The BLS with a major in Interdisciplinary Studies will be offered in fall 2001 via the Regents On-Line Degree Initiative. This web-based baccalaureate degree is designed to meet the needs of Tennessee residents whose access to higher education is limited. It is designed especially for adults who have completed the A.A. (Associate of Arts) or the A.S. (Associateof Science) degree, or have earned approximately 60 college credits. This degree is not designed for those who have previously earned a four-year degree, but is for adult students whose work, geographic location, family obligation, and/or other restrictions make attendance at traditional campus courses difficult and unlikely. All courses required will be available on-line or through other means of distance learning.

Interdisciplinary Studies is designed to allow persons to develop majors that are interdisciplinary and individualized. Majors are to be developed around a theme, a significant problem, or topic. The major must include two areas of concentration, each with a minimum of twelve semester hours. An additional nine semester hours may be drawn from these areas or selected from other areas to complement the organizing theme or topic. Persons who want to pursue this major will submit a statement that explains their academic and personal goals and how the courses they plan to take will help them acquire the knowledge and competencies they want. A plan of study will be approved at the beginning of the program.

The following assessment criteria and outcomes will be realized by Interdisciplinary Studies students of the Regents Online Degree Program (R.O.D.P.):

• Each student will demonstrate the ability to engage in discussions about complex issues affecting our community and world by being enrolled in discussion-based classes with low enrollment.
  
  

• Each student will demonstrate the ability to identify and research a topic from various interdisciplinary perspectives and communicate findings in written form through completion of the culminating Special Project.
  
  
• Students will demonstrate the ability to address significant problems, themes, and ideas which impact a global society through completion of required interdisciplinary Thematic Studies courses.

General Education Program requirements (40-43 hrs.) may be met through transfer of appropriate courses from an associate degree or a four-year institution or may be taken from on-line courses.

Thematic Studies courses (6 hrs.) are interdisciplinary and focus upon a significant problem or theme.

The major contains two concentrations of twelve semester hours each from different areas (24 hrs.), plus nine hours of related courses (9 hrs.). The major is completed with a final integrative, capstone project (3 hrs.).

To download degree requirements, click here WORD | PDF

To find out how to get started in this program, click here WORD | PDF