IDST 600 Educational Planning and Reasoning
This graduate course provides students in the Individualized and Interdisciplinary Studies Program the structured support to design a personalized academic plan aligned with their intellectual interests and professional goals. The student, with the support of faculty and peers, will work with the development of a formal interdisciplinary educational plan, a rationale that justifies the chosen interdisciplinary approach, and a preliminary capstone proposal serving as the culmination of their studies. Students will also be introduced to the last semester 1-credit course that will focus on reflecting and self-assessing their integrative learning in the program.
This course is taken in the first semester of the program and serves as a foundation for academic success and purposeful study.
2 Graduate credits
Effective May 7, 2026 to present
Learning outcomes
General
- Explore the meaning of interdisciplinarity
- Articulate academic and professional goals
- Create an interdisciplinary Educational Plan that pursues an in-depth study of a complex problem, personal or creative query from different perspectives.
- Construct a written rationale that explain the logic of their interdisciplinary plan demonstrating how it meets program expectations and personal goals.
- Create a preliminary proposal for their final capstone project or experience, including its purpose, intended outcomes, and potential methods.
- Deliver a professional presentation of their interdisciplinary Educational Plan and preliminary Capstone proposal.