Integrative Studies Major

Integrative Studies

The Bachelor of Integrative Studies is a degree that provides maximum freedom for students who wish to take a multidisciplinary, individualized approach to the design of an educational program while maintaining a focus on career and professional goals. The Integrative Studies major has a General concentration, and a Two Minors concentration. These concentrations may have the most appeal for students near the end of their academic careers (senior-level students) who are re-evaluating their academic and career choices. It is a program in which the student undertakes the responsibility for the research and design of their program, in consultation with an advisor.

The Integrative Studies-General concentration allows students to choose a minimum of 30 credit hours from interrelated programs that support their career aspirations. The Integrative Studies-Two Minors concentration allows students to complete two university-recognized minors and/or certificates. A minimum of two academic departments in which to select courses are chosen and a rationale for the ways in which these courses support the student's career goals is developed.

Career Opportunities

Since the Integrative Studies major within the Bachelor of Integrative Studies degree serves to provide students with advanced multidisciplinary studies opportunities, both concentrations provide students the opportunity to tailor their academic program in keeping with their individual career and professional aspirations. The General concentration and the Two Minors concentration provide students the maximum opportunity to design their own individualized multidisciplinary academic program to meet their individual academic and career goals. The career opportunities are limitless. Most employers highly value the skills that Arts and Sciences students possess upon graduation.

Graduates of degree programs in the College of Arts and Sciences are prepared to pursue a wide array of both career opportunities and graduate professional education without regard for the specifics of a discipline-based major. A degree from the College of the Arts and Sciences prepares a graduate with the intellectual skills and knowledge to pursue their aspirations.

Admission Requirements

Students who wish to declare either the General or the Two Minors concentrations of the Integrative Studies major within the Bachelor of Integrative Studies degree must complete a formal application to the College of Arts and Sciences. Ideally, students should begin the process for evaluation and program review at or near the time they have a minimum of 60 earned hours, prior to completion of 91 credit hours and prior to the semester in which they plan to declare the major.

In order to declare the Integrative Studies major within the Bachelor of Integrative Studies degree, the procedures listed below must be followed:

• Visit or call the College Office, 105 Bowman Hall (Kent Campus), to arrange for an initial conference with a B.I.S. advisor (students on the regional campuses should contact their campus advising office for further information on this first step). This conference will include an evaluation of completed coursework and discussion of future academic and career goals. Working closely with an academic advisor, a program of study will be determined.
• In close consultation with an academic advisor, the following application steps must be completed in order to gain admission to the Bachelor of Integrative Studies degree program:
  • application to the program, including date of expected graduation
  • statement of program rationale
  • B.I.S. program plan, including all remaining degree requirements
• When the statement of program rationale and program plan have been completed and approved by the College, the student and advisor complete a Change of Program form declaring either the Integrative Studies-General concentration or the Integrative Studies-Two Minors concentrations of the Integrative Studies major within the Bachelor of Integrative Studies degree. Collegial approval of this form completes admission to the program.

Note that courses to complete the B.I.S. program plan may not be taken Pass/Fail. The degree must include remaining Kent Core and diversity, writing-intensive and experiential learning requirements.

Graduate Requirements

The Bachelor of Integrative Studies (B.I.S.) requires a minimum total of 120 earned credit hours. In addition, 42 of those 120 credit hours must be at the upper-division (30000-40000) level. Students must complete the degree with a minimum 2.000 cumulative GPA. Students in both the Integrative Studies-General concentration and the Integrative Studies-Two Minors concentration are required to complete IGST 40099 Senior Project, as well as all University requirements. Please read the sections in the University Catalog on Kent Core, diversity, writing-intensive and the experiential learning requirements.