阿肯色大学小石城校区

The Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies (MAIS) is an interdisciplinary approach to university studies. The program combines the development of critical thinking, writing, and research abilities with the study of specialized knowledge in two complementary disciplines. Students pursuing the MAIS degree choose program emphases and design unique curricula in consultation with the MAIS graduate program coordinator.

The MAIS degree is designed for persons who wish to continue their liberal education at the graduate level or add breadth to a more specialized undergraduate degree. The communication skills, critical thinking skills, and interdisciplinary methodology gained in the program are not only valuable in themselves but attractive to a wide range of employers as well.

Program Requirements

The MAIS degree requires 33 credit hours of graduate course work, 55%, (18 hours) of which can be at the 5000 level. The requirements are as follows:

Core Courses (Six hours)

All students take both required IDST courses:

IDST 7310 - Introduction to Interdisciplinary Studies :Three hours

This course should be taken in the student’s first fall semester.

IDST 7391 - Interdisciplinary Capstone :Three hours

This course should be taken after completing 27 hours of MAIS courses and in final semester.

Program Options

The MAIS degree allows the student to design a curriculum that includes a variety of graduate level courses. The combination of a primary discipline with one or two adjunct areas allows for greater breadth and the ability to focus on a particular problem or a subject that does not fit within traditional academic disciplines. In addition to the 6 hours of the required IDST courses, all students choose either the 2-concentration track or the 3-concentration track upon admission to the program for 27 hours of disciplinary study.

2-Concentration Track (27 hours)

• Courses in one ALS or SSC discipline: 15 hours
• Courses in a second discipline: 12 hours

3-Concentration Track (27 hours)

• Courses in one ALS or SSC discipline: 12 hours
• Courses in a second discipline: 9 hours
• Courses in a third discipline: 6 hours