Interdisciplinary Studies
Department of Philosophy
The College of Arts and Sciences
Program Director & Chair
Louis A. Mancha, Associate Professor of Philosophy
Degree Offered
Bachelor of Science
Student Learning Outcomes
Students in the IDS program will complete a Capstone Thesis that will identify important concepts, skills, and values necessary to unify the program Foundations Sequence of practical thinking and ethics with their two chosen concentrations. Students will work with a faculty mentor to discern an appropriate topic that involves gathering and presenting research from multiple sources to meet the following SLOs:
Identify commonalities in concepts spread over two different concentrations
Apply concepts of practical thinking and ethics to area concentrations within the program
Analyze applications for combining concepts associated with different concentration
Evaluate the benefits of combining different concentration areas
Description of Major
The B.S. in Interdisciplinary Studies Major provides students with an opportunity to complete a focused, skill-based degree with a primary foundation in practical thinking and ethics. In addition, the student will develop this foundation through the choice of two concentrations in either the Humanities, the Sciences, or a Professional (business-oriented) practicum. It will conclude with a capstone thesis, that will require the student to unify the foundation with the concentrations into a cohesive understanding.
This program has two unique advantages: (1) It prepares students for a broad range of careers across fields such as marketing, supply chain management, social work, hospitality services, and finance. For example, entrepreneurial graduates might start their own business or work for businesses in related areas. (2) Yet it also empowers our students to become careful, critical thinkers, and to learn how to apply principles of integrity and ethical decision-making to address real-world issues. Both of these are central to the mission and core values of Ashland University.
Courses and Descriptions