Interdisciplinary Studies with a concentration in Workforce Leadership and Development, MS

The Workforce Leadership and Development concentration provides students with opportunities to broaden their workplace related skills in the areas of leadership, project management, organization design, and entrepreneurship. These workplace skills augment mid-management positions in most disciplines and have been associated with improving organizational performance while enhancing growth. This track provides valuable skills for employees at all levels in an organization (manager, team leader, leader, executive) and provides effective techniques to manage change, launch new products, and lead through disrupted technologies.

Interdisciplinary Studies master’s degrees

The interdisciplinary studies program offers students a high degree of flexibility in designing a program of study that cuts across disciplinary boundaries. Applicants to the master’s program can pursue one of two approaches — either a self-styled plan or a recognized concentration. Under a self-styled plan, students design a program to address a particular intellectual interest or study a multidisciplinary issue that combines existing courses from any graduate area of the university. Applicants should contact the Graduate School to discuss their intention to seek a self-styled plan. A recognized concentration provides more structure in the courses taken and is built around a defined interdisciplinary theme. For either approach, the degree awarded upon completion of the program is a Master of Arts or Master of Science with a major in interdisciplinary studies.

General requirements

In the self-styled approach, either the Master of Science or the Master of Arts degree program must include two separate fields of study with at least 6 hours in each field for a maximum of 24 hours between the two fields. INSD 5110 and INSD 5940 (for the MA) or INSD 5941 (for the MS) are also required for the self-styled degree. A faculty advisory committee may be formed to help the student develop the degree plan and supervise progress.

For those pursuing the self-styled degree, only STEM-based fields of study will be possible for the MS degree; either STEM or non-STEM-based fields of study are permissible for the MA.

Students may choose the non-thesis option and complete at least 30 semester hours for a Master of Arts or Master of Science. The thesis option requires 24 semester hours plus 6 hours of thesis, for a total of 30 hours.

For any non-thesis degree, the student will successfully complete a capstone seminar.

Admission requirements

Applicants for admission to the degree in interdisciplinary studies must submit the following:

A completed Graduate School application form.
Transcripts from all colleges attended.
A non-refundable application fee.
A current resume or curriculum vitae.
Two letters of recommendation.

After students are accepted into the program, but before they can begin taking classes, they will work with an academic advisor in the Toulouse Graduate School, the director of a concentration (if applicable) and the faculty advisory committee to develop a plan of study for the interdisciplinary program.

Applicants seeking admission to the recognized concentrations should consult with the concentration’s director for concentration specific admission requirements.

University Courses (UCRS)

University courses are interdisciplinary in nature and are available to students working toward the master’s degree with the interdisciplinary major.

Concentrations

Students pursuing the master’s in interdisciplinary studies additionally may request admission to one of the available concentration programs.

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