Sue Magyar, Director
department web page

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Faculty

Amy Lonn-O'Brien, Sue Magyar, Sheila Woodward.

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Degrees

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

BS–Interdisciplinary Studies: Interdisciplinary Aging Leadership & Administration 
BS–Interdisciplinary Studies: Interdisciplinary Behavioral Health 
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 Department offers students Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degree programs which empower them to accomplish a broad set of post-graduation goals.

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Interdisciplinary Studies Department Mission

The Interdisciplinary Studies Department at EWU is committed to academic excellence, personal growth, and the preparation of students for successful, versatile careers and pursuit of advanced degrees. The department collaborates across campus and the community to cultivate innovative and adaptable academic programs that foster integrated perspectives, and embrace the diverse needs of students and today’s workplace.

The department offers undergraduate degree majors that:

• are customizable;
• leverage transfer credit;
• offer online and on-campus course options;
• award academic credit for approved apprenticeships and certifications, portfolio submission, and other professional learning credentials;
• introduce foundational interdisciplinary research skills.

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What does it mean to major in Interdisciplinary Studies at EWU?

All students take Interdisciplinary Core courses, a Capstone course, and courses in their areas of interest (in consultation with the Program Director) as part of their major. Some students may earn credit for their professional backgrounds through a formal portfolio submission process. By majoring in Interdisciplinary Studies, students learn to critically analyze knowledge developed by multiple academic disciplines, resulting in an integrated understanding of complex community- and workplace-situated problems—essential experience in an increasingly interconnected world.

What students are best suited to major in Interdisciplinary Studies?

• Students who want to align their academic pursuits with their personal interests and professional aspirations and do not want to limit themselves to a single field of study.
• Students who want the educational worth of their real-world learning experiences recognized in the form of academic credit toward a degree.
• Students whose previously earned credits do not fit neatly into other degree majors.
• Students who are interested in the emerging field of Interdisciplinary research approaches.

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Course Challenge

The Course Challenge 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. Academic department faculty establish the evaluation criteria to determine the student's learning which must be comparable to the content of the EWU course being challenged. All course challenges are initiated through the Interdisciplinary Studies department and must be approved by the department chair of the course in assessment. For more information, contact the Interdisciplinary Studies Department at interdisciplinary@ewu.edu. 

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Interdisciplinary Graduate Programs

Scott Eubanks, 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). Include the following with the proposal:

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.