Interdisciplinary majors offered by the College of Arts & Sciences provide options for those who have not chosen a specialized major. They offer opportunities to create individual fields of emphasis for people who want to pursue multidisciplinary solutions to today’s complex problems.

Despite the popularity of specialized majors, employers have a growing recognition that individuals who are broadly trained, have knowledge of a culture other than their own, think well and analyze logically, and express themselves clearly and persuasively both in writing and speaking are highly desirable employees.

These students also are readily accepted in graduate and professional programs. It is important, however, for students to focus their programs somewhat. Consequently, the College of Arts & Sciences offers the following four interdisciplinary majors: humanities, life science, physical science and social science.

• Life science - Life science is a multidisciplinary major that deals with studies of living organisms and life processes.
• Physical science - Physical science is a multidisciplinary major that deals primarily with nonliving matter. It concerns itself with the theoretical and observable natural phenomena of our world and universe.
• Social science Social science is a branch of learning that examines society’s institutions — their structures, theoretical foundations, evolution and interrelationships — and how they affect and are affected by human behavior. The social science disciplines include American ethnic studies, anthropology, economics, geography, history, political science, psychology, sociology and women’s studies
• Humanities - Humanities disciplines require the study of cultural artifacts, traditions and activities. The purpose of cultural study is to learn what culture means and how the individual operates within it.

Humanities is a multidisciplinary major that deals with human thought and culture. Cultural study enables students to understand their own places in existing traditions and contribute positively to the development of new ones. Creativity, imagination, and interpretation are central to humanistic study. The humanities disciplines include American ethnic studies, anthropology, art, art history, communication studies, creative writing, dance, history, literature, mass communications, modern languages, music, philosophy, theater, and women’s studies.