Insert Quote on how the interdisciplinary studies shaped the student as a professional
Interdisciplinary Studies
Major
Design the Major That Fits You
If your goals take more than just what one major provides.
The Interdisciplinary Studies major at Goshen College is a Bachelor of Arts you design yourself, combining coursework from at least two academic disciplines into a single major. You build it with a faculty advisor, anchor it with a written proposal, and finish it with a senior capstone that ties your fields together.
Is This Major Right for You?
This major is for the student who keeps two passions and refuses to give one up. Maybe it is sustainability and business, healthcare and ethics, or education and peacebuilding. You want to follow a real question wherever it leads, and you want a degree that reflects your values, not just a checklist.
If you are wondering whether a self-designed degree holds up, the structure is the answer: a written proposal, faculty mentorship, and a senior capstone give your major the same backbone as any named degree.
What You’ll Study
You build your plan around three things: courses from at least two academic disciplines, a senior capstone project or thesis that integrates your fields of study, and the core general education courses required by the college.
Because the major is yours, the exact courses depend on your focus. Recent paths have drawn on courses like Environmental Policy, Digital Media Production, and Public Health Ethics. Hands-on learning is built in too: internships, independent research, immersive off-campus courses, and project-based work that connects your coursework to real settings, with your faculty advisor helping match each experience to your goals. View the complete program requirements in our catalog.
Name— Interdisciplinary Studies student YEAR
Placement/title
Paying for Goshen College
Interdisciplinary studies students are eligible for Goshen College’s academic scholarships and for department-specific aid based on the fields you choose to study. Because you draw on more than one department, you may qualify for aid tied to either area.
To see your own price after aid, run the net price calculator and talk with a real person in the financial aid office
Common Questions About the Interdisciplinary Studies Major
You combine coursework from at least two academic disciplines into one major. You submit a proposal, work with faculty mentors to build a personalized academic plan, complete the college’s core general education courses, and finish with a senior capstone project or thesis that ties your fields together. Your advisor guides every step.
Yes. In Goshen College, 91% of classes have fewer than 30 students. You design your interdisciplinary major one-on-one with a faculty advisor, so you are known by name while building a degree no one else has.
Graduates go into nonprofit leadership, social entrepreneurship, public health, environmental advocacy, education and curriculum development, and communications and media. Because you build the major around real questions, you graduate with a focused combination of skills, and the degree is also strong preparation for graduate study.
Yes. Hands-on learning is built into the major through internships, independent research, immersive off-campus courses, and project-based work. At Goshen, 50% of students study abroad through hands-on learning programs, and your faculty advisor helps match these experiences to your individualized academic and career path.
You apply through Goshen College’s standard undergraduate application, then work with a faculty advisor to develop your major proposal. Interdisciplinary studies students are eligible for Goshen’s academic scholarships and department-specific aid based on their chosen fields. For your real cost after aid, talk to the financial aid office or use the net price calculator.
Ready to get started?
Rob Brenneman
Professor of Criminal Justice and Sociology
Regina Shands Stoltzfus
Professor of Peace
Justice
and Conflict Studies
