Interdisciplinary Studies Program

Student-Designed Interdisciplinary Studies Majors

To apply for the Interdisciplinary Studies Major, students must propose a plan for an individualized curriculum. Here are three model majors you can use as starting points for your own individualized curriculum.

Model Plans for Individualized Curricula

I. Required Support:

Complete 5 of 5 courses for a total of 15 credits

HIST 211 World History I OR HIST 111 World Civilizations before AD 1300 (3)
HIST 212 World History II OR HIST 112 World Civilizations since AD 1300 (3)
LING 238 Introduction to Linguistics (3)
POL 250 Introduction to International Relations (3)
ECON 200 Introduction to Macroeconomics (3)

II. Core Courses:

Complete 3 of 3 history courses for a total of 11 credits
HIST 335 Oral History (Asian American History) (3)
HIST 365 WE/Asian History Survey (4)
HIST 448 History of China I OR HIST 449 History of China II (4)

Complete 3 of 3 cultural courses for a total of 12 credits
CHIN 311 Chinese Culture (3)
PHRE 311 The Buddhist Tradition (3) OR PHRE 314 Chinese Religions (3)
ECON 348 Economy of East Asia (3)

III. Chinese Language and Linguistics

Complete 5 of 5 language courses for a total of 15 credits.

CHIN 312 Third-Year Chinese I (3)
CHIN 313 Third-Year Chinese II (3)
CML 429 Advanced Chinese I (3)
CML 429 Advanced Chinese II (3)
CHIN 3xx Topics in Chinese (3)

Complete 3 of 4 courses for a total of 11-12 credits

LING 250 English Linguistics for the Classroom (3)
LING 308 Principles of Second-Language Teaching (4)
LING 324 Topics in Sociolinguistics (4)
LING 412 Teaching ESL/EFL (4)

IV. Study Abroad:

Minimum of 8 credits (no more than 17 credits)

Critical Language Scholarship Program (8 credits, transferred through Bryn Mawr College) Sponsored by the United States Department of State and American Councils, the Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program is an intensive overseas language and cultural immersion program through which I studied Mandarin Chinese in an intensive immersive environment for 8 weeks of the summer in 2018 in Xi’An, China.

CNSE Mandarin Grammar and Writing 6 (4)

CNSE Mandarin Speaking and Listening 6 (4)

NOTE: This model could easily be adapted to emphasize Japanese language and culture.

Core Courses (9 credits total)

COMM 315 Family Communication 3

ED 520 Principles of Early Childhood Education 3

ED 521 Teaching Experience: Early Childhood Field Experience 1

IDSM 400 – Readings in Interdisciplinary Studies 2

Methodology Courses (6 credits total)

PSYC 266 Experimental Psychology 3

ED 393 Clinical Experiences in Teaching 3

Influences Surrounding Children (9 credits total)

POL 262 American State and Local Government

SOAN 215 Social Problems 3

SOAN 260 Social Institutions 3

ED 389 Foundations of Education 3

HLTH 245 Substance Abuse Prevention 3

JUST 332 Juvenile Delinquency 3

Child Development (12 credits)

CMDS 460 Language Development 3

DS 225 Topics in Disability Studies: Autism Spectrum 1

ES 235 Fundamental Movement and Tumbling 3

ED 593 Psychological Foundations of Education 3

HLTH 260 Human Sexuality 3

PSYC 332 Child Development 3

PSYC 337 The Autism Spectrum 3 (may not stay in regular rotation)

PSYC 377 Developmental Psychology 3

SED 530 Psychology of the Exceptional Child 3

SED 535 Counseling, Collaboration and Consultation with Parents and Families 3

Learning Education (7 credits total)

ENG 415 Literature for Children 4

ENG 416 Young Adult Literature 4

GEOG 111 The Geographic Perspective 3 OR GEOG 211, Global Geography 3

JINS 385 Controversial Issues in Children’s and Young Adult Literature 3

Group 1: Methodology

Complete 2 of 2 courses for a minimum total of 7 credits

PSYC 266 Experimental Psychology (3)

BIOL 107 General Biology I (4)

Group 2: Core Courses (no substitutions allowed)

Complete 4 of 4 courses for a minimum total of 13 credits

BIO 333 Introduction to Neurobiology (3)

PSYC 321 Physiological Psychology (3)

BIOL 322 Principles of Human Physiology (4)

BIOL 518 Advanced Neurobiology (3)

Group 3: Biochemistry of Neuroscience

Complete 1 of 2 courses for a minimum total of 3 credits

CHEM 335 Biochemistry I: Structure and Function (3)

CHEM 350 Analytical Chemistry for Life Sciences (4)

Group 4: Biology of Neuroscience

Complete 2 of 6 courses for a minimum total of 6 credits, but up to 12 credits.

BIOL 441 Biology Research I-III (1)

BIOL 551 Genetics of Human Disorders (4) (note: rare offering)

BIOL 362 Embryology and Developmental Biology (4)

BIOL 517 Mammalogy (4)

Group 5: Psychology of Neuroscience

Complete 2 of 5 courses for a minimum total of 6 credits

PSYC 366 Psychology of Abnormal Behavior (3)

PSYC 370 Human Sensation and Perception (3)

PSYC 373 Learning and Memory (3)

PSYC 430 Psychopharmacology: Drugs and Behavior (3)

PSYC 440 – Psychology of Human Consciousness (3)

JINS 3001 Interdisciplinary Exploration of Human Consciousness (3)

Group 6: Neurological Medicine

Complete 2 of 5 courses for a minimum total of 4 credits

PHRE 350 – Biomedical Ethics (3)

HLTH 200 Medical Terminology (1)

ES 342 Biomechanics with Lab (4)

HLTH 320 Patient Education and Clinical Health Promotion (3)

Interdisciplinary Majors Designed by Truman Students

Activism
Agricultural Management
American Studies
Art Therapy
Behavioral Economics
Biochemistry
Biomedical Physics
Bioscience Administration
Celtic and Irish Studies
Chinese Studies
Cognitive Science
Comparative Literature
Computational Neurobiology
Cultural Relations
Environmental Business
Environmental Education
Environmental Studies
Film Studies
Foreign Relations
Gender Studies
Global Development
Hispanic Language Learners
Historical Inquiry
International Relations
Italian Studies
Japanese Studies
Labor Studies
Latin American Development
Leadership Theory
Legal Studies
Media Studies
Medical Justice
Medieval Studies
Middle  Eastern Studies
Modern European Studies
Narrative
Peace and Justice
Philosophy and Literature
Political and Cultural Advocacy
Public Administration
Rhetoric and Power
Romanticism
Social Documentation
Social Ecology
Sustainable Economic Development
Translation
Visual and Critical Studies
Women’s Studies

Have questions? Contact Interdisciplinary Studies.