Interdisciplinary programs depend fundamentally upon the existence of strong disciplinary programs and place significant responsibility upon students to integrate and synthesize information.

Because there are so many choices of subjects and so many ways to approach a given interest, it is crucial that students obtain guidance in order to understand the advantages and the limitations of particular disciplinary and interdisciplinary alternatives. Students are encouraged to contact the individuals identified at the beginning of each certificate, department, and degree listing for more information and advice.

Undergraduate Programs

At the undergraduate level, students have a variety of opportunities to pursue interdisciplinary interests:

• Combine a major with one or more minors or options in other disciplines. Undergraduate minors and options are listed throughout the catalog; and a table of majors, minors, and options is located in the front section of this catalog. Consult the appropriate departmental catalog section for requirements.
• Complete a certificate program. These programs may be completed in conjunction with any baccalaureate degree program. Certificates in Applied Ethics, Latin American Affairs, Peace Studies, Russian Studies, and Women Studies are available through the College of Liberal Arts. The College of Health and Human Sciences offers a certificate in Gerontology. The College of Business offers a postbaccalaureate Certificate in Accounting. Consult the appropriate college section of this catalog for further information on particular certificate programs.
• Earn a baccalaureate degree. Baccalaureate degrees in American Studies and Liberal Studies are offered through the College of Liberal Arts and a baccalaureate degree in General Science in the College of Science. These programs allow students considerable flexibility in tailoring course work to particular interdisciplinary interests in the liberal arts and the sciences.
• The Bioresource Research degree provides students with broad academic training, focused course work in a specific bioresource option, and a research/mentorship opportunity unmatched in any other OSU undergraduate degree program.
• The Environmental Sciences major combines strong interdisciplinary preparation in the physical, biological, and social sciences with a core of environmental courses and a specialization in one science discipline relevant to the environment.
• The Natural Resources baccalaureate degree, drawing upon a broad curriculum based in the Colleges of Agricultural Sciences, Forestry, Liberal Arts, and Science, provides understanding of the social and scientific dimensions of a range of natural resource management challenges.

The International Studies degree, earned concurrently with any other baccalaureate degree, allows students—through experience abroad, advanced course work in language and culture, and an individualized project—to bring an international dimension to any major. (See the International Programs section of this catalog.)

Graduate Programs

David A. Bernell, Director
MAIS Program
Department of Political Science
312 Gilkey Hall
Oregon State University
Corvallis, OR 97331
541-737-6281
E-mail: david.bernell@oregonstate.edu
Also e-mail: graduate.school@oregonstate.edu
Web site: http://oregonstate.edu/dept/grad_school/faculty/interdisciplinary.html

Graduate Major

Areas of ConcentrationSelected from three fields offering graduate majors and minors

The Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies (MAIS) degree program is designed to permit students to formulate programs that integrate work from three separate disciplines. Breadth of study is important in designing the program. A research paper or thesis offers the opportunity to integrate the three disciplines.

Any graduate major or minor may serve as a discipline, or field, for this degree. Two of the three fields may be identical if the areas of concentration within these two fields are different. Program participation varies from year to year.

Programs currently participating in this degree are:  

• adult education¹

• agricultural and resource economics

• agricultural education

• animal science

• anthropology

• applied anthropology

• applied physics

• art

• biochemistry and biophysics

• botany and plant pathology

• business administration¹

• civil engineering¹

• college student services administration¹

• community college education¹

• community health

• computer science

• construction engineering management¹

• crop science¹

• design and human environment¹

• economics

• education

• English

• entomology

• environmental health and occupational safety management

• ethnic studies

• exercise and sport science

• fisheries science

• foreign languages and literatures (French, German, or Spanish)

• forest products

• forest resources¹

• forest science

• geography¹

• geology¹

• gerontology¹

• health education

• history

• history of science¹

• horticulture

• human development and family studies¹

• industrial engineering

• international agricultural development¹

• mathematics

• music

• nutrition and food management¹

• ocean engineering¹

• oceanography¹

• operations research

• philosophy

• physics

• political science

• poultry science

• psychology¹

• public health

• rangeland resources

• sociology¹

• soil science

• speech communication

• statistics

• water resources¹

• wildlife science

• women studies

• wood science

¹Not as a primary area of concentration.

ADMISSION

ADMINISTRATION

The student should select a committee in consultation with the department chair of the emphasized field or with his or her designated representative. With the advice of the committee chair, the student will select a committee member from each of the remaining two fields. The student will select the fourth committee member, the Graduate Council Representative, from a list of names to be obtained in the Graduate School office. All members of the committee must be on the Graduate Faculty.

Before the completion of 18 credits of graduate course work, the student must file the official program form, approved by the committee. Program planning meetings are required, and the student has the responsibility for arranging the committee meetings necessary in the planning of the program. In the event that the student subsequently desires to change one or more disciplines on his or her program, the student must file a change in degree program with the Graduate School and schedule another program meeting in order to gain committee approval.

PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

A minimum of 9 credits in each of three fields of study is required. No more than 21 credits should be taken in any one field unless the total program exceeds 49 credits. Thesis or research project credits do not count toward this 21-credit requirement.

No more than 3 credits of blanket-numbered courses in each field may be placed on the program except for thesis (Option A) or credits for the research paper (Option B). There is no foreign language requirement. A minimum of 30 credits must be taken as resident credit through Oregon State University. A final oral examination covering the thesis or paper and course work is required.

There are two options under the program:

Option A. Thesis option. The thesis must coordinate work in the three fields. The requirement is 6 to 9 credits of thesis to be registered in the field of emphasis (as 503).

Option B. Research paper. The paper does not necessarily integrate work from the three fields, but typically investigates a subject in depth from one or possibly two of the three chosen fields. The requirement is 4 to 7 credits, to be registered in the field of emphasis (as 501 or 505).