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The Interdisciplinary Studies Degree program makes unexpected connections.
Think in terms of “and” instead of “this or that.” Get a college education built around your passions.
Color outside the lines of traditional college majors. Prepare for the changing careers in today’s dynamic world. There’s plenty of inspiration for your interdisciplinary studies degree from across the liberal arts curriculum – and beyond.
What’s your passion?
- Build true leadership skills during new adventures in the wild. Then learn how to use those critical skills anywhere from the backcountry to the office in Outdoor Adventure Leadership.
- Research some of the many ways to build a better future. Our communities, our economies, our environment, our cultures, and our lifestyles are all pieces of Sustainability.
- Are you an artist who wants to make a living doing what you love? An entrepreneur who wants to market your ideas with flair and impact? Turn your passion into your livelihood in Digital Arts & Business.
- Good information and an open society have never been more important – or more complicated. From print newspapers to this year’s newest digital tech, learn the skills and explore the issues in Journalism and Media.
- Help people improve their personal well-being using the arts as therapy. Combine human psychology and counseling skills with creative freedom in Psychology with Art or Music.
What Is Interdisciplinary Studies?
Interdisciplinary studies is a hands-on, project-focused, get-out-there-and-make-something program. You might be growing greens, shooting video, or buried in the snow learning avalanche rescue. And that’s just during class! You’ll intern with a local non-profit or business to try out your ideas in practice. Your service learning project will make a difference you can see in your community. Then, you’ll draw on the whole range of your interdisciplinary studies experiences to design – and carry through – your senior project. That project will focus on building a real solution to a problem that’s important to you.
Our alumni have gone on to get advanced degrees, and to guide and teach in wild places worldwide. They run their own successful businesses. They uncover the truth and report it, wherever they find it. They research new ways to help the environment and improve people’s personal lives. Most of all, they contribute their talents and skills to their communities across the globe.
Meet INTD alumnus Nick Cahill
Major: Interdisciplinary Studies in Digital Arts and Management
Class of 2013
Nick Cahill, Media Director for Force 12 Media, first became involved with video and photography making videos of his friends' sweet adventures and taking photographs of the racecar he built. His education in digital arts at SNC gave him the skills and experience to take his work to a professional level. . . . Read More
Class of 2013
Nick Cahill, Media Director for Force 12 Media, first became involved with video and photography making videos of his friends' sweet adventures and taking photographs of the racecar he built. His education in digital arts at SNC gave him the skills and experience to take his work to a professional level. . . . Read More
Meet INTD alumnus Marina McCoy
Major: Interdisciplinary Studies in Sustainability, Ski Business and Resort Management
Class of 2016
"Waste Free Earth isn’t just about music festivals. It’s about using music festivals as a platform to inspire environmental sustainability in our everyday lives and in our communities. Imagine the kind of impact that would have.” . . . Read More
Class of 2016
"Waste Free Earth isn’t just about music festivals. It’s about using music festivals as a platform to inspire environmental sustainability in our everyday lives and in our communities. Imagine the kind of impact that would have.” . . . Read More
How to Earn Your Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies Degree
Concentrations in: Outdoor Adventure Leadership, Sustainability, Digital Arts and Business, Journalism and Media, and Psychology and Art or Music.
Looking for something else? Talk to your advisor about designing a concentration to fit.
Academic Core: The academic core of your Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies Degree will be 55 to 60 required upper-level credits. Those credits are split between your chosen disciplines.
Interdisciplinary Studies Core: The interdisciplinary studies courses are all centered around projects which you choose based on your interests and career goals. Your projects will be “living labs” for you to integrate ideas and practical skills. In the process, you’ll also work on problem solving, critical thinking, adaptability, and other “soft” skills. These will help you be successful in any career.
Sophomore Year:
Principles of Interdisciplinary Studies [INTD 250] is the first step into integrative learning. Students explore ways to connect their disciplines, and turn their ideas into project goals.
Junior Year:
Service Learning [INTD 300] challenges students to use their initiative and turn their interests into actions. Students partner with local organizations to help meet a real need in the community. This class dares students to get out and do it — and they do.
Senior Year:
Senior Portfolio [INTD 493] guides students as they draw on all that they’ve learned to create their final project. At the end of the year, they present their results at the Humanities Symposium. In the process, students also make a portfolio of all of their undergraduate work. This is both a great resource for job interviews and a record of their personal growth.
Our Interdisciplinary Studies Faculty
We are proud of our faculty’s commitment to both their students and their disciplines. Their enthusiasm and knowledge will support and challenge you throughout your college years and beyond. Here are a few >
Study community engagement with Katie Zanto, who founded a successful non-profit to empower underserved youth. It has been helping young people succeed for over 15 years by combining literacy and wilderness experiences.
Study journalism with Jim Scripps. He began his career as a community newspaper reporter and editor, then made a long detour into marketing. He was inspired to come back to journalism when he worked with SNU students on the Eagle’s Eye, the student-run newspaper.
Study art and music therapy with Donna Axton, a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and professional musician. She played the piano on 21 popular country-western, boogie-woogie, gospel, and rock-and-roll albums.
Study digital art with Chris Lanier. He is a prize-winning animator, published graphic novelist and cartoonist, and commercial web and graphic designer. He is also a self-described “fan of cheap irony”.
Study outdoor leadership with Rosie Hackett. Her goal is students who become “growth” junkies, passionate leaders, skilled outdoor guides, and lifelong environmental stewards. She can also bring you back smiling from three bone-chilling days of rain, sleet, and snow.
