Interdisciplinary Studies

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Purpose and Focus

The College of Liberal Arts offers a number of interdisciplinary programs that enable students to take courses in several departments and colleges on campus. Students combine their course work in exciting and innovative ways beyond the existing Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees in order to meet their career goals and to reflect their personal interests. There are Interdisciplinary B.A. degree programs in the following fields: Asian Studies, Cultural Studies, Latin American Studies, Linguistic Studies, Multidisciplinary Studies, Social Science Studies, also there is an academic certificate program in Great Works.

Degree Objectives/Learning Outcomes

Asian Studies:

The Asian Studies program focuses on the distinctive cultural, political, linguistic, literary, artistic, and historical aspects of Asian and Asian-American life. Students are trained in diverse areas of Asian civilization, especially the traditions and contemporary societies of China, India, Japan, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Thailand, the Philippines, and other Asian countries. The degree prepares students for careers in government and teaching, as well as in areas of international business, consulting, and media.

Cultural Studies:

Students graduating in Cultural Studies will demonstrate a critical understanding of the importance of cultural forces that operate in society. Using multiple perspectives and methods, students will address the origins of social conflicts articulated by cultural forces on both the macro and micro levels. The program encourages active participation in social efforts that promote cultural diversity and tolerance. Graduates in Cultural Studies often pursue careers in the public sector, as well as in social advocacy, mass media, and broadcasting. A Cultural Studies background assists in applications to professional schools such as law, social work, and education as well as to doctoral degree programs in the humanities and social sciences.

Latin American Studies:

Latin American Studies is a multidisciplinary major that covers the important region of Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean. Participating faculty specialize in political economy, border studies, anthropological approaches, and exile studies as well as Latin American history, literature, and film. Course work in the program offers students an opportunity to acquire a comprehensive knowledge of the history, politics, economics, culture, and literature of Latin American and the Caribbean. Graduates from the program receive theoretical and practical training to pursue careers in multinational companies that operate in Latin America. Latin American Studies majors are also well suited to work in the federal government, in various international organizations (such as the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, and other organizations), or to teach in primary and secondary schools.

Linguistic Studies:

The degree in Linguistic Studies is an integrated study of human language and communication. Focus is placed on the structure of languages, their development in the past, differences between their dialects, as well as the distribution of language families and linguistic types throughout the world. The Linguistic Studies degree offers its students a strong skill set in critical and analytical thinking as well as a basis for future careers in language and linguistics pedagogy, translation, and speech technology. The degree also prepares students for further study in graduate school at the doctoral level in a number of fields (e.g., anthropology, linguistics, philosophy, literature, law, and library science).

Multidisciplinary Studies:

The degree program in Multidisciplinary Studies offers a variety of innovative concentrations in subject matter linking teaching and research across the colleges on campus. A degree in Multidisciplinary Studies trains students for new career areas experiencing rapid growth.

Social Science Studies:

Students completing a degree in Social Science Studies will develop a major encompassing three social science disciplines. Emphasis is placed on developing critical awareness of the different methodologies applied to questions about society, social interaction, and human subjectivity.
For degrees in Classical Studies, see Department of Foreign Languages.

Accreditation

Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities

Undergraduate Major

Interdisciplinary Studies (124 credits)

Degree Programs

Asian Studies
Cultural Studies
Latin American Studies
Linguistic Studies
Multidisciplinary Studies
Social Science Studies

Admission to the Major

Minimum GPA: 2.50 (2.75 in multidisciplinary studies)

Admission Policies

The following two programs have specialized admissions requirements.

Cultural Studies

Students seeking admission to the Cultural Studies program must have completed any one of the UNLV required courses in the social sciences or humanities.

Multidisciplinary Studies

Admission is contingent upon a minimum grade point average of 2.75.

Department Policies

Multidisciplinary Studies

All students must maintain a minimum grade point average of 2.75 or be placed on probation.

Advisement

Advising is provided by the Wilson Advising Center and by each Program Chair of the Interdisciplinary Degree Programs (Asian studies, Cultural Studies, Latin American Studies, Linguistic Studies, Multidisciplinary Studies, and Social Science Studies).

Certificate

Great Works Academic Certificate

Admission to the College of Liberal Arts

Requires a 2.50 GPA for entering freshmen, as well as for transfer students from within the university or from other institutions.

Admission Policies

Individual departments within the College of Liberal Arts may have cumulative GPA requirements for their majors higher than those required by the college. Students must satisfy department GPA requirements before being admitted to the major. Students who have a GPA sufficient for admission to the college but not for their particular major will be admitted as a pre-major (e.g., Pre-Sociology, Pre-Women’s Studies, etc.).

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