What is Interdisciplinary Studies?
The interdisciplinary studies department at ²©²ÊÂÛ̳ meets the intellectual and professional needs of 21st century students by providing them with opportunities to study complex topics and create new knowledge through the integration of methods, skills and materials from across the university. These skills are essential tools for successful careers and lives.
Our Guiding Principles
Each course and program of study is linked by three guiding themes: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Social Justice, and Linking the Local and the Global.
Answering Big Questions
Interdisciplinary studies is marked foremost by the way in which students and faculty ask and try to answer big questions about culture, politics, society, relationships, truth and identity by building and exploring webs of connection between and among various perspectives and ways of knowing. By presenting students with multiple lenses and approaches to an issue, area or question, and guiding them through the synthesis of these approaches, that new possibilities, understandings and insights emerge. The rigor of interdisciplinary studies builds students' writing, reasoning, presentation, research, and critical and creative thinking skills alongside more specialized knowledge in a particular area.
Partnerships in the Community and Across the Globe
Each course and program of study makes use of the cultural and natural resources of the region as well as the numerous local, national and global partnerships fostered and maintained by our faculty. Service-learning, independent study, social justice, research and internships are also hallmarks of the department.
Prestigious Faculty
Our faculty all hold interdisciplinary degrees, publish widely, present regularly at national and international conferences, develop and lead community-based projects, have secured prestigious fellowships, and serve as leaders in their professional societies.
After Graduation
Recent graduates are pursuing graduate work in a range of fields and working in many sectors as journalists, educators, advocates, artists, non-profit leaders, and small business owners among others.
Discover More
Contact department chair Elizabeth Duclos-Orsello, PhD for more information about interdisciplinary studies at Salem State.