The Major

BDIC offers motivated and self-directed students the opportunity to design their own majors under faculty guidance. The program allows students to pursue their educational goals in areas not available within an existing departmental curriculum or traditional major at the university. Each student’s program of study or concentration is developed with the guidance of a faculty sponsor, as well as a BDIC faculty supervisor. Students confer with these faculty members on a regular basis as they progress through and continue to develop their programs.

BDIC concentrations are interdisciplinary, drawing courses from at least three departments. In planning their concentrations, students are encouraged to consider the resources of the Five College consortium. Domestic and international exchange experiences can greatly enhance many BDIC concentrations. In addition, internships offer BDIC students valuable hands-on experience in their fields. A maximum of six internship credits may be used toward the BDIC major.

BDIC students earn either a Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor of Science degree. For the B.S., 60 credits are required from the sciences and mathematics. Because of the individualized nature of each student’s program of study, BDIC has as many concentrations as it has students in the major. To guide and assist this diverse group, BDIC has a staff of eight faculty supervisors and several experienced advisers.

Major Requirements

1. Completion of BDIC 396P and acceptance of the proposal compiled in that class.
2. Completion of at least 12 interrelated, upper-division, graded courses (numbered 300 or above) in the area of the student’s concentration, not including BDIC 396P or BDIC 350. Students must earn a GPA of 2.00 in courses applied to the degree. Courses must be drawn from at least three departments and must be at least three credits each.
3. Completion of at least four semesters in the major (the semester in which the student is enrolled in the proposal writing class is considered the first semester).
4. Completion of BDIC 350, Junior Year Writing in Interdisciplinary Studies, with a minimum grade of C, or a comparable Junior Year Writing course in another major.
5. Submission of a senior summary and abstract by November 15 for February graduation and April 1 for May graduation.
6. Completion of the intermediate level (240 level) of a foreign language if deemed necessary by the student's BDIC faculty supervisor.
7. Completion of BDIC 494I, Innovation and Integration (the BDIC Integrative Experience class), with a minimum grade of C, in the junior or senior year.