The Interdisciplinary Studies (IST) program is in the College of Arts and Sciences at NKU. We offer three degree programs.

• • Associate of Arts Degree in Interdisciplinary Studies (AAIS)

  • Bachelor of Arts Degree in Interdisciplinary Studies (BAIS)

  • Master of Arts Degree in Interdisciplinary Studies (MAIS)

Each program is designed to be flexible and emphasizes the kind of interdisciplinary study required for interdisciplinary or transdisciplinary problems or topics. Both the Associate's and Bachelor's degrees can be obtained online. 

Our degree programs meet the needs of:

• • 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; and 

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

Advisors for AAIS and BAIS students are located in the Landrum 300 suite. The office of the Director of Interdisciplinary Studies is located in the Founders Hall (FH) 365D. 

It is the mission of the Interdisciplinary Studies program at NKU to offer students degree programs and educational experiences through which they can find coherence, meaning and value in novel programs of study that address complex, real-world problems falling outside the scope of traditional disciplinary or professional programs of study.

Interdisciplinary Studies will be a recognized model (locally and nationally) for undergraduate and graduate inter-/transdisciplinary study. It will be recognized not only for it’s value in helping transfer and mis-declared students attain a degree in a timely and meaningful way, but it will also be seen as a first-choice major program when recruiting students to NKU.

All of our programs work toward several student learning objectives. We want to graduate students with essential knowledge, skills, and dispositions for integrative thinking and problem-solving, interdisciplinary critical thinking, and effective communication, all underpinned by information literacy. 

Integrative Thinking

• • Students will be able to integrate knowledge from different disciplines to solve problems and answer questions. 

Interdisciplinary Critical Thinking 

• • Students will be able to think critically, creatively, and boldly about complex, real-world problems through multiple perspectives. 

Effective Communication

• • Students will be able to communicate their research interests and results effectively with relevant audiences.