Interdisciplinary Studies
Design Your Own Degree Program
The increasing complexity of global issues often requires that problems be approached from multiple perspectives. Emerging career paths may require greater flexibility in course selection than is available within a single discipline. The Interdisciplinary Studies (IDS) program is an exciting and dynamic degree program that allows students to combine coursework from various disciplines while designing a curriculum that meets their academic and career goals.
Students also may choose to participate in the Three-Plus-One Program, which allows them to earn a Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor of Science degree by completing 90 hours at USC Upstate and 30 semester hours (one year) of coursework at an approved, accredited professional school like Sherman College of Chiropractic. The IDS major is available to students at all levels of their academic careers including freshman and transfer students. Currently, more than 250 students are choosing to major in IDS.
The Center for Interdisciplinary Studies also offers the Nonprofit Administration Minor.
Interdisciplinary Studies degree requirements for previous academic years may be found on the academic catalog page.
Student Learning Outcomes
| 1. Students will demonstrate the ability to address an issue from an interdisciplinary perspective. |
1.1 Students will demonstrate the ability to develop an original thesis that addresses a topic using at least two disciplines. 1.2 Students will be able to apply library research methods to locate academic information from at least two disciplines to adequately address a research thesis. |
| 2. Students will demonstrate the ability to engage in critical thinking. |
2.1 Students will be able to integrate information and ideas from at least two disciplines. 2.2 Students will be able to draw inferences from source information. |
| 3. Students will demonstrate effective oral and written communication skills. |
3.1 Students will demonstrate the ability to establish a clear purpose and an appropriate awareness of audience in both written and oral formats. 3.2 Students will demonstrate effective organization and coherence of content using both written and oral delivery methods. 3.3 Students will demonstrate correct use of sources with clear attribution and accurate documentation using a conventionally accepted style (e.g., APA, MLA, AMA, Turabian). 3.4 Students will demonstrate the ability to make appropriate use of vocabulary, grammar, syntax, and punctuation. |
Engineering Technology Management Courses and Credit Hours (Choose from:)
| ETMG 320: Engineering Cost Analysis | 4 Credit Hours |
| ETMG 330: Engineering Work Analysis | 4 Credit Hours |
| ETMG 410: Engineering Teams Theory and Practice | 4 Credit Hours |
| ETMG 420: Engineering Project Management | 4 Credit Hours |
Communications Courses and Credit Hours (Choose from:)
| JOUR 303: Law and Ethics of the Mass Media | 3 Credit Hours |
| JOUR 328: Fundamentals of Public Relations | 3 Credit Hours |
| JOUR 450: Women in the Media | 3 Credit Hours |
| JOUR 480: Diversity in the Media | 3 Credit Hours |
| SPCH 301: Theories/Principals of Human Communication | 3 Credit Hours |
| SPCH 303: Ethics in Human Communication | 3 Credit Hours |
| SPCH 310: Interpersonal Communication | 3 Credit Hours |
| SPCH 448: Organizational Communication | 3 Credit Hours |
Engineering Technology Management Courses and Credit Hours (Choose from:)
| ETMG 320: Engineering Cost Analysis | 4 Credit Hours |
| ETMG 330: Engineering Work Analysis | 4 Credit Hours |
| ETMG 410: Engineering Teams Theory And Practice | 4 Credit Hours |
| ETMG 420: Engineering Project Management | 4 Credit Hours |
Business Courses and Credit Hours (Choose from:)
| ACCT 347: Legal Environment of Business | 3 Credit Hours |
| MKTG 350: Principles of Marketing | 3 Credit Hours |
| MKTG 351: Consumer Behavior | 3 Credit Hours |
| MGMT 371: Principles of Organizational Management | 3 Credit Hours |
| MGMT 374: Management of Human Resources | 3 Credit Hours |
Business Courses and Credit Hours (Choose from:)
