Sponsored by the Division of Teaching & Learning Posted Wednesday, February 21, 2018 @ 5:40 PM Interdisciplinary Studies (IDS), part of the College of Undergraduate Studies, is a unique degree program that provides students with the flexibility to create a course of study that aligns with their interests and goals. With more than 1,400 majors in fall 2016, IDS is one of UCF’s largest degree programs. It also offers a Bachelor of Arts track in Transnational Gender, Race and Sexuality Studies, as well as a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Studies. IDS students choose two areas of study and a minor from options across UCF. They take an IDS Cornerstone course as incoming juniors and an IDS Capstone course as outgoing seniors. In these IDS courses, students learn to use the interdisciplinary process to address complex real-world issues across a range of contexts, issues that cannot be solved through a single disciplinary approach. While a disciplinary specialization can focus on one facet of an issue, an interdisciplinary approach provides multiple perspectives from multiple disciplines to produce innovative new solutions to issues such as biomedical ethics, sustainable resources, or child development and learning. Recent graduate Andrea Krebs is an example of a student who created a course of study to pursue her goal of being a landscape architect. She earned a B.S. in Environmental Science and a minor in Studio Art. Krebs said, “I chose IDS because I could study environmental science in a broader context and across multiple disciplines, an option that was a critical factor in my decision. To also pursue my interest in art has not only enriched my experience here at UCF but helps to set me apart in my career.” Read about Krebs’ journey to graduation on page eight of the spring 2017 issue of Catalyst. Visit the IDS website to learn more about this innovative degree program. Back