Integrated Studies BA

Forge Your Own Path, Unleash Your Potential

The Integrated Studies BA program empowers students to design individualized, interdisciplinary degree paths to achieve their personal, professional, and civic goals. Core courses blend knowledge and methods from various fields, fostering a comprehensive approach to critical thinking and problem-solving. Moreover, the Integrated Studies curriculum and affiliated program initiatives encourage students to collaborate with partners on campus and beyond to address complex environmental and social sustainability issues.

MEET WITH AN ADVISOR

Program Requirements

Complete three core IDS courses and build the rest of your degree from FGCU's catalog of diverse course offerings.

One IDS "Issues" Course

Approach faculty-selected issues in culture, environment, media, politics, and more from multiple disciplinary perspectives, allowing you to exercise important skills in integrated thinking and problem-solving.

IDS 3300 Foundations of Civic Engagement

Collaborate with students from across FGCU's academic programs to design and execute a community-based service project.

IDS 4910 Integrated Studies Senior Seminar

Cap off your Integrated Studies experience with a senior project demonstrating your mastery of integrated thinking and problem-solving.

18 Credits From At Least 3 Disciplines

Select courses from across FGCU's programs to build a degree path that makes sense for you.

Department Contacts

Otto, Eric

Chair, Integrated Studies

REED 0228

239-590-7250

eotto@fgcu.edu

Accreditation
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Admissions Information
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Admissions Information for the 2024-2025 Catalog Year
If you are not yet an FGCU student, visit the Admissions Office Website
If you are a newly-admitted FGCU student please be sure to sign up for an Eagle View Orientation session. As part of this session you will be meeting with an academic advisor who will assist you in registering for classes for your major.
Admission Deadlines
Visit the Admissions Office Web site for information on admission deadlines of the university.
Program Requirements
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Program Requirements for the 2024-2025 Catalog Year
The General Education Program Website is located at https://www.fgcu.edu/academics/undergraduatestudies/generaleducation/
Program Progression and Additional Graduation Requirements
- Attend an orientation session.
- Sign an Advising Agreement document.
- Have completed a minimum 30 credits prior to declaring this major.
- Students may not pursue this major as Dual Major / Dual Degree or Second Baccalaureate degree.
- Only one minor can be declared with this major.
- The Interdisciplinary Studies Minor cannot be declared with this major.
- The same course cannot be used for this major and any other minor that the student might declare.
In addition to the program requirements, students must:
- Complete a minimum of 120 credits.
- Complete a minimum of 48 of the 120 credits at the upper division (3000-4999 level).
- Earn a cumulative GPA of 2.0 for all coursework attempted at FGCU.
- Satisfy the College-Level Skills and foreign language entrance requirements.
- Satisfy the Service-Learning requirement.
- Satisfy the Civic Literacy requirement.
- Satisfy the residency requirement: 30 of the last 60 credits must be completed at FGCU.
- Complete of the summer course enrollment requirement.
- Submit an Application for Graduation by the deadline listed in the FGCU Academic Calendar.
Program Requirements
1. FGCU General Education Program (https://www.fgcu.edu/academics/undergraduatestudies/generaleducation/)
  To prevent or minimize excess hours, select general education courses that satisfy common prerequisite requirements for your intended major.
2. Common Prerequisites
  None.
3. Required Courses in the Major (6 credits)
  A minimum grade of C is required in each course
  
  IDS 3300 Foundations of Civic-Engagement (3)
  IDS 4910 Integrated Studies Senior Sem. (3)
1. Restricted Electives in the Major (21 credits)
  A minimum grade of C is required in each course
  
  Select 3 credits from the following:
  IDS 3052 Intro to Integrated Studies (3)
  IDS 3143 Issues in Technology (3)
  IDS 3302 Issues in Politics & Economics (3)
  IDS 3304 Issues in Environment (3)
  IDS 3305 Issues in Media (3)
  IDS 3332 Issues in Contemporary Society (3)
  IDS 3385 Issues in Science (3)
  IDS 3622 Issues in the Humanities (3)
  IDS 4930 Special Topics (3)
  
  Select 18 credits from at least three different discipline categories. Discipline categories and course prefixes associated with each category are listed below. Courses used to satisfy general education requirements cannot be used to satisfy the 18 credits of disciplinary courses. Courses with the IDS prefix used to fulfill a prior category cannot be used to fulfill this category.
  
