INTERDISCIPLINARY
THEMATIC PLAN
• Interdisciplinary Thematic Plan Course List
• Examples
of Interdisciplinary Thematic Plans of Current or Recently
Graduated Students
• Procedure for Senior Projects
The Liberal Studies Thematic Plan is designed for students
who have broad interests that expand beyond the confines
of a single department. For these students, the ability
to construct their own area of interdisciplinary study
by taking advanced course work in several disciplines
may be more beneficial than restricting their study to
one of the various specialized majors offered by the
university. The Thematic Plan does not duplicate any
existing major, and does not consist of a random collection
of courses. It is a well-thought-out, highly individualized
group of courses that, even though they come from various
departments, have a common subject, focus, or interest.
Thematic Plan students may center their course work on
an academic interest or may select courses that prepare
for later professional training or for specific careers.
Examples of themes that our majors have explored include
the following: current international problems, current
domestic issues, humanity and its natural environment,
regionalism and marketing, cultural heritage studies,
art and religion, the religious development of children,
creative use of leisure, religion and economic attitudes,
the cultural history of shame, and social tensions
of modernity as expressed in fiction and social science.
WHAT TYPES OF CAREER OPPORTUNITIES ARE AVAILABLE FOR
THEMATIC PLAN MAJORS?
The Liberal Studies Thematic Plan has long served students
as academic preparation for law school, advanced business
degree programs, professional schools and careers in
the health sciences, ministry, environmental sciences,
and advanced study in graduate programs. The Thematic
Plan also attracts many returning students who are already
involved in successful careers, but who want a well-rounded
and personally enriching education that includes an interdisciplinary
focus on a particular theme or interest.
What does the THEMATIC PLAN major look like?
The Liberal Studies Thematic Education Plan is constituted
by the "Core" courses (27 units), the personalized
coordinated courses (21 units), and the senior project
(3 units). Each course counted for the major must be
completed with a grade of C or higher. Liberal Studies
Thematic Plan majors work closely with Liberal Studies
faculty to develop their personalized plan of study.
Students select, in close consultation with a Liberal
Studies adviser, 21 units of upper-division course work
from various departments for the purpose of pursuing
an interdisciplinary problem, theme or issue. To ensure
breadth of knowledge, students are allowed to take (a)
no more than 9 units from a single department and (b)
no more than 15 units from a single area of knowledge
(humanities and arts, sciences, social sciences). Students
need to have their study plan approved by a Liberal Studies
adviser prior to taking course work.
To aid Thematic Plan students in integrating and synthesizing
the knowledge from the specially selected courses in
their personalized coordinated program, they finish their
course of study with a senior project (such as a thesis
or a creative work) in an area related to their theme
and under the supervision of a professor of their own
choosing. Since that professor will be responsible for
evaluating the project, students sign up for independent
study (499) in that professor's department. With the
help of their Liberal Studies adviser, students prepare
a project proposal. Once the professor who has agreed
to direct the project has signed the project proposal
form, a Liberal Studies adviser must also sign the proposal
form indicating that the project is relevant to the personalized
coordinated program.
