Catalog Year: 2020-2021
The MA in interdisciplinary studies is for students who seek a master's degree that integrates knowledge from several disciplines. It addresses the rapidly evolving demand for unique graduate study by promoting advanced scholarship that transcends traditional disciplinary boundaries. Students can pursue one of the following structured interdisciplinary concentrations and also have the opportunity to design an individualized concentration to meet the special needs of their careers.
The MAIS in Interdisciplinary Studies with a concentration in Energy and Sustainability is a Green Leaf program.
The University Catalog is the authoritative source for information on program requirements and courses. The Schedule of Classes is the authoritative source for information on classes scheduled for this semester. See the Schedule for the most up-to-date information and see Patriot web to register for classes. Requirements may be different for earlier catalog years. See the University Catalog archives.
Total credits: 36
This is a Green Leaf program.
The Green Leaf status for this program applies only to the concentration in Energy and Sustainability.
Students should be aware of the specific policies associated with this program, located on the Admissions & Policies tab.
Students pursuing this degree must successfully complete 36 credits of graduate coursework in a concentration. Students must submit a curriculum worksheet that has been approved by their concentration head and the director. All students complete their work in the program with a project or thesis.
This concentration is designed for students interested in careers in energy and sustainability-related positions in the public, private, or non-profit sectors, including law, national and international policy, media, government, and business. As one of the University's Green Leaf academic programs, the concentration in energy and sustainability focuses on finding ways to meet present needs for energy and material goods without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. A sustainability education lies at the intersection of environmental science, engineering, economics, business, public policy, social justice, and many other areas. Energy required to fuel all of these endeavors is a crucial component of sustainability.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| MAIS 796 | MAIS ProSeminar | 1 |
| Total Credits | 1 | |
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| EVPP 533 | Energy Policy | 3 |
| GGS 507 | Geographic Approaches for Sustainable Development | 3 |
| Natural Science Course | ||
| PHYS 581 | Topics in Renewable Energy | 3 |
| or GEOL 521 | Geology of Energy Resources | |
| Total Credits | 9 | |
Students choose from the following courses or other relevant courses chosen in consultation with an advisor.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Select two courses from the following: | 6 | |
|
BIOD 760
|
National Security Technology and Policy | |
| Special Topics in Economics 1 | ||
|
EVPP 505
|
Selected Topics in Environmental Science (take 3 credits) 2 | |
|
EVPP 638
|
Corporate Environmental Management and Policy | |
|
EVPP 642
|
Environmental Policy | |
|
GGS 525
|
Economics of Human/Environment Interactions | |
|
POGO 550
|
Topics in Policy and Government (when topic involves environmental or sustainability policy) | |
|
PUBP 710
|
Topics in Public Policy 3 | |
| Total Credits | 6 | |
| 1 |
When the topic involves environmental or sustainability policy. |
| 2 |
When the topic involves energy or sustainability policy. |
| 3 |
When the topic involves environmental or sustainability issues. |
Students choose from the following courses or other relevant courses chosen in consultation with an advisor.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Select two courses from the following: | 6 | |
| Climate Change and Sustainability Communication Campaigns | ||
| Problems in American History 1 | ||
| Special Topics in Economics 2 | ||
| Contemporary Issues in Social Justice Human Rights | ||
|
ITRN 760
|
International Environmental Politics | |
| Environmental Ethics | ||
| Religion and the Natural Environment | ||
| Total Credits | 6 | |
| 1 |
When the topic involves environmental or sustainability issues. |
| 2 |
When the topic involves environmental or sustainability policy. |
Students choose from the following courses or other relevant courses chosen in consultation with an advisor.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Select one from the following: | 3-4 | |
|
CEIE 601
|
Infrastructure Modeling | |
|
EVPP 638
|
Corporate Environmental Management and Policy | |
|
EVPP 650
|
Ecosystem Analysis and Modeling | |
|
EVPP 693
|
Directed Studies in Environmental Science and Public Policy (take 3 credits) | |
| Total Credits | 3-4 | |
Students choose from the following courses or other relevant courses chosen in consultation with an advisor.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Select one from the following: | 3 | |
|
CLIM 690
|
Scientific Basis of Climate Change | |
|
EVPP 607
|
Fundamentals of Ecology | |
|
EVPP 677
|
Applied Ecology and Ecosystem Management | |
| Total Credits | 3 | |
