Program Design

Choosing a major

To graduate you need to complete the requirements for a major field of study. Many students choose traditional disciplinary programs like philosophy, biology, or computer science, or professional programs like business, nursing or education. Usually the required courses in these programs have common prefixes. PHI indicates a philosophy course and NUR indicates a nursing course. But there are some major programs that are interdisciplinary by nature in that they approach their subject matter by intentionally integrating the insights from different disciplinary or professional programs. Environmental Science, International Studies, and Integrative Studies are three we offer at NKU.

Breadth and depth

Integrative Studies allows you the flexibility to set up three areas of study from different academic programs that all contribute to your own area of interest. You might be interested in a social problem that is best addressed by taking courses in sociology, social work, and political science. Or you might be interested in pursuing business related issues that are best served by taking advanced courses in entrepreneurship, organizational leadership, and psychology. While you are bringing together different disciplines to address broad-based problems and issues, you are also building a skill set that encompasses more than a single disciplinary program might provide. Advanced courses in different areas give you depth, while taking coursework from different academic areas gives you breadth. As you choose classes to design your BAIS program, think about the expertise you need to develop, and the skill set you need to acquire, to address the topics driving your interests or to support the type of career you think you might pursue.

The BAIS program requires students to complete minors or focus areas in three different academic programs. The requirements for a minor in any discipline are listed in the relevant pages in the catalog. A focus is defined as 12 credit hours at the 300/400/500 level, in any disciplinary or interdisciplinary program. The three areas of study must include at least one area from the College of Arts and Sciences. In addition the program requires the introductory experience, IST 185, and the capstone experience, IST 497. (NOTE: Students whose catalog of record is prior to 2018 should look to their catalog for requirements.)

Special graduation requirements

• This program does not require a secondary major/minor/focus beyond the three used to complete the degree requirements.*

• No course can count in more than one focus or minor.

• No grade of lower than C- will be accepted for any course in a focus or minor while a minimum GPA of 2.0 must be maintained in the program.

• We do not accept an AAS degree as an area in the program.

Graduation Requirements

In addition to meeting the requirements for your major, the university has other requirements for graduation. Your catalog of record, which is the catalog for the year you first enrolled as a full-time degree-seeking student, will list your requirements. Typically we require

• General education requirements, called the “Foundation of Knowledge,” which should be completed in the first 60 hours of college-level work.

• 45 hours of upper-division (300-level or above) coursework

• A minimum of 120 credit hours.

• At least 25% of the courses are from NKU, including the last 30 hours.

• A minimum 2.0 GPA overall and a 2.0 or better for major.

Graduating

You are responsible for completing degree requirements, filing for graduation, paying the graduation fee, and submitting completed certification forms.

BAIS as your first major

You might be starting at the beginning, as a freshman, thinking about the kinds of questions or problems that interest you most or the kind of career you hope to pursue. No one disciplinary or professional program seems to address it. First think ahead to the kind of question that interests you, then think backwards, considering what you would need to know or what kinds of skills you would need to acquire to address that topic. How might knowledge from different disciplines or areas of study contribute to the larger questions? Which disciplines or academic areas seem most relevant? You can use your experiences in general studies classes to help decide which disciplines would be relevant.

Transfer or mis-declared students

Many students come to the Integrative Studies program having already started one program but are dissatisfied with the direction they are taking and are looking for something more suitable. You might be one of those who are thinking about changing majors. Perhaps you transferred to NKU with credits that don’t fit neatly into any one traditional Major but you want those hours to count toward something meaningful. Having taken a number of courses already, you might have advanced coursework in an area that interests you. You can consider including these among your three areas for the BAIS program. In this case you might look over what you’ve accomplished and find a question or problem that will help inform your future courses or areas of study.

Looking ahead

In all cases the task in the Capstone project will be to integrate what you’ve learned from different areas of study. In all cases it is important to find something meaningful and valuable in the coursework you take. Think about this as you choose coursework. The program also encourages students to consider internships and co-ops, study away, and service learning opportunities.

Advising Philosophy

Academic advising at NKU is an integral part of the learning process. As such, academic advising is a collaborative effort that encourages students to develop clear educational plans and choose realistic life/career goals. In order to assist students in realizing their full potential at the university, faculty and staff advisors at NKU embrace the following beliefs about academic advising:

• The primary responsibility for decision-making rests with the student.

• Students are often unaware of the demands and expectations of the university and therefore need to clearly understand the culture of higher education.

• Academic advising is not an isolated event but an ongoing communication between the student and advisor in which mutual trust and respect must be established.

• Academic advisors recognize and accept that each student is unique.

• The core of all academic advising is the development of a holistic educational plan that facilitates the student's intellectual and personal growth and includes an academic plan that identifies the most appropriate courses to satisfy degree requirements in an efficient and effective manner.

Student Responsibilities

As a result of the collaborative advising process the student will:

• Define and develop educational and career goals that are consistent with their personal values, interests, and talents.

• Develop a rapport with their advisors to enhance their academic performance.

• Utilize university resources to support their educational development.

• Develop an understanding of university policies, procedures, and requirements.

The desired outcome of the above goals is that students learn to make informed and increasingly independent decisions about their educational plans and other academic issues. Accordingly, as students become more knowledgeable about curriculum, policies, and procedures, they should become less reliant on advisors for information, but they will continue to consult advisors or designated faculty concerning university requirements, graduate school admission, career opportunities and most importantly graduation requirements .

Advisor Responsibilities

The academic advisor will serve as a teacher and facilitator to enable students to be successful by developing appropriate academic and post-graduate career plans. Central to this process is serving advisees by:

• Maintaining and communicating accurate and current documentation of student records.

• Communicating information about current university policies and procedures through a variety of channels.

• Assisting advisees in developing decision-making skills and encouraging them to take responsibility for their decisions.

• Facilitating connections between students and appropriate resources when needed.

• Participating in professional development activities relevant to advising.