| ACCT 347: Legal Environment of Business | 3 Credit Hours |
| MKTG 350: Principles of Marketing | 3 Credit Hours |
| MKTG 351: Consumer Behavior | 3 Credit Hours |
| MGMT 371: Principles of Organizational Management | 3 Credit Hours |
| MGMT 374: Management of Human Resources | 3 Credit Hours |
Communications Courses and Credit Hours (Choose from:)
| JOUR 303: Law and Ethics of Mass Media | 3 Credit Hours |
| JOUR 328: Fundamentals of Public Relations | 3 Credit Hours |
| JOUR 450: Women in the Media | 3 Credit Hours |
| JOUR 480: Diversity in the Media | 3 Credit Hours |
| SPCH 301: Theories/Principles of Human Communication | 3 Credit Hours |
| SPCH 303: Ethics in Human Communication | 3 Credit Hours |
| SPCH 310: Interpersonal Communication | 3 Credit Hours |
| SPCH 448: Organizational Communication | 3 Credit Hours |
Informatics Courses and Credit Hours (Choose from:)
| INFO 303: Organizational Informatics and IT Platforms | 3 Credit Hours |
| INFO 305: Social Informatics | 3 Credit Hours |
| INFO 307: Systematic Innovation | 3 Credit Hours |
| INFO 345: Technical Communication and Presentation | 3 Credit Hours |
| INFO 346: Communication and New Technology | 3 Credit Hours |
| INFO 423: Human-Machine Interaction | 3 Credit Hours |
Business Courses and Credit Hours (Choose from:)
| ACCT 347: Legal Environment of Business | 3 Credit Hours |
| MKTG 350: Principles of Marketing | 3 Credit Hours |
| MKTG 351: Consumer Behavior | 3 Credit Hours |
| MGMT 371: Principles of Organizational Management | 3 Credit Hours |
| MGMT 374: Management of Human Resources | 3 Credit Hours |
Informatics Courses and Credit Hours (Choose from:)
| INFO 303: Organizational Informatics and IT Platforms | 3 Credit Hours |
| INFO 305: Social Informatics | 3 Credit Hours |
| INFO 307: Systematic Innovation | 3 Credit Hours |
| INFO 345: Technical Communication and Presentation | 3 Credit Hours |
| INFO 346: Communication and New Technology | 3 Credit Hours |
| INFO 423: Human-Machine Interaction | 3 Credit Hours |
Communications Courses and Credit Hours (Choose from:)
| JOUR 303: Law and Ethics of Mass Media | 3 Credit Hours |
| JOUR 328: Fundamentals of Public Relations | 3 Credit Hours |
| JOUR 450: Women in the Media | 3 Credit Hours |
| JOUR 480: Diversity in the Media | 3 Credit Hours |
| SPCH 301: Theories/Principles of Human Communication | 3 Credit Hours |
| SPCH 303: Ethics in Human Communication | 3 Credit Hours |
| SPCH 310: Interpersonal Communication | 3 Credit Hours |
| SPCH 448: Organizational Communication | 3 Credit Hours |
Informatics Courses and Credit Hours (Choose from:)
| INFO 303: Organizational Informatics and IT Platforms | 3 Credit Hours |
| INFO 305: Social Informatics | 3 Credit Hours |
| INFO 307: Systematic Innovation | 3 Credit Hours |
| INFO 345: Technical Communication and Presentation | 3 Credit Hours |
| INFO 346: Communication and New Technology | 3 Credit Hours |
| INFO 423: Human-Machine Interaction | 3 Credit Hours |
Engineering Technology Management Courses and Credit Hours (Choose from:)
| ETMG 320: Engineering Cost Analysis | 4 Credit Hours |
| ETMG 330: Engineering Work Analysis | 4 Credit Hours |
| ETMG 410: Engineering Teams Theory and Practice | 4 Credit Hours |
| ETMG 420: Engineering Project Management | 4 Credit Hours |
Child Advocacy Courses and Credit Hours (Choose from:)
| CAST 301: Introduction to Child Maltreatment | 3 Credit Hours |
| CAST 401: Child Advocacy I: System Responses | 3 Credit Hours |
| CAST 402: Child Advocacy II: Prevention and Intervention | 3 Credit Hours |
| CAST 499: Child Advocacy Internship | 3 Credit Hours |
| CRJU 350: Victimology | 3 Credit Hours |
| PSY 203: Developmental Psychology (GTC) | 3 Credit Hours |
Communications Courses and Credit Hours (Choose from:)
| JOUR 303: Law and Ethics of Mass Media | 3 Credit Hours |
| JOUR 328: Fundamentals of Public Relations | 3 Credit Hours |
| JOUR 450: Women in the Media | 3 Credit Hours |
| JOUR 480: Diversity in the Media | 3 Credit Hours |
| SPCH 301: Theories/Principles of Human Communicatio | 3 Credit Hours |
