2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog Major in Interdisciplinary Studies, Human and Education Services Sequence Degree offered: B.A. or B.S.
Major Requirements
Minimum required credit hours: 36
Requirements:
- An approved plan of study which includes a minimum of 36 semester hours, of which at least 24 hours are at the 200-300 level.
- For students previously declared a Special Education and/or Teaching and Learning majors, these courses must include a minimum of 27 hours from Special Education and/or Teaching and Learning, as well as 9 hours of advisor-approved electives from departments outside of Special Education and Teaching and Learning. For students previously declared in other teacher education programs, an individual plan of study will be designed, consisting of a minimum of 27 hours required in an existing major as well as 9 hours of advisor approved electives.
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Graduation Requirements
These are general requirements for all students. Students may apply for and receive two bachelor's degrees at the same time. Refer to the Academic Policies and Practices section of the catalog for details.
- 120 minimum total credit hours
- A minimum of 40 of the 120 total hours must be senior college hours (200-300 level courses)
- AMALI requirement (certain courses in General Education and/or major may fulfill the AMALI requirement)
- IDEAS (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access in U.S. Society) requirement (certain courses in General Education and/or major may fulfill the IDEAS requirement)
- Students completing a Bachelor of Science degree must complete a B.S. - Science, Math, & Technology degree requirement (beyond the General Education requirements)
- Students completing a Bachelor of Arts degree must complete a B.A. - world language degree requirement: LAN/FRE/GER/SPA/ITA/JPN/POR 115 (or equivalent)
- Some majors complete other types of degrees that do not include additional graduation requirements. For example, the Bachelor of Science in Education (B.S. in Ed.) or the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (B.S.N.).
General Education Requirements
There are three ways to complete general education requirements for Illinois State University. These three general education programs have different requirements and affect only certain types of students.
- The first way is to complete Illinois State University's General Education Program (see below for details).
- The second way is to complete the Illinois Transferable General Education Core Curriculum available through the Illinois Articulation Initiative (IAI) (see below for details).
- The third way is to complete a baccalaureate-oriented Associates Degree (A.A. or A.S.) from a regionally accredited post-secondary institution. For those transferring from an Illinois college or university, the A.S. degree must include the complete IAI General Education Core Curriculum (GECC) or the student must complete the GECC to fulfill Illinois State’s General Education requirement.
Illinois State University's General Education Program
The complete General Education Program consists of 13 courses (39 semester hours). Because of laboratory or recitation requirements, some courses are listed as four or five credit hours in this catalog. All four or five hours will be credited toward graduation requirements, but only three hours will be credited in General Education for these courses. Depending on their major, students may be exempted from one General Education category (maximum of one course) because of disciplinary expertise gained in their major.
- Communication and Composition (2 courses required)
- COM 110 Communication as Critical Inquiry (3 credit hours) - required for all students
- ENG 101 or ENG 101A10 Composition as Critical Inquiry (3 credit hours) - required for all students
- Mathematics (1 course required)
- Natural Science/Natural Science Alternatives (2 courses required) Must complete 1 course from 2 different sciences.
- United States Traditions (1 course required)
- Individuals & Civic Life (1 course required)
- Fine Arts (1 course/3 credit hours required)
- Humanities (1 course required)
- Language in the Humanities (1 course required)
- Quantitative Reasoning for B.S. or LAN 115 for B.A. (1 course required)
- Science, Math, & Technology (1 course required)
- Social Sciences (1 course required)
Illinois Articulation Initiative for Transfer Students
To be eligible for IAI, at least one transfer course must have been articulated to an IAI core requirement. Refer to the Undergraduate Catalog for a complete list of IAI courses and policies. The Illinois Transferable General Education Core curriculum consists of 12 to 13 courses (37 to 41 hours of credit) within a five-category designation.
- Communication and Composition (3 courses required)
- A grade of C or better required in ENG 101 and 145 or equivalents
- Mathematics (1 course required)
- Physical & Life Sciences (2 courses/7-8 hours required) Students must complete 1 life science and 1 physical science course; at least 1 course must have a lab.
- Humanities & Fine Arts (3 courses required) At least 1 humanities and 1 fine arts course required
- Social & Behavioral Sciences (3 courses required) Two different disciplines must be represented