Bachelor's Degree

The Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies (BAIS) is a flexible degree that offers students a major in which they can find coherence, meaning, and value in a novel program of study. Working with an advisor students design a plan of study that addresses a complex, real-world problem that goes beyond the boundaries of traditional disciplinary programs of study. 

The program is intended for:

• • Students who prefer a broader and more flexible approach to their college education than traditional disciplinary or professional majors offer.

  • Students who want to enter the job market as recognized problem solvers, critical thinkers, effective communicators, and productive collaborators who can work with a variety of perspectives.

  • Adult learners who have interrupted their studies for a prolonged period and return with a different academic focus and career goal.

  • Undergraduate transfer students whose prior work does not mesh well with existing programs of study at NKU.

  • Part-time students whose work schedules and other responsibilities preclude them from completing more structured majors.

  • Undergraduate students abandoning highly structured disciplinary or professional majors during their undergraduate career.

The bachelor's program for integrative studies is available as traditional daytime classes and in an evening, nontraditional format for adult learners. We also offer an accelerated online program. 

BAIS students will engage in interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research and writing, as they gain an understanding of some broad or complex problems (issues, questions) that don't fit neatly into a single disciplinary program of study. Students will also develop interdisciplinary traits or dispositions that employers want to see such as

• • the ability to work collaboratively and productively with others who have different perspectives or world views;

  • the ability to think critically, creatively and boldly; and

  • the ability to recognize the relevance of disciplinary knowledge to complex issues.

The BAIS graduates are capable of interdisciplinary thinking and integrative learning but perhaps not yet accomplished at transdisciplinary work. They are able to see connections across different college disciplinary courses and to integrate ideas and insights into a single project. Graduates can explain the nature and value of interdisciplinary study to a potential employer. They are ready to move into transdisciplinary study.