Sue Maygar, Director
department web page

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Degrees

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BA–Interdisciplinary Studies 
BA–Interdisciplinary Studies–Africana Studies 
BA–Interdisciplinary Studies: Liberal Arts 
BA–Interdisciplinary Studies: Prior Learning 

BS–Interdisciplinary Studies–Workforce Management

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Required courses in these programs of study may have prerequisites. Reference the course description section for clarification.

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Undergraduate Programs

The Interdisciplinary Studies Program offers students degree programs which provide a broad background applicable to a variety of careers. The program has three emphases: liberal arts, prior learning, and multidisciplinary studies. In addition to these emphases, there is an option in collaboration with Africana Studies and a Bachelor of Science in Workforce Management. 

This program is intended to serve:

• students who prefer a broad liberal arts concentration (Liberal Arts);
• students who have acquired substantial specialized training and experience outside the academic classroom (Prior Learning);
• students who wish to complete an option using two or three academic disciplines (Multidisciplinary).

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Course by Course Evaluation

The Course by Course Assessment process is available for currently enrolled EWU students, seeking to have their out-of-classroom learning evaluated by an academic department for specific course equivalency. The faculty establishes the evaluation criteria in order to determine the student's learning which must be comparable to the content of the EWU course being challenged. All challenges must be approved by the department chair of the course in assessment. For more specific information contact the Department of Interdisciplinary Studies.

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Major in Interdisciplinary Studies leading to a Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT)

The Master of Occupational Therapy program via the Combined Bachelor to Master path will allow a student to complete the requirements for an undergraduate degree while enrolled in courses required for the first year of the professional Occupational Therapy program. The student begins the occupational therapy track in the senior year, earns a Bachelor of Arts degree in Interdisciplinary Studies, and applies to the Master of Occupational Therapy program via the Combined Bachelor to Master, which can be completed over the next one and half years. This program will introduce occupational therapy to undergraduate students early in their career development.

Individuals interested in applying to the Master of Occupational Therapy program via the Combined Bachelor to Master path should reference the Department of Occupational Therapy website for current application information or contact ot@ewu.edu for details.

During the first three years of the Interdisciplinary Studies major with an emphasis in Occupational Therapy, the student develops a course of study to address their interests, as well as meet university and interdisciplinary studies major requirements. Additionally, during this time, the student fulfills the prerequisite requirements for the Master of Occupational Therapy via the Combined Bachelor to Master path.

Students who require advising in the Interdisciplinary Studies major with an emphasis in Occupational Therapy should contact Interdisciplinary Studies.

Admission into the Master of Occupational Therapy program is highly competitive and individuals applying via the Combined Bachelor to Master path are in the same pool as those applying via the regular path. 

Occupational Therapy Track Admission Criteria

• Completion of 122 or more undergraduate credits and complete all general education requirements for EWU.
• Completion of all prerequisite courses for application to the occupational therapy track. All of the prerequisite courses must be completed prior to admission into the occupational therapy track.

Additional Requirements

The admissions process for the Master of Occupational Therapy program via the Combined Bachelor to Master path is highly competitive. The admission requirements are the minimum acceptable requirements to apply to the program and are not indicative of the competitive range of students generally accepted into the program. 

Students enrolled in the occupational therapy track must complete the schedule of courses in the MOT curriculum toward completion of a BA in Interdisciplinary Studies.

Note: a student may elect to discontinue the occupational therapy track and decide not to pursue the Master of Occupational Therapy. The student may complete the remaining 180 credits toward graduation in courses outside the occupational therapy curriculum and meet the graduation requirements for a Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies.

Interdisciplinary Graduate Programs

Scott Eubanks, Interim Director of Graduate Programs
206 Showalter Hall
509.359.6566

Interdisciplinary programs using existing offerings from qualified departments may be arranged with the approval of the Director of Graduate Programs and a committee representing the fields of study involved. This committee, under the Director of Graduate Programs, provides the student with program advice and supervision.

Admission

Students applying for admission to a Master of Arts or Master of Science interdisciplinary degree program must follow the procedures for general admission to Graduate Programs as set forth previously in this catalog.

In addition, admission to an interdisciplinary degree program requires:

• GPA ≥3.0 for the last 90 graded quarter credits;
• approved program proposal that has the signature of faculty who agreed to serve as advisors. The Proposal form can be found on the Graduate Programs website.

Program Requirements

• Minimum of 50 quarter credits.
• No more than 12 credits at the 400 level.
• No more than 12 credits of independent study (499 or 599).
• Minimum of 20 credits in the major, including either a research project or thesis, and minimum of 15 credits in at least one minor field.

Submit the proposal to the Director of Graduate Programs listing the courses in the program of study. It must be signed and approved by the department chair in the major field and each minor field (or graduate program director for fields not located within a single department). Please include the following:

1. A statement written by the student explaining how the proposed combination of courses comprises an interdisciplinary degree program and is not simply a combination of courses from multiple disciplines;
2. The list of courses that integrates the various disciplines represented;
3. Identify the research component.

Approval of the program by the Director of Graduate Programs shall be forthcoming only after a meeting of the Vice Provost or designee and the student’s interdisciplinary faculty committee. A purpose of the meeting will be to clarify how the program is interdisciplinary and not simply a combination of courses from multiple disciplines.

The Interdisciplinary Program Review Committee (IPRC), a Committee to the Graduate Affairs Council, serves as the designee for the Vice Provost responsible for Graduate Programs and provides oversight and approval for graduate students submitting interdisciplinary program proposals.

The membership of the IPRC shall consist of three graduate faculty members appointed by the Graduate Affairs Council. At least one of the three Committee members must be a member of the Graduate Affairs Council.

The IPRC shall

• Review interdisciplinary program proposals distributed to them by the Graduate Programs Office;
• Meet with the student’s interdisciplinary faculty committee as required above;
• Request and review any additional information or materials from the student or the student’s interdisciplinary faculty committee members that is deemed necessary for assessing the general academic rigor of the proposed program of study; and
• Notify, in writing, the student, the student’s interdisciplinary faculty committee members, the Graduate Programs Office, the appropriate Vice Provost, and the Graduate Affairs Council of all committee decisions regarding interdisciplinary program proposals.

The student’s interdisciplinary faculty committee will consist of two or three graduate faculty members representing the disciplines with at least 15 credits in the program and will be chaired by a graduate faculty member from one of the fields represented who has the appropriate background to advise the student on the proposed interdisciplinary research. An oral comprehensive examination is required to complete an interdisciplinary graduate degree program.