Psychology of Interdisciplinary Study (Cert. of Completion)

This course is an Intro to Interdisciplinary Studies. The word "interdisciplinary" is defined as simply "involving two or more academic, scientific, or artistic disciplines."

An introduction to interdisciplinary study within Liberal Arts. Through readings in the humanities and social sciences, students will develop an understanding of various disciplinary perspectives, and understand how they work together in the increasingly complex world we live in. Course content will emphasize situations and challenges that exist in the world, and explore ideas and solutions for improving society through varying disciplines such as psychology, political science, communication, philosophy, sociology. Incorporating computer and information technology, case studies and research projects, students will be able to execute critical thinking and immediate problem solving to solve the world’s big challenges.

Course Objectives: The primary goal of this course is to establish a foundation of knowledge regarding the various components of interdisciplinary perspectives. In order to achieve this goal, the following objectives are offered as guidelines for evaluation of the progress of the student in the course.

At the end of the course, the student should be knowledgeable of the following liberal arts information: 1. Be well informed about basic theories of the social sciences, how they work, and what they profess to accomplish; 2. Identify the various models and perspectives of interdisciplinary studies, and critically compare theories and methods across varying schools of thought; 3. Become familiar with how researchers apply basic theories to solve real world problems; 4. Explain ideas and methods that emphasize the relevance in today’s complex world; 5. Identify the academic benefits of pursuing an interdisciplinary studies degree.