• classes combined from a variety of departments into a major program individualized to the student’s interests

A Bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from Belmont Abbey College offers the opportunity for adult students at Belmont Abbey to pursue a degree spanning several areas of study. Students frequently take courses in Business, Education, Psychology, Sociology, Theology, and/or Criminal Justice, combining them into a unique program that suits their needs and future plans.

You’ll enjoy studying Interdisciplinary Studies at the Abbey if you:

  • like working independently and creatively
  • are disciplined and self-motivated in your studies
  • a well-rounded approach that will prepare you to communicate effectively and work knowledgeably in any career environment
  • an intentionally open-ended program so that you can best prepare yourself for your chosen career

Whatever discipline or combination of disciplines you choose to follow, your studies will be immersed in a liberal arts atmosphere promoting excellence and virtue in all things.

  • a career in any field you choose to pursue
  • graduate study in your area of interest

Largely a self-designed major, Belmont Abbey College’s Bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary Studies is designed to give students a solid liberal grounding to launch a career in any field.

The Abbey Difference:

The Interdisciplinary Studies major fosters students’ interests in a variety of disciplines, promotes a cross-disciplinary approach to their course of study, and reveals the ways in which such integration is fundamental to the Catholic, Benedictine liberal arts tradition. As we see in Ex Corde Ecclesiae, interdisciplinary studies, grounded in philosophy and theology, enable students to “develop a continuing desire for intellectual progress,” to grow in faith, and to become more aware of the dignity of human life, motivating them to work for God’s glory and for the benefit of their neighbor.

Program Requirements:

Students who declare Interdisciplinary Studies as their major must meet with the Director of Interdisciplinary Studies to design a major course of study from the various disciplines of study Belmont Abbey College offers. Interdisciplinary Studies majors must then meet with the Director each semester to assess their progress and to schedule the coursework of the following semester.

Major Requirements:

  • BU 315W Business Communications
  • CS elective
  • Eight (8) 300/400 Level Courses
  • Interdisciplinary Studies Capstone*

*The Interdisciplinary Capstone requirement is met through one of the following options:

  • OPTION A:
    • IS 308 Research Methods and Writing
    • IS 408W Interdisciplinary Studies Thesis
  • OPTION B:
    • IS 466 Interdisciplinary Studies Internship & Seminar

Other Courses:

  • General Electives, totaling 31-36 credit hours

  • Obtain a minor advisor, typically a full-time member of the faculty from one of the disciplines included in the minor. This advisor will assist the student with issues pertaining to the interdisciplinary minor.
  • Submit a one-page statement of interest describing the student’s motivation, intended coursework, and the unifying theme of the chosen courses. This statement of interest must be approved by the minor advisor, the student’s major advisor, and the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. Approved statements of interest will be submitted to the Registrar; completed minors at the time of graduation will be noted on the final transcript.
  • Complete no fewer than five courses and no more than seven courses in the minor. There may not be more than one course in the minor that is in the core curriculum or that is required by the student’s major; if applicable, this course must be at the 200-level or above.
  • Choose courses in at least two, different academic disciplines for the minor.
  • Select a maximum of two lower-division (100 or 200-level) courses for the minor.
  • Complete and file the application for the minor with the Registrar before the final semester of study.
  • Seek approval from the minor advisor, the major advisor, and the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs for any exceptions to the course stipulations mentioned above.
  • Submit an integrative paper (after all coursework for the minor has been completed) of at least one page that highlights the cross-disciplinary linkages relevant to the theme of the minor.
  • Deliver the integrative paper to the minor advisor and to an appropriate second reader chosen in consultation with the minor advisor.

NOTE: Integrative papers will be graded on a pass/fail basis. The minor advisor will notify the Registrar when all requirements (including successful completion of the integrative paper) for the interdisciplinary minor have been satisfied.

Interdisciplinary Studies Resources:

Many students who major inInterdisciplinary Studies pursue an internship to enrich their educational experience. Students often arrange internships through the business department, but they are not limited to the business department. Students who wish to find an internship in their area of interest may contact Stephannie Miles: stephanniemiles@bac.edu.

Highlights of your experience:

This course is dedicated to preparing each student to write his or her senior thesis. The course focuses on academic research, and students begin to pursue their own research projects under the guidance of faculty supervisors. The course culminates in the presentation of each student’s thesis proposal, and students are poised to begin writing their senior thesis papers.

This is the capstone course in the Interdisciplinary Studies major. It consists of independent work carried out under the guidance of faculty members with credentials appropriate to the topic. The research will be fashioned into a thesis paper that should reflect both the student’s own interests and the level of academic maturity that each student has achieved.

Program Director: 

Robert R. (Tad) Hixson, Jr.
Director of Interdisciplinary Studies
B.A., University of Georgia
M.A., Winthrop University

Classroom