Bachelor of Arts Degree in Integrative Studies

Major Requirements. The Integrative Studies major requires a minimum of 40 credit hours (or ten course units). Taken together, the courses must constitute a coherent field of study outside traditional departmental lines. (If a proposed integrative studies program can be accomplished using existing majors and minors, it will not be accepted.)  At least 20 of the credits must be advanced courses (at the 300-400 level), including a two-semester culminating project during the final year that counts for 8 credits. As with all majors at Guilford, students must earn a grade of C- or better in each of the courses in the major.

Specific Requirements. To be eligible for this program, a student must have a cumulative Guilford G.P.A. of 3.25 or higher. It is very important for interested students to begin to consider this major as early as possible, and to prepare their proposal for the major during MYCQ 201: Reflective Seminar II. Typically, students will prepare a complete draft of the Integrative Studies application and submit it to the interdisciplinary studies chair at midterm during MYCQ 201, and submit a final draft, revised in light of the chair’s comments, by the end of the seminar to a committee including the interdisciplinary division chair, the two faculty advisors, and the MYCQ 201 instructor. The committee may approve the proposal, request further revision, or deny the proposal. The committee approves the student as an Integrative Studies major by approving the proposal. Students must receive approval before the start of the semester following their completion of MYCQ 201 in order to proceed with the major, and complete the program in no less than four full-time semesters, either in residence at Guilford or at a Guilford-led or Guilford-affiliated study abroad program.

The full application packet is available from the interdisciplinary studies chair. The application includes:

• a statement articulating the nature and coherence of the field of study and why this program is necessary to achieve the student’s goals;
• a program list of at least 10  courses (40 credits), distinguishing those taken and those anticipated
• the rationale for the courses to be taken for the major, including the sequencing, depth and coherence of the courses;
• a plan for completing MYCQ 301, in which the student will continue the process of self-reflective planning initiated in MYCQ 201, and propose program revisions as needed. Proposed revisions must be approved by the interdisciplinary studies chair;
• a tentative proposal for the senior project explaining how it serves as an appropriate culmination for the major.
• the relationship between the field of study and Guilford’s Five Academic Principles;
• reflections on future possibilities in the field (e.g., career, graduate school);

strong recommendations from at least two full-time faculty members from two different disciplines who agree to be the students’ program advisors. One advisor must commit to being the final project advisor. Letters of recommendation must attest to the student’s ability to work independently.

Culminating Project. In the first semester of the final year, the student begins work on the culminating project and continues until shortly before the end of the final semester. (Note that in most cases, the culminating project of the Integrative Studies major will also be the student’s MYCQ Contribution.) During the first of the two semesters of project work, all materials should be assembled and read, the project should be planned and the first draft should be underway. The student submits an initial project prospectus and the endorsement of the project advisor to the interdisciplinary division chair by the end of the third week of the penultimate semester. The interdisciplinary division chair discusses the initial prospectus with the student, the project advisor and the appropriate department chairs and decides whether the senior project is an appropriate culmination for the major and is sufficiently interdisciplinary. The IDS division chair may ask for revisions or additions to the project before it is approved.

The project advisor, the second program advisor, and the interdisciplinary division chair or their representative comprise the Evaluating Committee for the final project. Students are encouraged to seek approval of the revised prospectus from everyone on the Evaluating Committee, and to consult with all members of the Evaluating Committee during the final semester.

The student must submit the final version of the project at least two weeks before the last day of classes to the Evaluating Committee. The student then defends the project before the Evaluating Committee. The committee will decide whether or not to approve the project as fulfilling the requirements of the integrative studies major. After discussing the project with the other members of the Evaluating Committee, the project advisor determines the project’s grade.