Imagining and applying strategies for creating and sustaining a more equitable, just, and humane world
Catalog Year: 2022-2023
Banner Code: LA-MAIS-ISIN-SJHR
The MAIS 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
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.
The social justice and human rights concentration is designed to cultivate a deep theoretical understanding of the social, political, cultural, historical, and economic implications of a wide array of social injustices and human rights issues. Students are engaged in the applied process of imagining and actualizing holistic and complex strategies for creating and sustaining a more equitable, just, and humane world.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| MAIS 696 | MAIS ProSeminar | 1 |
| Total Credits | 1 | |
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Foundational Course | ||
| INTS 540 | Contemporary Issues in Social Justice Human Rights | 3 |
| Social Justice and Human Rights Courses | ||
| INTS 537 | Critical Race Studies | 3 |
| Choose one of the following: | 3 | |
| Queer Theory | ||
| Feminist Theories | ||
| Social Justice and Human Rights Issues and Movements | ||
| Select one course from the following: | 3 | |
| Social Justice and Equity in International Education | ||
| Access and Social Justice | ||
| Representations of Race | ||
| Racial and Ethnic Relations: American and Selected Global Perspectives | ||
| Gender, Sexuality, and Disability | ||
| Gender, Sexuality, and Human Rights | ||
|
other relevant course chosen in consultation with the concentration head
|
||
| Total Credits | 12 | |
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Select 6 credits of courses with an emphasis on a specific social justice or human rights issue or context or a specific region, chosen in consultation with the concentration head. The theme of the emphasis courses should be reflected in the student's experiential learning project. 1 | 6 | |
| Total Credits | 6 | |
| 1 |
Examples of issue emphases include racial justice, human trafficking, or children's rights. Context emphases examples include the education, corporate, or government sector. Regional emphases examples include the Middle East, Latin America, or Southeast Asia. |
Students will seek out and/or create an opportunity for experiential learning that deepens their understanding of social justice and/or human rights. Experiential learning opportunities can include internships, service-learning, consulting projects, and field studies or research (including overseas). The experiential learning requirement should be met through an opportunity that advances the student's understanding of their chosen emphasis. 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 justice and human rights concentration head in the semester before registering for the course. Students may register for an individualized section of MAIS 695 Experiential Learning or another graduate-level internship or practicum course to fulfill this requirement.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| MAIS 695 | Experiential Learning | 3 |
| Total Credits | 3 | |
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Students complete 6 or 9 elective credits from the following or other relevant courses chosen in consultation with the concentration head. Students who do a project for the capstone will complete 9 credits. Students who do a thesis for their capstone will complete 6 credits. | 6-9 | |
| Culture, Power, and Conflict | ||
| Intercultural Communication | ||
| Climate Change and Sustainability Communication Campaigns | ||
| Special Topics in Communication 1 | ||
| Diversity and Difference in Conflict Analysis and Resolution | ||
| Principles of Environmental Conflict Resolution | ||
| Peace Studies | ||
| Gender and Violence | ||
| Identity and Conflict | ||
| Ethnic and Cultural Factors in Conflict Resolution | ||
| Conflict and Race | ||
| Conflict and Gender | ||
| Human Rights Theory and Practice in Comparative Perspective | ||
| Structural Sources of Conflict | ||
| Introduction to Culturally Linguistically Diverse Learners | ||
| Education and Culture | ||
| Advanced Topics in Education 2 | ||
| The Achievement Gap | ||
| School Reform in the United States: Politics and Policies | ||
| Neighborhood, Community, Education Policy | ||
| Social Justice and Equity in International Education | ||
| Seminar in Multicultural Education | ||
| Special Topics in the History and Criticism of Children's Literature 3 | ||
| Human Dimensions of Climate Change | ||
| Cultural Pluralism in Higher Education | ||
| Access and Social Justice | ||
| Special Topics in Higher Education 4 | ||
| Problems in American History 5 | ||
| Representations of Race | ||
| Experiential Learning 6 | ||
|
NUTR 594
|
Special Topics in Nutrition and Food Studies 7 | |
| Environmental Ethics | ||
|
PUAD 642
|
Environmental Policy | |
|
PUAD 649
|
Advocacy and Lobbying | |
| Social Institutions and Public Policy | ||
| Human Smuggling and Trafficking | ||
| Islam and Human Rights | ||
| Racial and Ethnic Relations: American and Selected Global Perspectives | ||
| International Migration in the Age of Globalization | ||
| Special Topics in Sociology 8 | ||
| Social Networks, New Media, and Inequality | ||
| Institutions and Inequalities | ||
| Sociology of Human Rights | ||
| Influencing Social Policy | ||
| Social Policy for Children and Youth | ||
| Global Human Rights Policy | ||
| Empowering Communities for Change | ||
| Gender, Sexuality, and Disability | ||
| Transnational Sexualities | ||
| Sexuality, Race, and Immigration | ||
| Policing Black Bodies | ||
| Current Topics in Women and Gender Studies 9 | ||
| Special Topics 10 | ||
| Gender, Sexuality, and Human Rights | ||
| Feminist Theories | ||
| Transnational Issues of Gender and Race | ||
| Total Credits | 6-9 | |
| 1 |
When topic is New Media and Democracy. |
| 2 |
When topic is Gender, Education, and Schooling |
| 3 |
When topic is Disability in Children's Literature. |
| 4 |
When topic is Contemporary and Critical Social Theories. |
| 5 |
When topic is Gender and Racial Ideology in Jim Crow. |
| 6 |
Chosen in consultation with concentration head. |
| 7 |
When topic is Urban Agriculture. |
| 8 |
When topic is Women and Global Issues. |
| 9 |
When topic is Women, Law, and Justice. |
| 10 |
When topic is Narratives of Human Rights: Violations Against Women and Girls. |
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Select one course from the following | 3 | |
| Interdisciplinary Research Methods | ||
| Research Methods in Higher Education | ||
| Research for Social Change | ||
| Feminist Research Methods | ||
| Feminist Research Practice | ||
|
Other relevant course in consultation with an advisor
|
||
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| MAIS 797 | Interdisciplinary Studies Proposal | 1 |
| Total Credits | 1 | |
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Select one from the following: | 1-4 | |
| Interdisciplinary Studies Project (take 1 credit) | ||
| Interdisciplinary Studies Thesis (take 4 credits) | ||
| Total Credits | 1-4 | |
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.