Students who wish to take MAIS 798 Interdisciplinary Studies Project for their capstone research experience will take one course (3 credits) of electives from courses listed below or other relevant course chosen in consultation with an advisor. They may also fulfill this requirement with experiential learning. Students who wish to take MAIS 799 Interdisciplinary Studies Thesis will not take an elective course or pursue experiential learning credits.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Select 0-3 credits from the following: | 0-3 | |
|
BIOD 760
|
National Security Technology and Policy | |
|
CEIE 601
|
Infrastructure Modeling | |
|
CEIE 664
|
Transportation Engineering and the Environment | |
|
CLIM 690
|
Scientific Basis of Climate Change | |
| Climate Change and Sustainability Communication Campaigns | ||
| Special Topics in Economics 1 | ||
|
EVPP 505
|
Selected Topics in Environmental Science (take 3 credits) 1 | |
|
EVPP 607
|
Fundamentals of Ecology | |
|
EVPP 638
|
Corporate Environmental Management and Policy | |
|
EVPP 642
|
Environmental Policy | |
|
EVPP 650
|
Ecosystem Analysis and Modeling | |
|
EVPP 677
|
Applied Ecology and Ecosystem Management | |
|
EVPP 693
|
Directed Studies in Environmental Science and Public Policy (take 3 credits) | |
|
GEOL 521
|
Geology of Energy Resources | |
|
GGS 525
|
Economics of Human/Environment Interactions | |
| Problems in American History 2 | ||
| Contemporary Issues in Social Justice Human Rights | ||
|
ITRN 760
|
International Environmental Politics | |
| Experiential Learning (or other relevant graduate-level internship or practicum course) 3 | ||
| Environmental Ethics | ||
|
PHYS 581
|
Topics in Renewable Energy | |
|
PUBP 710
|
Topics in Public Policy 2 | |
|
PUBP 721
|
Transportation Economics | |
| Religion and the Natural Environment | ||
| Total Credits | 0-3 | |
| 1 |
When the topic involves environmental or sustainability policy. |
| 2 |
When the topic involves environmental or sustainability issues. |
| 3 |
Students may fulfill their elective credits with experiential learning. Experiential learning opportunities can include internships, service-learning, consulting projects, and field studies or research (including overseas). Because the intention is to develop and apply newly acquired skills, students may not use work done previously or their current employment to fulfill this requirement. All experiential learning projects must be approved by the social entrepreneurship concentration head the semester before registering for the course. |
Students choose one of the following courses or other relevant courses in consultation with an advisor.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Select one course from the following: | 3 | |
|
BINF 690
|
Numerical Methods for Bioinformatics | |
|
EVPP 632
|
Qualitative Research Methods for Environmental Scientists | |
|
EVPP 650
|
Ecosystem Analysis and Modeling | |
|
EVPP 651
|
Multivariate Data Analysis for Ecology and Environmental Science | |
| Interdisciplinary Research Methods | ||
|
OR 682
|
Computational Methods in Engineering and Statistics | |
|
POGO 511
|
Introductory Data Analysis for Policy and Government | |
|
PUBP 710
|
Topics in Public Policy 1 | |
| Methods and Logic of Social Inquiry | ||
| Total Credits | 3 | |
| 1 |
When topic is Analytical Methods for Science, Technology and Innovation Policy. |
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| MAIS 797 | Interdisciplinary Studies Proposal | 1 |
| Total Credits | 1 | |
Students who wish to do a project in lieu of a thesis will take 1 credit of MAIS 798 Interdisciplinary Studies Project and an additional 3 credit elective course from the courses listed under the electives requirement. Students who choose to write a thesis will take 4 credits of MAIS 799 Interdisciplinary Studies Thesis and no additional electives.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Zero to three credits of electives | 0-3 | |
| Select one from the following: | 1-4 | |
| Interdisciplinary Studies Project (take 1 credit) | ||
| Interdisciplinary Studies Thesis (take 4 credits) | ||
| Total Credits | 4 | |
Students interested in pursuing a dual master's program linking philosophy and another discipline should discuss their interest with the graduate program directors of both programs and review the university policies regarding Individualized Dual Master's Degree Programs. Students approved to pursue dual master's study linking the MA philosophy degree and the Interdisciplinary Studies, MAIS with a concentration in women and gender studies will complete WMST 630 Feminist Theories across the Disciplines/PHIL 658 Feminist Theory and 3 additional credits of WMST courses approved by the Department of Philosophy to apply to the philosophy degree as elective credit. Six credits of approved PHIL credits will apply to the MAIS degree as elective credit. Application to the second master's program should be pursued with consultation of the directors of both programs. Admission to the second master's program will require that the student has met the minimum prerequisites for admission to the second program. If a student lacks the minimum prerequisites and seeks to be admitted to a second master's program, the director of the second program may identify ways in which the prerequisite can be completed prior to admission.