
