Oct 12, 2024  
2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog

Interdisciplinary Studies (BA)


The Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Interdisciplinary Studies is designed for the student who has clear interests and objectives that overlap colleges and/or departments, and whose objectives cannot reasonably be met through existing majors and minors. The program offers students the opportunity to focus and harness their energies by providing plans of study tailored to their individual interests through the incorporation of courses or sets of courses offered in departments and colleges across campus. As such, the program emphasizes flexibility and combines specialized knowledge from individual disciplines as a means of approaching and analyzing problems from divergent and interdisciplinary perspectives. Students participate in a capstone during their final semester, demonstrating the incorporation of their areas of study into a project, presentation, and paper.

Please see the UNLV College of Liberal Arts, Interdisciplinary Studies web page at www.unlv.edu/interdisciplinary/multidisciplinary-studies for information about department programs, faculty and facilities.  Degree worksheets and 4/5 year plan for the major are available at www.unlv.edu/degree/ba-multidisciplinary-studies.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Design and complete an individualized and interdisciplinary course of study in a chosen concentration.
  2. Identify connections between academic disciplines and engage in interdisciplinary problem-solving.
  3. Articulate and apply interdisciplinary theories, research methods, and critical perspectives in a chosen concentration.
  4. Communicate ideas in written and oral form, and demonstrate competency in relevant communication technologies.
  5. Describe and analyze historical sources, literary texts, and popular and material culture within a chosen concentration.
  6. Acquire the ability to balance creative, analytical, and practical thinking, including formulating ideas and drawing connections, breaking down a problem into its component parts, and applying an idea in a practical way. 
  7. Integrate academic studies in a chosen concentration into personal and professional goals and be able to formulate and implement theoretically informed political, cultural, and community action

Advising


Please see advising information at the UNLV College of Liberal Arts Wilson Advising Center.

Modality: In-Person or Fully Online


This program is available Fully In-Person or Fully Online. A fully online student is one who has committed to pursue their entire degree, minor, certificate, or microcredential exclusively through online education. A fully in-person student is one who has committed to pursuing their entire degree, minor, certificate, or microcredential exclusively through in-person education.

Modality change process: Programs may be offered in more than one modality (instructional mode). If programs offer a fully online option, students may opt for a fully online offering at the time of admission. They will be tagged as a fully online student. A student desiring to change the modality from fully online to fully in-person or vice versa, should visit the appropriate advising centers.

Accreditation


For information regarding accreditation at UNLV, please head over to Academic Program Accreditations.

University Graduation Requirements


Please see Graduation Policies  for complete information.

Interdisciplinary Studies (BA) Degree Requirements - Total: 120 Credits


See program notes 1-2 below.

General Education Requirements - Credits: 36-47


First-Year Seminar - Credits: 2-3


English Composition - Credits: 6


Second-Year Seminar - Credits: 3


Constitutions - Credits: 3-6


Mathematics - Credits: 3


Distribution Requirement - Credits 19-20


Please see Distribution Requirements  for more information.

  • Humanities and Fine Arts: 9 Credits
    • Two courses 3 credits each from two different humanities areas - 6 credits
    • One course in fine arts- 3 credits
  • Social Science
    • Automatically satisfied by Major requirements
  • Life and Physical Sciences and Analytical Thinking: 10-11 credits
    • Two courses from life and physical sciences category; at least one must have a lab.
    • Analytical Thinking 3 credit course 

Multicultural and International - Credits: 0-6


Multicultural, one 3 credit course required
International, one 3 credit course required

These courses may overlap with general education and major requirements.  A single course may not meet the multicultural and international requirements simultaneously. For the list of approved multicultural and international courses, go to: www.unlv.edu/provost/multicultural-requirements.

Major Requirements - BA in Interdisciplinary Studies - Credits: 51-63


COLA Requirements - Credits: 18


  • Social Sciences - Credits: 9
  • Fine Arts - Credits: 3
  • Foreign Languages/Foreign Culture - Credits: 6

Areas of Concentration - Credits: 33-45


Students must choose one of the six concentration areas below.

  • Interdisciplinary Studies (IDS)Concentration
  • African American and African Diaspora Studies (AAS) Concentration

  • Asian and Asian American Studies (AIS) Concentration

  • Gender and Sexuality Studies Concentration

  • Latinx and Latin American Studies (LAS) Concentration

  • Social Science Studies Concentration

General Electives - Credits: 10-33


Will depend on the concentration chosen.

Total Credits: 120


Program Notes


  1. A minimum of 42 upper-division hours are required for the completion of the degree. 
  2. A student may apply up to a maximum of four physical activity credits combined (PEX) has electives for graduation.
  3. In order to successfully complete their degree, students must obtain a C or better in all IDS courses.
  4. IDS 494  is a Milestone Experience course for Interdisciplinary Studies B.A.
  5. IDS 495A  is a Culminating Experience course for Interdisciplinary Studies B.A.

