Interdisciplinary Studies & Arts
Solve Global Problems Through An Interdisciplinary Lens
The Interdisciplinary Studies major is designed for students interested in a variety of disciplines including politics, law, business, education, social work, health care, urban policy, media, and cultural work and prepares students to tackle problems that cannot be solved from a single disciplinary perspective. Working with mentors across the SFC's academic divisions, IDS majors create an individualized major based on their unique interests, passions, and career goals.
Choose 2 interdisciplinary areas of focus:
- American Studies
- Environmental Studies
- Women’s and Gender Studies
Select 1 proficiency:
- Digital Humanities
- Migration Studies
- Visual Studies
Courses options include:
- Ecology & the Environment
- Environmental Writers
- Biodesign & Biomimicry
- Philosophy & the Natural World
- Introduction to the Digital Humanities
- Story in the Digital Age
- Gender in American Literature & Culture
- Women in Film & Video
- Gender & Sexuality in Marketing
- Economic Issues Today
- Sustainable Development: The Business Case
- Global Migration
- Art of Social Change
About the Department
Mission
- The IDS major exposes students to interdisciplinary perspectives on national and global issues, fosters fluency in methodologies from across the College’s four divisions, and develops the writing, communication, research, and technical skills necessary to accomplish the goals of each student’s program.
- IDS frames a multidisciplinary foundation for analysis, critique, policy formation, and public service that prepares graduates for a variety of careers in politics, law, business, education, social work, health care, urban policy, media, and cultural work.
- IDS students engage in intersectional thinking to identify connections between environmental concerns and resources, population dynamics, gender, race, class, and nationality.
- IDS students apply the methodologies of multiple disciplines to the research and analysis of topics that defy traditional disciplinary boundaries.
- IDS students engage the city as a platform for identifying, researching, and analyzing complex inter-, intra-, and cross-disciplinary topics of historical and contemporary significance.
Goals
- Apply the methodologies of multiple disciplines to the research and analysis of topics that defy traditional disciplinary boundaries.
- Engage in intersectional thinking to identify connections between environmental concerns & resources, population dynamics, gender, race, class, and nationality.
- Engage the city as a platform for identifying, researching, & analyzing complex inter-, intra-, and cross-disciplinary topics of historical & contemporary significance.
Objectives
- Students will write and speak authoritatively about scholarly and practical issues, using the analytical and methodological tools from across different disciplines
- Students will design and execute a year-long research project that culminates in a final paper or another kind of culminating project such as a film, digital mapping project, business plan, or exhibition.
- Students will gain hands-on experience in an industry or organization that relates to one or more of the student’s concentrations within the major.
Interdisciplinary Studies & Arts Programs
Interdisciplinary Studies, B.A.
Global Studies, B.A.
Spanish, B.A.
American Studies Minor
Environmental Studies Minor
Fine Arts Minor
French Minor
Italian Minor
Music Minor
Spanish Minor
Women’s and Gender Studies Minor
OUTCOME DRIVEN EDUCAITON
Director at Olive Oil Council
BA Communication Arts
BA/MA Psychology, Co-Valedictorian
BA Education, McGuire Scholar
BS Management
BA, Health Promotion and Sciences
“My great takeaway from my years at St. Francis was the fact that I was so well supported as a student, as a person, and that I gained so much confidence during my tenure there.”
“There is a small intimate [filmmaking] community here that drove me creatively. Especially Dr. Palmer...she became a mentor in a way. We are on the same playing field with our interest in film.”
“St. Francis has the spirit of community. I would not be where I am today without the support of my peers and faculty. All the staff helps students a lot.”
“I wanted to go somewhere where I had the opportunity to build relationships with my professors and just to be able to have that support system when you need one. And that was something that I got.”
“As a professor, she [Sanchez-Persampieri] just taught me so many lessons about being your own person and being honest.”
“The best part is the connection with my professors. When I was at my other college, I never got to have that experience.”