| SPCH 303: Ethics in Human Communication | 3 Credit Hours |
| SPCH 310: Interpersonal Communication | 3 Credit Hours |
| SPCH 448: Organizational Communication | 3 Credit Hours |
Business Courses and Credit Hours (Choose from:)
| ACCT 347: Legal Environment of Business | 3 Credit Hours |
| MKTG 350: Principles of Marketing | 3 Credit Hours |
| MKTG 351: Consumer Behavior | 3 Credit Hours |
| MGMT 371: Principles of Organizational Management | 3 Credit Hours |
| MGMT 374: Management of Human Resources | 3 Credit Hours |
Child Advocacy Courses and Credit Hours (Choose from:)
| CAST 301: Introduction to Child Maltreatment | 3 Credit Hours |
| CAST 401: Child Advocacy I: System Responses | 3 Credit Hours |
| CAST 402: Child Advocacy II: Prevention and Intervention | 3 Credit Hours |
| CAST 499: Child Advocacy Internship | 3 Credit Hours |
| CRJU 350: Victimology | 3 Credit Hours |
| PSY 203: Developmental Psychology (GTC) | 3 Credit Hours |
Nonprofit Courses and Credit Hours (Choose from:)
| NPAD 301: Nonprofit Sector in U.S. | 3 Credit Hours |
| NPAD 302: Nonprofit Leadership | 3 Credit Hours |
| NPAD 303: Nonprofit Financial Administration | 3 Credit Hours |
| NPAD 304: Fundraising for Nonprofit Organisations | 3 Credit Hours |
| NPAD 401: Topics in Nonprofit Leadership | 3 Credit Hours |
Communications Courses and Credit Hours (Choose from:)
| JOUR 303: Law and Ethics of Mass Media | 3 Credit Hours |
| JOUR 328: Fundamentals of Public Relations | 3 Credit Hours |
| JOUR 350: Social and Emerging Media | 3 Credit Hours |
| JOUR 480: Diversity in the Media | 3 Credit Hours |
| SPCH 301: Theories/Principles of Human Communication | 3 Credit Hours |
| SPCH 303: Ethics of Human Communication | 3 Credit Hours |
| SPCH 310: Interpersonal Communication | 3 Credit Hours |
| SPCH 448: Organizational Communication | 3 Credit Hours |
Nonprofit Courses and Credit Hours (Choose from:)
| NPAD 301: Nonprofit Sector in U.S. | 3 Credit Hours |
| NPAD 302: Nonprofit Leadership | 3 Credit Hours |
| NPAD 303: Nonprofit Financial Administration | 3 Credit Hours |
| NPAD 304: Fundraising for Nonprofit Organizations | 3 Credit Hours |
| NPAD 401: Topics in Nonprofit Leadership | 3 Credit Hours |
Business Courses and Credit Hours (Choose from:)
| ACCT 347: Legal Environment of Business | 3 Credit Hours |
| MKTG 350: Principles of Marketing | 3 Credit Hours |
| MKTG 351: Consumer Behavior | 3 Credit Hours |
| MGMT 371: Principles of Organizational Management | 3 Credit Hours |
| MGMT 374: Management of Human Resources | 3 Credit Hours |
Nonprofit Courses and Credit Hours (Choose from:)
| NPAD 301: Nonprofit Sector in US | 3 Credit Hours |
| NPAD 302: Nonprofit Leadership | 3 Credit Hours |
| NPAD 303: Nonprofit Financial Administration | 3 Credit Hours |
| NPAD 304: Fundraising for Nonprofit Organizations | 3 Credit Hours |
| NPAD 401: Topics in Nonprofit Leadership | 3 Credit Hours |
Informatics Courses and Credit Hours (Choose from:)
| INFO 303: Organizational Informatics and IT Platforms | 3 Credit Hours |
| INFO 305: Social Informatics | 3 Credit Hours |
| INFO 307: Systematic Innovation | 3 Credit Hours |
| INFO 345: Technical Communication and Presentation | 3 Credit Hours |
| INFO 346: Communication and New Technology | 3 Credit Hours |
| INFO 423: Human Machine Interaction | 3 Credit Hours |
Nonprofit Courses and Credit Hours (Choose from:)
| NPAD 301: Nonprofit Sector in US | 3 Credit Hours |
| NPAD 302: Nonprofit Leadership | 3 Credit Hours |
| NPAD 303: Nonprofit Financial Administration | 3 Credit Hours |
| NPAD 304: Fundraising for Nonprofit Organization | 3 Credit Hours |
| NPAD 401: Topics in Nonprofit Leadership | 3 Credit Hours |
Child Advocacy Courses and Credit Hours (Choose from:)
| CAST 301: Introduction to Child Maltreatment | 3 Credit Hours |
| CAST 401: Child Advocacy I: System Responses | 3 Credit Hours |
| CAST 402: Child Advocacy II: Prevention and Intervention | 3 Credit Hours |
| CAST 499: Child Advocacy Internship | 3 Credit Hours |
| CRJU 350: Victimology | 3 Credit Hours |
| PSY 203: Developmental Psychology (GTC) | 3 Credit Hours |