Interdisciplinary Studies Planning Guide

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Is an INDS Degree Right for You?

Choose INDS if you:

Would like to combine two or three Areas of Study rather than pursuing just one
Would like your degree to fill a specific job description
Would like to pursue a unique research topic
Want to qualify for a graduate program
Are a transfer student or have accumulated non-traditional credit from workforce or military experience and would like to learn about subjects that will complement what you have already learned.

You shouldn’t choose INDS if you:

Want to pursue a career that requires licensure and/or state/national examinations. Some fields such as Education or Counseling require licensure and this is best accomplished through a traditional degree program specifically designed to meet those requirements.
Want to pursue a graduate degree that requires a very specific kind of degree. Here, you should consider a traditional degree program that prepares you to meet this.

Advising Can Help You Decide

If you have multiple interests, it might be difficult to narrow your selection down to two or three Areas of Study. Interdisciplinary Studies has a number of dedicated program tracks you can choose from. Ultimately, the choice of which Areas of Study you will use in your degree completion plan is yours. We have advisors available to help you focus your Areas of Study to meet your career goals.

Learn more about Student Advising

Interested in Graduate School?

Interdisciplinary Studies can be a perfect fit if you want to enter graduate school with a variety of skills and knowledge areas. You can complete the admissions requirements for your graduate program while developing other skills and passions.

If you want to take this route, you need to have a focused plan on how to prepare for your graduate program. Review admissions requirements for all of the graduate programs you are interested in. Make sure you meet those requirements while completing your INDS degree.

Become an INDS Student

New Students

If you applied to the B.A., B.S., or M.A. Interdisciplinary Studies degree through the application process, you need to wait for full admission to the university to declare your areas of study. Afterward, you will receive an email asking you to complete a survey online where you will select your Areas of Study.

Once you have completed the survey, you will receive an email within two weeks directing you to your degree completion plan (DCP) that will be viewable through your ASIST account.

If you have questions or did not receive the survey, please email interdisciplinary@liberty.edu.

Current Students

Change Your Major to INDS

To find out what your degree would look like if you switched to INDS, email INDSareas@liberty.edu and include:
- Student ID
- B.S., B.A., or M.A. in INDS
- Areas of Study and number of hours for each
If you are ready to switch your major to Interdisciplinary Studies, fill out the Change of Major form.

Change Your Areas of Study

If you are a current INDS student and want to change your areas of study, fill out the Areas of Study Survey.*

*Students will automatically be able to complete this survey once the Change of Major form is processed.
(You will not be able to complete this survey if you are not an INDS major.)

Create Your Custom INDS Program

Once you’ve chosen a degree, you can plan your own Interdisciplinary Studies degree using the following guidelines:

Bachelor’s programs

Choose 2-3 Areas of Study
- These areas and the courses they contain should reflect your career or preferred master’s program’s prerequisites.
For each Area of Study, you can choose a general area of study or a specialized one. General areas of study have a list of course codes you can choose any course from. You are allowed to use multiple course prefixes from the same general area of study. Specialized areas of study have specific classes you will take.
You need 45 credits total with no fewer than 15 credits in each area of study.
- For 3 areas of study, this means 15 credits each.
- For 2 areas of study, this usually means 15 credits in one area and 30 in another, or 21 credits in one area and 24 credits on another.
At least 9 of your 45 credits need to be upper-level (300-400).
Complete the Areas of Study Survey to submit your selection.

View the approved Areas of Study options in the catalog.

Areas of Study Survey

Master’s program

Choose a Primary (12 hours) and a Secondary (9 hours) Area of Study
- These areas and the courses they contain should reflect your career or preferred program’s prerequisites.
Secondary Area of Study must be different from Primary Area of Study and cannot be within the same discipline as Primary Area of Study.
Graduate School Electives may be selected from any course on the Area of Study Guide not already applying to the degree.
A total of 15 credit hours can be transferred into the program to apply to either Area of Study.
Complete the Areas of Study Survey to submit your selection.

View the approved Areas of Study options in the catalog.

Areas of Study Survey

If you plan to pursue an A.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies, you are not limited by specific areas of study. Please see the Degree Completion Plans, or ask an advisor or INDS faculty member for help in planning your degree.

Residential INDS Degree Completion Plans

Visit the Registrar to download the PDF version of your DCP.

Online Programs

Or, pursue your Interdisciplinary degree online.

Undergraduate Dedicated Program Tracks

Our most popular degree paths combining areas of study from multiple academic disciplines. View detailed course requirements for each area of study in the catalog. Or, schedule an appointment with an advisor to plan your custom degree path.

Church SPED Coordinator

Areas of Study: Education, Religion, Behavioral Sciences

Prepare to work as a special education ministry coordinator.

Military Leadership

Areas of Study: Military History, Project Management, Government

Prepare for military leadership in a variety of practical and theoretical ways.

TESL with Global Studies

Areas of Study: Education, Social Sciences

Teach English as a second language overseas with an emphasis on cultural awareness and missions.

Construction Supervisor

Areas of Study: Business, Technical Studies

Work as a construction supervisor with a focus on a trade.

Interdisciplinary Courses

Career Planning and Professional Development (INDS 200)

Interdisciplinary Studies Capstone (INDS 491)

Integration of Faith, Learning, and Disciplines (INDS 499)

3-6 credit hour internship
A course can count for Integrative Credit (3-hours) for the General Education requirements on a Bachelor of Arts degrees, or it can count towards a related area of study

INDS 499 is designed to provide a hands-on educational experience for students through meeting specific learning objectives that can apply to an area of study or free electives within their INDS degree program. By putting to practice the synthesis of a student’s areas of study, the student will enhance awareness of the responsibilities and skills needed for professional employment.

Requirements

2.0+ GPA
Suitable internship site
Junior or senior status

Instructions for Registering

Select a site and site supervisor that you will submit as part of the application. Ask your potential supervisor to send you an email indicating that he or she is willing to supervise your internship. Once you receive this email, please save it as a Word or PDF document to submit as part of the application process and forward the email to cmsneeringer@liberty.edu.
Meet with the Faculty Internship Advisor. A brief in-person or over the phone meeting is required with the Faculty Internship Advisor in order to gain approval to register for the course.
Complete the Student Internship Agreement form. You must complete and sign this form before sending it to your new site supervisor to be signed. Be sure to communicate and list clear learning objectives and internship duties with the help of your supervisor. Once you and your supervisor have signed the form, it must be sent to your Faculty Internship Advisor for approval, completion, and registration.
Complete on Blackboard. Once the SIA form is completed and submitted, your Faculty Internship Advisor will register you for the course. Once the course appears on Blackboard, make sure to complete the weekly assignments throughout the semester of your internship.

Application Deadlines

All paperwork must be completed and submitted prior to the registration deadlines for each semester. Registration dates and deadlines can be found by visiting the Liberty University Online Academic Calendar.

Additional Information

INDS 499 is available to both online and residential students.
Liberty does not place students in internship sites.
Finding a placement is the student’s responsibility.
Students of all majors can participate.
INDS 499 is an A term course lasting 16 weeks in the fall/spring terms, and 10 weeks in the summer term.
Participating students must complete 180 work hours for every 3 credit hours earned. Students may register for 3 or 6 credit hours.
Traditionally, only students from the Washington Fellowship program have registered for INDS 499. We welcome all Washington Fellows, but any qualifying Liberty University student can participate.
When trying to secure an internship, it can be helpful to visit the agency in person with your resume and syllabus to review the course objectives.