Area Major

Single Area Major

Multi-Area Major

Advising

Area Degree Programs

SOU offers several interdisciplinary majors, minors, and certificates. Programs must be planned with the assistance of a faculty advisor. Students may select single-area or multi-area majors from two or more departments or majors, or they may select from business-chemistry, business-mathematics, business-physics, education, environmental studies, international studies, mathematics-computer science, and music-business. Interdisciplinary minors are available in applied multimedia, international peace studies, Latin American studies, Native American studies, Shakespeare studies, video production, and women’s studies. Certificates are offered in applied finance and economics, botany, business information systems, interactive marketing and e-commerce, management of human resources, and Native American studies. Because of changes in rules regarding teacher training, interdisciplinary degrees are not recommended for students desiring secondary or elementary certification in the state of Oregon.

Area Major

Interdisciplinary area majors provide considerable flexibility for combining the study of several academic disciplines into a single major. Almost all of the academic disciplines available at the University may be used in this interdisciplinary degree structure.

The interdisciplinary degree typically includes coursework from two to three academic departments. Students must choose two of these as departments of emphasis. There are two degree options available, depending on how the departments of emphasis are chosen: the single area major and the multi-area major.

Single Area Major

All of the academic departments for the major are chosen from a single school. The areas are: arts and letters (art, communication, English and writing, foreign languages and literatures, music, and philosophy); science (biology, chemistry, computer science, geology, mathematics, physics, and general science); and social science (criminology, economics, education, general social science, geography, history, international studies, political science, psychology, sociology and anthropology, and health and physical education). The title of the degree carries the name of the major area; for example, BA in arts and letters or BS in science.

Degrees

Requirements for Major

Students must complete the following requirements for the major and the general degree requirements (see Baccalaureate Degree Requirements on page 15).

1. Complete 75 or more credits (at least 40 of which must be upper division) in one of the following areas: arts and letters (art, communication, English and writing, foreign languages and literatures, music, and philosophy); science (biology, chemistry, computer science, geology, mathematics, physics, and general science); and social science (criminology, economics, education, general social science, geography, history, international studies, political science, psychology, sociology and anthropology, and health and physical education).
   
2. Select a department of emphasis within the area. Students must also select a secondary department from the same school. The department of emphasis is responsible for providing academic advising and ensuring that all requirements are completed. For the department of emphasis, students must complete at least 24 credits of upper division coursework from a list designated by the department and approved by the department chair. Students must also complete at least 16 credits of upper division coursework from the secondary department; these credits must be approved by the chair of that department.
   
3. Complete the writing component for the department of emphasis.
   
4. Interdisciplinary majors must have a planned program and a chosen department of emphasis by the time they have completed 121 credits.
   
5. Complete the capstone experience for the department of emphasis or develop an alternative approved by the dean’s designee from the school containing the major area. Students who plan to pursue the alternative option must file an approved plan with the school dean’s designee prior to achieving senior status.
   
6. Maintain the minimum GPA for the chosen interdisciplinary degree. The minimum GPA for the chosen interdisciplinary degree is the minimum GPA for the major in the area of concentration.
   

Summary of Graduation Requirements

Multi-Area Major

For the multi-area major, the two departments of emphasis for the major are drawn from different schools. The departments of emphasis may be chosen from arts and letters, science, and social science. The title for this interdisciplinary degree option is BA or BS in interdisciplinary studies.

Degrees

Requirements for Major

Students must complete the following requirements for the major and the general degree requirements (see Baccalaureate Degree Requirements on page 15).

1. Complete 90 or more credits (at least 48 of which must be upper division) from two to three departments chosen from at least two of the following areas: arts and letters (art, communication, English and writing, foreign languages and literatures, and music); science (biology, chemistry, computer science, geology, mathematics, and physics); and social science (criminology, economics, geography, health and physical education, history, political science, psychology, and sociology and anthropology).
   
2. Select a department of emphasis. The department of emphasis is responsible for providing academic advising and ensuring that all requirements are completed. Students must complete at least 30 credits for the department of emphasis, including at least 24 credits of upper division coursework from a list designated by the department and approved by the department chair, as well as at least 12 upper division credits in each of the remaining areas.
   
3. Complete the writing component for the department of emphasis.
   
4. Students who are interdisciplinary majors must have a planned program and a chosen department of emphasis by the time they have completed 121 credits.
   
5. Complete the capstone experience for the department of emphasis or develop an alternative approved by the school dean’s designee from one of the departments of special emphasis. Students who plan to pursue the alternative option must file an approved plan with the school dean’s designee prior to achieving senior status.
   
6. The minimum GPA for interdisciplinary degrees is the minimum GPA for the major in each area of concentration.
   

Summary of Graduation Requirements

Advising

Students should consult the department of primary concentration. The department of emphasis is responsible for providing academic advising and ensuring that all requirements are completed.