Areas of Concentration


Students must choose one of the concentrations below. 

Interdisciplinary Studies Concentration - Credits: 45


(See notes 3 and 4 below)

Interdisciplinary Studies Electives - Credits: 36


Choose one of the following two options:

  • Option A
    (see note 5)
  • Option B
    (see note 6)

General Electives - Credits: 10-21


Students completing the Interdisciplinary Studies Concentration will need to complete 10-21 credits of general electives to reach 120 total credits. 

Interdisciplinary Studies Concentration Notes


  1. A minimum of 42 upper-division hours are required for the completion of the degree. 
  2. In order to successfully complete their degree, students must obtain a C or better in all IDS courses.
  3. It is strongly recommended that courses in the areas of study are completed prior to taking IDS 495. Students can take summer courses and still walk in the May graduation as long as they do not take any IDS courses or any courses to be used in the areas of study.
  4. A student can use a maximum of three credits of private lessons toward an area of study. A student may apply up to a maximum of four physical activity credits combined (PEX) as electives for graduation.
  5. Students who choose Option A must complete two areas of study with a minimum of 18 credits in each. A minimum of 15 credits in each area of study must be selected from upper-division courses.
  6. Students who choose Option B must complete three areas of study with a minimum of 12 credits in each. A minimum of 9 credits in each area of study must be selected from upper-division courses.

African American and African Diaspora Studies Concentration - Credits: 33


African American and African Diaspora Studies Electives - Credits: 21​


Select seven courses from the list.

General Electives - Credits: 22-33


Students completing the African American and African Diaspora Studies Concentration will need to complete 22-33 credits of general electives to reach 120 total credits. 

African American and African Diaspora Studies Notes


  1. Not more than two of the following courses may count toward the major in African-American and African Diaspora Studies: PSC 401I , SOC 471 , or WMST 113 .
  2. Use of the following courses for major credit requires permission of the Director of the African-American and African Diaspora Studies Program: ENG 499 , HIST 497 , HIST 498 , PSC 403Z , or PSC 480A .
  3. At least 18 credits of the required 42 upper-division credit hours (300-400 level) must be in the major.

Asian and Asian American Studies Concentration - Credits: 33


The following courses have been approved to fulfill the AIS course requirements. See notes 1-2 below.

Asian and Asian American Studies Electives - Credits: 21


Must complete 15 credits within one area. (See notes 1 and 2 below).

Group A: Asian Studies

General Electives - Credits: 22-33


Students completing the Asian and Asian American Studies Concentration will need to complete 22-33 credits of general electives to reach 120 total credits. 

Asian and Asian American Studies Concentration Notes


  • At least 18 credits in the Asian and Asian American Studies electives must be upper division.
  • Students must complete 15 credits in one group and at least 6 credits in the other group. Group A: Asian Studies; Group B: Asian American Studies.

Gender and Sexuality Studies Concentration - Credits: 33


Gender and Sexuality Studies Electives - Credits: 21


Complete 21 credits of WMST prefix courses. 

Gender and Sexuality Studies Concentration Notes


  1. WMST 301  and WMST 302  are the Milestone Experience for Interdisciplinary Studies B.A. Gender and Sexuality Studies Concentration
  2. WMST 497  is a Culminating Experience course for Interdisciplinary Studies B.A. Gender and Sexuality Studies Concentration

General Electives - Credits: 22-33


Students completing the Gender and Sexuality Studies Concentration will need to complete 22-33 credits of general electives to reach 120 total credits. 

Latinx and Latin American Studies Concentration - Credits: 36


Latinx and Latin American Studies Core - Credits: 6


Latinx and Latin American Studies Electives - Credits: 30


Select 30 credits from the following list.

General Electives - Credits: 19-30


Students completing the Latinx and Latin American Studies Concentration will need to complete 19-30 credits of general electives to reach 120 total credits. 

Latinx and Latin American Studies Concentration Notes


  1. Please consult your advisor regarding satisfying the Milestone Experience for Interdisciplinary Studies B.A. Latinx and Latin American Studies Concentration
  2. IDS 495A  is a Culminating Experience course for Interdisciplinary Studies B.A. Latinx and Latin America Studies Concentration

Social Science Studies Concentration - Credits: 45


Social Science Studies Core - Credits: 9


Courses must be taken in sequence.

Social Science Studies Electives - Credits: 36


Complete 36 elective credits in Social Science. Students choose 36 credits (27 must be Upper Division) from all available courses in the following Social Science departments: Anthropology, History, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology, Gender and Sexuality Studies, Asian and Asian American Studies, African American and African Diaspora Studies, Latinx and Latin American Studies. 

General Electives - Credits: 10-21


Students completing the Social Science Studies Concentration will need to complete 10-21 credits of general electives to reach 120 total credits.