  Business (maximum of 9 credits from this category): ACG, ADV, BUL, FIN, FSS, GEB, HFT, ISM, MAN, MAR, QMB, REE, RMI, SCM, SPM, TAX, TRA
  Communication: ADV, COM, JOU, MMC, PUR, RTV, SPC, VIC
  Computer Science: CAP, CDA, CEN, CGS, CIS, CNT, COP, COT, IDC
  Digital Media: DIG
  Economics, Politics, Justice: CCJ, CJC, CJD, CJE, CJJ, CJL, CJT, CPO, DSC, ECO, ECP, ECS, INR, PAD, POS, POT, PUP
  Education: ARE, COE, EBD, EDE, EDF, EDG, EDM, EDP, EEC, EEX, ELD, EME, EMR, ESE, LAE, MAE, MUE, REA, RED, SCE, SSE, TSL
  Engineering: BCN, BME, CCE, CEG, CES, CGN, CMM, CWR, EES, EGM, EGN, EGS, EML, ENV, TTE
  Entrepreneurship: ENT
  Fine Arts: ART, DAA, GRA, MUC, MUG, MUN, MUO, MUS, MUT, MUY, MVB, MBK, MVP, MVV, MVW, PGY, THE, TPA, TPP
  Foreign Languages: ASL, CHI, INT, FRE, GER, GET, RUS, SPN
  Health Science: APK, GEY, HIM, HLP, HSA, HSC, HUS, HIS, MLS
  History, Culture, Geography: AFA, AFH, AFS, AMH, AMS, ANT, ASH, ASN, CPS, EUH, GEA, GEO, GIS, HIS, INS, LAH, LAS, WOH
  Humanities: AML, ARH, CRW, ENC, ENG, ENL, FIL, FRT, FRW, HUM, LIT, MUH, MUL, PHH, PHI, PHM, PHP, REL, SPT, SPW
  Interdisciplinary Studies: CST, IDH, IDS, ISC, ISS
  Mathematics: MAA, MAC, MAD, MAP, MAS, MAT, MGF, MHF, MTG, STA
  Natural Science: AST, BCH, BOT, BSC, CHM, CHS, ESC, EVR, EVS, GLY, MCB, OCB, OCC, OCE, OCP, PCB, PHY, PHZ, PSC, ZOO
  Social/Behavioral Science: CBH, CLP, CYP, DEM, DEP, EAB, EXP, INP, PCO, PPE, PSB, PSY, SOP, SYA, SYD, SYG, SYO, SYP, WST, SOW
1. University Requirements (3 credits)
  Select one of the following:
  IDS 3920 University Colloquium (3)
  Or at least 3 credits in sustainability coursework (SCGR Attribute)
2. Additional Electives – as needed to reach total credits required for the degree.
Total Credits Required: 120
Degree Map
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Degree Maps are to be used as a general guideline for students. Some students scheduling needs may vary based upon completed courses and transfer credits. Please see your advisor for assistance and verification.
2023-2024 Integrated Studies Degree Map

Transfer Notes and Acceptable Substitutes For All Majors: Students are strongly recommended to select required lower division electives that will enhance their General Education coursework and that will support their intended baccalaureate degree program. Students should consult with an academic advisor in their major degree area.
Course Description
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Official Course Descriptions

Search for official course descriptions by using the Course Description Search utility.

Go to the Course Descriptions Search Web page, then follow these steps:
1. Select an Academic Year from the TERM dropdown (required)
2. Select a course prefix from one of the SUBJECT dropdowns (required)
3. Enter search words in the TEXT field (optional, but will narrow the search results)
4. Press Search
Course Schedule
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Getting Started With the Course Schedule Search

Search for program courses by using the Course Schedule Search utility.

Go to the Course Schedule Search Web page, then follow these steps:
1. Select an Academic Year from the TERM dropdown (required)
2. Select one or more of the search options to narrow your results (for example, CAMPUS, COLLEGE, DEPARTMENT, LEVEL, PREFIX*, COURSE ATTRIBUTE**). For virtual or web courses, select VIRTUAL in the CAMPUS field.
3. Press Search.
*A course prefix is a three-letter designator for a major division of an academic discipline (for example, ACG for Accounting , BSC for Biological Science, ENC for English Composition). See the Degree Requirements page for a list of courses (with prefix and number) that can be used to fulfill degree requirements.

**A course attribute identifies specific characteristics of courses that can be used in a Degree Evaluation to satisfy a degree requirement. (Course attribute examples are Humanities courses - GEHM and Social Science courses - GESO.)
Learning Outcomes
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Academic Learning Compact

Consistent with its mission and guiding principles, Florida Gulf Coast University is committed to academic excellence and continuous quality improvement, as supported by a sound teaching-learning process. Within this process, students and instructors share responsibility for learning that is a movement from the simple to the complex, the concrete to the abstract, and the dependent to the independent. The Academic Learning Compact (ALC) initiative supports the teaching-learning process by clearly identifying expected core student learning outcomes in the areas of content/discipline knowledge and skills, communication skills, and critical thinking skills; aligning curricula with expectations; and using assessment to guide continuous improvement.

Content/Discipline Knowledge and Skills
Graduates will be able to:
1. Demonstrate understanding of multiple disciplinary approaches to contemporary issues and topics.
2. Integrate knowledge and methods from multiple disciplines to generate novel perspectives on issues.
Content/Discipline Knowledge and Skills are assessed though the Senior Thesis in IDS 4910 Integrated Studies Senior Seminar.
Communication Skills
Graduates will be able to:
1. Select a topic and develop it using an integrative approach to analysis and communicating arguments.
2. Develop, organize, and relate ideas and information with coherence, clarity, and unity.
Communication Skills are assessed though the Senior Thesis in IDS 4910 Integrated Studies Senior Seminar.
Critical Thinking Skills
Graduates will be able to:
1. Integrate and apply relevant and compelling multi-disciplinary content in the thoughtful analyses of various subject matters.
2. Skillfully employ and evaluate a range of disciplinary perspectives to draw conclusions about given issues.
Critical Thinking Skills are assessed though the Senior Thesis in IDS 4910 Integrated Studies Senior Seminar.
Tuition, Fees, and Financial Assistance
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Tuition and Fees

Information on Tuition, Fees and estimated total Cost of Attendance is available on the Office of the Bursar web site.

Financial Aid Opportunities

Visit FGCU's Financial Aid Web site for information about grants, additional scholarships, loans, and student employment.