Becoming an Integrated Studies Major

Integrated Studies is a four-year Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts degree that enables students to integrate two different courses of study into a single degree. The IS degree is an excellent choice for some students; other students are better served by a more traditional degree. It will be your task to decide whether our degree will serve you well.

Here are some questions you might want to ask yourself, and some possible answers:

After I graduate with this degree, what are my plans?

1. I want to be a high-school history or Spanish teacher. In this case, the IS degree is probably not a good choice, since you won't get enough credits in history or Spanish to certify as a high-school teacher.



2. I want to go to medical school or law school. This can be an excellent degree for these graduate programs (as long as you are careful to take the prerequisite classes).



3. I want to get a Masters of Business Administration. Again, this degree might be good preparation, as long as you take the necessary prerequisites.



4. I'm interested in graduate work in comparative literature, in public administration, in social work, etc. The IS degree might prepare you well for any given graduate program (we have graduates currently studying in MPA, MPH, Ph.D., MBA and other programs); but to be sure, look at several of the graduate-program web sites at the universities you are interested in to see what they recommend as preparation.



5. I plan to go into business of some kind, or to work for city or state government. If the job requires a college degree of some sort, and will provide specific training on the job, this degree may be perfect for your needs.

In short, whatever your plans when you graduate, do your homework to make sure an Integrated Studies degree is good for you.