Mission Statement

The Program in Integrated Studies serves students with interests and capabilities in more than one scholarly discipline. The degree trades disciplinary depth for breadth and for cross-disciplinary research and writing that culminate in a senior thesis. The Program encourages and supports interdisciplinary study across campus.

Integrated Studies

• Advising: See Mark Olson or Brandon Springer (below)
• Email: IS_Advising@uvu.edu
• Appointments: Please call 801-863-8455 or 801-863-5888

• Program Coordinator: Mark Olson 
• Telephone: 801-863-5888
• Email: mark.olson@uvu.edu
• Mail Stop: 145A

• Administrative Support: Brandon Springer
  
• Telephone: 801-863-8455
• Email: brandon.springer@uvu.edu
• Mail Stop: 145A

Curriculum

The individualized nature of the Integrated Studies degree is attractive to students with multiple interests. Students integrate course work in emphases such as biology, earth science, business, leadership, health, literature, languages, communication, philosophy, psychology, sociology, anthropology, and the arts. Emphases from computer science and information systems, accounting, and technology management are also offered as part of this degree.

Special Program Characteristics

• Students engage in interdisciplinary work that culminates in a senior thesis.
• Students receive one-on-one feedback from multiple faculty advisors throughout their senior thesis process.
• Students completing the Integrated Studies degree have developed skills in thinking, problem solving, collaborative work, gathering and analyzing data, writing, and speaking, and have done so on the foundation of solid (but not exhaustive) disciplinary emphases.
• Faculty do campus-wide interdisciplinary work that includes team teaching across disciplines and collaborative projects.
• The campus and local community benefit from our lecture series and our interdisciplinary conferences, as well as from our student-published journal, Intersections.

Summary of the Degree

• After becoming familiar with the material on the IS website, meet with advisors to plan course work. Various emphases may require specific courses and minimum grades. 2.5 GPA required for application.
• Become matriculated into Integrated Studies by submitting an academic plan and an interest essay which must be signed by department advisors and the Integrated Studies committee.
• Complete two approved 18-21 credit hour emphases from the following colleges/schools: College of Humanities and Social Sciences; College of Science and Health; College of Technology and Computing; School of the Arts; Woodbury School of Business. More than 40 emphasis areas are available. For a list, please visit www.uvu.edu/is.
• Complete the Integrated Studies Discipline Core with a minimum grade of C- in each class.
• Complete forty hours of upper-division course work as part of the requirements in the emphasis areas & IS Core.
• Complete thirty hours of course work in residency at UVU; at least 10 of these must be completed at UVU within the last 45 credit hours earned.
• For a Bachelor of Arts degree, students must complete the 202G/2020 class in the chosen foreign language. For a Bachelor of Science degree, students must complete either MATH 1210 or MATH 2040.

Program Learning Outcomes

1. Graduates will be able to gather and analyze information to develop a Capstone Thesis which incorporates knowledge from their two (or three) emphasis areas, upper division theory courses, and Integrated Studies topics courses. 
2. Graduates will be able to discuss and defend their Capstone Thesis/Project with particular attention to how concepts from their emphases are incorporated through work on a problem that requires interdisciplinary tools.  
3. Graduates will be able to apply research and writing skills to demonstrate informational and technical literacy.