Interdisciplinary Studies and Why I Chose It

Feb 6, 2019 • Ellie J.

Interdisciplinary Studies and Why I Chose It

Entering my freshman year here at Liberty, I was undecided about my major and I was unsure about a career. There wasn’t pressure for me to decide right away, so I waited until the second semester to declare a major.  Since then, I have changed my major three times.  Now, three years later, I’m studying Communication and Business through the Interdisciplinary Major – and I LOVE it.  

I have never been the type of person who wanted to do just one thing.  I want to know how to run a business, plan events, counsel people, serve in ministries, build interpersonal relationships, and more. Each time I thought I discovered the right major, I would soon realize it didn’t include everything I want to study.  But in the fall of 2018, I discovered Interdisciplinary Studies – and it was everything I could want and more!

Interdisciplinary Studies isn’t only for those who want to be well rounded or those who don’t know exactly what they want to do, it’s also for those who have a very specific career goal but need to combine different areas of study to get there.  For example, one of my friends is an Interdisciplinary Major studying Natural Science, Physical Science, and Health Science to become a Pediatric Physician Assistant!  There are so many incredible opportunities this major grants students!

Now you may be wondering, “How does this Interdisciplinary Major thing work?” I totally understand – I had plenty of questions too.  So, here are the basic elements to understanding how the Interdisciplinary Major works:

1. Choosing 2-3 Areas of Study:

“Areas of Study” are the disciplines you choose to build your unique major.  For example, my areas of study are Communication and Business.  Within those areas, there are numerous types of classes I can take.  Under Communication, I can take Journalism (JOUR), Speech Communication (SCOM), Media (DIGI), Linguistics (LING), Social Media (STCO), and Writing (WRIT) courses.  For Business, I can take Accounting (ACCT), Business (BUSI), and Economics (ECON) courses. There are hundreds of classes I can take between those options listed above, and I can choose them based on my passions and interests! There are 20 areas of study that are offered, you can combine 2-3 of them.

2. Meet with an Advisor:

Once you have an idea of your 2-3 areas of study, you must meet with an advisor to be approved!  Your advisor will help you with planning your classes and answering any questions you may have.  You will also have to decide on how you would like to split up the credits for your areas of study.  For example, I have 2 areas of study, I have 30 credits for Communication Studies, and 15 credits for Business.  If you choose to have 3 areas of study, 15 credits are required for each area of study. 

3. Choosing Classes:

This is the best part of Interdisciplinary Studies!  In any other major, there is a list of set classes you are required to take.  With Interdisciplinary Studies, you can choose any class under your chosen areas of study.  When my advisor told me I had this much freedom in choosing my classes (there are requirements that your advisor will make you aware of based on your specific circumstances), I was so surprised! I’m pretty sure I asked her to confirm 3 or 4 times that I could choose any class under my areas of study that I wanted! It’s pretty cool.  For example, I’ve taken Journalism classes, Marketing, Interpersonal Communication, Graphic Design, Project Management, and more.  I also have more room for electives, so I’ve had the blessing of taking a Women’s Leadership and Christian Counseling class!

When you look at the list of classes you need to take, it should excite you to grow and learn! Changing my major to Interdisciplinary Studies is one of the best choices I’ve made during my college years and allows me to be challenged and grow in a unique way!  Maybe Interdisciplinary is for you too!

Talk Soon,

Ellie