Interdisciplinary Concentrations

Join the Stonehill Community as we celebrate the beginning of Interdisciplinary Concentrations with noted scholar David Kirp of the University of California at Berkeley's Goldman School of Public Policy.  Professor Kirp will speak on November 28, 2007, part of the Social Justice and Public Policy Research Series.

Background

In February 2006, the Faculty Senate of Stonehill College approved the creation of Interdisciplinary Concentrations.  The Martin Institute provides a forum for interdisciplinary studies and can assist students and faculty in the formation and completion of concentrations.

The option of pursuing a concentration will give students the opportunity to explore, in some depth, a well-defined question or topic beyond the major.

Unlike majors and minors which tend to be prescriptive as to what courses a student must take, the concentration would give students maximum flexibility to propose a course of study, comprised of classes and other academic experiences, as a path to conduct an inquiry that may or may not be related to the major or minor.

A Concentration will be characterized as:

• Interdisciplinary or multidisciplinary

• Student initiated, normally proposed by a student beyond the sophomore year

• Structured in response to a well-defined question or topic

Process

 

Students will submit a proposal for the concentration that will include a well-defined question or topic to be explored, the academic units to be completed for the concentration and the signed approval of a faculty advisor.

 

The  faculty advisor must agree that the course of study is appropriate, will guide and assesses the integrative essay, project or performance, and submit a final sign-off to the Registrar’s Office upon  completion of the concentration.

 

A concentration will consist of no less than four and no more than five academic units.  At least three units will be courses.  The fourth unit will be a required integrative essay, project or performance.  The remaining academic unit can be another course, an internship or an independent learning experience (i.e., independent research, the SURE Program, field study, community-based learning, etc.)

 

Normally, students beyond the sophomore year but before the middle of the first semester of the senior year will propose the concentration.  It is expected that at least one course proposed for the concentration would have already been completed by the student.

 

While two courses may “double-count” both for a students’ major or minor and the concentration, at least one of the courses will be taken solely for the concentration.

 

The proposal will need approval from the Interdisciplinary and Special Studies Council.

 

Completion of the requirements for the concentration will be noted on the student’s transcript.

 

It is expected that no student would undertake more than one concentration during his or her academic career at Stonehill.