<p>Many interdisciplinary programs merely allow students to create a major by electing classes from two or more different departments. Some such options look good “on paper” (or on Web sites, as the case may be) but really aren’t cohesive programs. Wesleyan’s College of Letters, however, goes beyond this. COL students also take a series of colloquia that are specifically designed to tie together the various academic areas they are studying. COL students must also learn a foreign language and spend a semester abroad where that language is spoken.</p>
<p>So, here’s my question … what other colleges and universities offer interdisciplinary programs that seem especially thoughtfully designed? Which ones do CC students (or parents) recommend from first-hand experience?</p>
<p>This will be interesting. I’d like to see what’s out there. </p>
<p>Despite being listed as “impractical” on a different thread, a Peace and Conflict Studies major appeals to Son. However, it’s not offered at many schools at all. So, he’s wondering if “building” his own PACS as an interdisciplinary major elsewhere is feasible. </p>
<p>“Plan II Honors” at the University of Texas is an outstanding interdisciplinary undergraduate liberal arts major. Yes, it is a **major<a href=“as%20well%20as%20a%20selective%20honors%20program”>/b</a>.</p>
<p>“Philosophy - Neuroscience - Psychology (PNP) is an interdisciplinary program that provides an opportunity to examine the mind from multiple perspectives. In addition to philosophy, neuroscience, and psychology, PNP draws upon other disciplines whose investigations contribute to understanding cognition, such as biology, linguistics, education, and cultural anthropology. Each of the disciplines employs different modes of inquiry to examine various aspects of cognition. For example, from the perspective of neuroscience, investigating the workings of the mind means investigating the workings of the brain; from the perspective of linguistics, we gain insight into the mind by investigating one of its most complex products, namely language; and from the perspective of cultural anthropology, we gain insight into the mind’s workings by looking at the workings of society. The goal of the major is for students to develop an understanding of the differences among the approaches used by these disciplines, and an appreciation of how they can provide converging perspectives on issues in cognition.”</p>
<p>It has two tracks, one that focues more on the scientific aspect of neuroscience and the brain. The other track is more of an antropology &linguistics approach.</p>
<p>This program is one of the main reasons I want to apply to WashU, because it is all of the things I have wanted to study for the past two years.</p>
<p>I’d like to add Wesleyan’s "[College</a> of Social Studies.](<a href="http://www.wesleyan.edu/css/]College">http://www.wesleyan.edu/css/)" Same idea as COL, but with social sciences. And the CSS majors will be happy to tell you that their colloquia are much more hardcore than the COL ones </p>
<p>(NOTE: This is not meant to imply that CSS is ACTUALLY more hardcore or rigorous than COL! There’s just a friendly rivalry)</p>
<p>Northwestern has two great interdisciplinary programs in Mathematical Methods in the Social Sciences (MMSS) and Integrated Science Program (ISP). Both of them were launched in the late 70s when interdisciplinary programs were extremely rare. </p>
<p>MIT has the Brain & Cognitive Sciences department and major. And I would argue that materials engineering, offered at many schools, is pretty interdisciplinary.</p>
<p>BU has the Cognitive & Neural Systems department and major.</p>
<p>James Madison has an Integrated Science and Technology (ISAT) program that is really amazing (I am currently an ISAT major). It incorporates many different sciences, technologies, math, and the social aspect of each.</p>
<p>Princeton’s Integrated Science program isn’t a major, but rather a track that exposes students to all of the different branches of science with an emphasis on their interconnectedness. After completing the program, students choose to concentrate in one of the sciences, often continuing to employ an interdisciplinary approach in their independent work. [Integrated</a> Science at Princeton](<a href=“http://www.princeton.edu/integratedscience/]Integrated”>Integrated Science Curriculum | Lewis-Sigler Institute)</p>
<p>Princeton also offers a major in Public and International Affairs through the Woodrow Wilson School. “The undergraduate program stresses the study of major problems of contemporary public policy through a multidisciplinary program rooted in the social sciences.” Students uses tools from economics, politics, sociology, and more to propose policy solutions to current problems facing the nation and the world. [Woodrow</a> Wilson School](<a href=“http://wws.princeton.edu/academics/]Woodrow”>http://wws.princeton.edu/academics/)</p>
<p>I can’t speak highly enough of Northwestern’s [Kaplan</a> Humanities Program](<a href=“http://www.kaplanscholars.northwestern.edu/]Kaplan”>http://www.kaplanscholars.northwestern.edu/). It’s a freshman program for the first two quarters, a double class each quarter team taught by three of the best Professors at the University (in terms of research and teaching). Look at the site for details.</p>
<p>The Jerome Fisher Program in Management and Technology is mostly a dual-degree program. Most of the courses for the program don’t integrate business and engineering and you simply take classes in two different schools. Granted, there are couple “linkage” courses but most of the classes are not like that. This is exactly what the OP wants to exclude (“look good “on paper” (or on Web sites, as the case may be) but really aren’t cohesive programs”).</p>
<p>Penn has great interdisciplinary programs across the board.</p>
<p>The most well known ones are between busienss and engineering (M+T), business and nursing, business and international relations (Huntsman), and business and life sciences (LSM). There is also a program for engineering and liberal arts (not a 3-2 program though it might take more than 4 years to complete).</p>
<p>There are also interdisciplinary majors like Biological Basis of Behavior, Cognitive science, Computational Biology, Politics Philosophy and Economics, Healthcare and Society, International Realtions, and other majors. There are also minors that combine busienss and liberal arts subjects like Consumer Psychology (marketing + psych).</p>
<p>lol, did you read my post? let me reiterate–dual-degree or double-major (or any program that claims to be “interdisciplinary” but is essentially nothing more than picking courses from two departments) don’t count.</p>
<p>^I guess thats fair enough for the first few programs I listed, but other ones like PPE, BBB, IR, cognitive science, etc. combine different departments and have their own classes that combine different areas of study.</p>
<p>Duke has the FOCUS seminars for freshmen. Seminars on several topics are offered each year. You can choose to live in the same dorm as the students taking the seminars.</p>
<p>Yale offers one of the best programs. It is reading intensive and is called Directed Studies. The application process for the program is very rigorous but the courses look very interesting.</p>
</p>