Interdisciplinary Studies
Application Submission Deadlines
- September 15
- November 1
- February 15
- April 1
- Go to Application Page
Major in Interdisciplinary Studies
The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences recognizes that undergraduate students' academic and professional interests may be within more than one discipline, and that some interdisciplinary majors that students wish to pursue are not formally available at the University of Florida. As interdisciplinary approaches, research, and curricular activities are becoming increasingly appropriate and valuable within the liberal arts and sciences and between liberal arts and other fields, University of Florida students have the option to develop and pursue interdisciplinary majors that cross the boundaries of the various disciplines.
Students whose academic or professional interests are not met by a traditional academic department may major in Interdisciplinary Studies (IDS), through the CLAS Dean's Office. IDS applicants can initiate and design an individualized interdisciplinary program of study with the help of at least two academic advisors, if an established concentration does not meet their needs.
Many IDS students have enrolled in established interdisciplinary programs, each of which allows latitude for them to develop course work and research programs that suit their individual interests. The established concentrations include:
- American Indian and Indigenous Studies
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
- Biological Illustration
- Film and Media Studies
- Latin American Studies
- Medieval and Early Modern Studies (MEMS)
- Modern European Studies
- Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures (MELC)
- Neurobiological Sciences
Requirements
The IDS major is a limited access program. A 3.0 GPA is required for application. Students must choose two faculty members from different departments who agree to serve as advisors during the program, from the planning stages to completion (See Information for Faculty Sponsors Link.) At least one of these faculty must be from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Each interdisciplinary program of study must be approved by the College Committee on Interdisciplinary Studies and include at least 20 credit hours of 3000-4000 level coursework taken in two or more departments. All other College degree requirements (e.g., foreign language, basic distribution, electives, etc.) must be met. The student must also take at least seven credit hours of IDS 4906 (Independent Research) under the direction of one or both of the supervisory faculty members and produce a senior thesis which incorporates the findings of the research project. Students should begin planning an interdisciplinary program early on in the undergraduate career. Students may start the application process for the IDS program by the end of the 4th semester, beginning of the 5th semester. For information on requirements and procedures for the IDS major select Information for Students.
For further information or materials, contact the CLAS Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, 2014 Turlington Hall, (352) 392-2264, or select Student Information.
