Integrated Studies
Director: Margaret Woodhull
Faculty advisor: Brandon Mills
Overview
The Integrated Studies major allows students to be creative with their educational experiences by going beyond the boundaries of traditional disciplines and awarding a BA or a BS, depending on the the courses that students take.
With this major, students will gain the foundation of a liberal arts education that includes critical thinking, effective communication, cultural diversity, data analysis, quantitative and digital literacy, integration of information and ideas across different contexts, and problem solving. They also will learn to tackle complex issues from several perspectives.
For example, a student may create a cluster focused on climate change by selecting courses from environmental science, economics, statistics, and history and then pair the cluster with a minor in Geography for the B.A. The B.S. would require the student to substitute a minor in Statistics or Computer Science for the minor in Geography. Another example for either the B.A. or B.S. would be data analysis as it pertains to a specific discipline. The capstone project will cement their skills in recognizing a problem, formulating a holistic methodology to address the fundamental issues, and devising solutions from multiple approaches.
Having students design their degrees will leverage their knowledge, inspire confidence and resilience, empower their decisions, and generate deeper participation in their learning processes. As stated above, the goal is to provide maximum flexibility and multiple pathways through the curriculum tailored to each individual such that, when they return to school, they can switch gears if necessary, re-engage, and complete their degrees.
Honors
Liberal arts students interested in graduating with Latin honors in the Integrated Studies Major program should confirm with their CLAS advisor and Integrated Studies Faculty Advisor that they meet eligibility requirements. Students who successfully complete the \ honors program will have the appropriate Latin honor designation placed on the University of Colorado diploma and transcript.
To participate in the honors program, CLAS students must meet each of the following eligibility requirements:
- have a declared Integrated Studies major
- possess a minimum 3.2 cumulative University of Colorado GPA
- possess a minimum 3.5 GPA on all completed University of Colorado coursework that applies to the major requirements
Eligible students must complete submit their capstone research project to the Integrated Studies Faculty Advisor. The level of Latin honors awarded is determined by the Integrated Studies Faculty Advisor in consultation with other relevant faculty. Upon submission of the written research project report to the honors committee, the level of Latin honors will be determined by the following criteria:
- cum laude-awarded upon completion of project report
- magna cum laude-awarded by honors committee based on successful project report
- summa cum laude-awarded by honors committee based on excellence in project report