Interdisciplinary Studies
Faculty
Program Director: Tad Hixson
Program Mission
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 Goals
A primary goal of this interdisciplinary major is to encourage students in the breadth of their studies, while ensuring that they craft a cohesive and integrated plan for their coursework. The Interdisciplinary Studies thesis is the capstone course for this major, and provides students an opportunity to incorporate the various aspects of their studies into a larger research project. The program also seeks to serve transfer students, who are able to incorporate many of their transferred credits into the Interdisciplinary Studies major.