Minor in Interdisciplinary Studies
The CGS interdisciplinary studies minor provides undergraduates the opportunity to deepen their understanding and appreciation of how disciplines intersect and can work together to create new knowledge, ways of thinking, and/or to problem solve at the intersections of the humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences disciplines.
Requiring six 4-credit courses, students will develop their integrative knowledge by taking two different interdisciplinary CGS 201 or 202 courses in Natural Science, Social Science, and/or Humanities. With this foundation, students will then take two CGS electives (or relevant interdisciplinary electives elsewhere at BU, as approved by the CGS Associate Dean for Faculty Research and Development) and the Cross-College Challenge XCC 4**, the Hub’s signature interdisciplinary project-based elective course open to juniors and seniors from all 10 undergraduate schools and colleges. Finally, students will complete a four-credit interdisciplinary directed study with a CGS faculty member.
The minor encourages students to build the broad base of interdisciplinary learning they need to solve problems, think critically and creatively, take on complex intellectual and practical challenges, and cultivate habits of mind that will help them succeed in any career.
Learning Outcomes
The minor in Interdisciplinary Studies is designed to help students develop:
- the ability to make insightful connections across disciplines and perspectives.
- the ability to draw conclusions by combining examples, facts, theories or methodologies from at least two disciplines to arrive at interdisciplinary understandings.
- the ability to use interdisciplinary thinking to address problem solving and take on complex intellectual and practical challenges.
- their understanding of the interconnections and relationships among the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences.
- the ability to apply creative approaches to problem-solving and self-directed study.
Requirements
Students interested in pursuing the minor must schedule an appointment with Davida Pines, CGS Associate Dean for Faculty and Research, dpines@bu.edu.
Please use this form to plan your progress toward the minor.
| COURSE NUMBER | TITLE | CREDITS |
| Prerequisites: CGS Students: CGS RH 103 and 104 Non-CGS Students: CAS WR 120 and WR 151 or 152 |
||
| Students choose 2 CGS 201 or 202 courses (NS, SS and/or HU); one of which must be a 202 course. For CGS Students Only: the two CGS courses will be double counted as fulfilling the CGS program requirements as well as the minor. A minimum of 12 credits must be unique to the CGS minor and may not count toward the fulfillment of majors or other minors. |
||
| CGS HU 201 | History of Ethics | 4 |
| CGS HU 202 | Modern and Applied Ethics | 4 |
| CGS NS 201 | Biology I | 4 |
| CGS NS 202 | Human Ecology/Global Ecology | 4 |
| CGS SS 201 | Radicals, Rebels, and Revolutionaries: Agents of Global Change | 4 |
| CGS SS 202 | American Foreign Policy Since World War II | 4 |
| Students choose 2 CGS interdisciplinary electives (or relevant interdisciplinary electives elsewhere at BU, as approved by CGS Associate Dean for Faculty Research and Development) | ||
| Check the MyBU Student Portal for current CGS elective offerings | ||
| The Cross-College Challenge | ||
| HUB XCC 4** | Cross-College Challenge | 4 |
| Students are required to do 1 interdisciplinary directed study with a CGS Faculty Member (approved by Associate Dean) | ||
| CGS IS 400 | 1 Interdisciplinary study directed by CGS faculty | 4 |