Chair   Samuel C. Wait, Jr.

The Interdisciplinary Science Curriculum is intended to provide an education in the sciences for undergraduate students whose interests range outside the traditional disciplines and career paths. It is suitable for students who wish to combine sciences in innovative ways or to combine science with more humanistic studies—management, law, education, communication, public service, economics, policy-making, or community affairs. Students who are undecided among the sciences, have particular special interests, or seek nontraditional career paths may follow the Interdisciplinary Science Curriculum while building up acquaintance with their options.

The introductory courses recommended in these programs are the same as those recommended for departmental science majors. However, the deep undergraduate concentration in a single science area that is characteristic of departmental majors is replaced by a broader coverage of science areas and also by a greater choice of courses, including nonscience courses. Students vary their programs to emphasize preparation for their own particular professional objectives.

This curriculum is suited especially for students who wish (1) to prepare for work in interdisciplinary areas of science such as materials science or climatology; (2) to combine a strong foundation in science with studies in arts, philosophy, psychology, management, economics, or public affairs; (3) to develop a broader and more interdisciplinary education in the healthrelated science areas; (4) to prepare to teach science at the secondary school or junior college level; (5) to do graduate work in the history or philosophy of science or are interested in science as part of our culture. A bachelor’s program in interdisciplinary science can be followed by an MBA or a degree in a field such as law or communications; combinations such as these prepare students for many effective roles in today’s community.

Interdisciplinary Science Curriculum

The core course requirements of the Interdisciplinary Science Curriculum are sixteen courses, each carrying four or more credits, chosen from offerings in the fields of biology, biochemistry/biophysics, chemistry, computer science, environmental sciences, geology, mathematical sciences, and physics, applied physics, and astronomy. Two courses must be in mathematics (course prefixes MATH and MATP). Each curriculum must include courses in at least four science disciplines. For this purpose, the course prefixes PHYS and ASTR are a single discipline, as are MATH, and MATP. In order to ensure depth as well as breadth, the curriculum must consist of at least eight courses in one discipline and four courses in a second discipline. The remaining four courses are to be chosen from at least two other disciplines. The eight-course concentration must include two or more courses at the 4000 level. Other Institute-wide requirements for graduation, such as the humanities and social sciences core requirements, must be met also.

The balance of the curriculum, to yield a total of 124 credits needed for graduation, will be determined by the specific objectives of the student.

Such a curriculum will lead to a Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Science. This program can be coupled with other programs, on or off the Rensselaer campus, to form a combined five-year program leading to a B.S. in Interdisciplinary Science together with a master’s degree in a professional area, such as business administration or psychology.

Elective courses can be chosen from any of Rensselaer’s schools or departments and from nearby institutions in the Hudson-Mohawk consortium of colleges.

Typical Curriculum

1. Science options are chosen from among the offerings of biology, chemistry, computer science, geology, or physics. Appropriate courses for the first year are:
BIOL-1010 Introduction to Biology
CHEM-1100 Chemistry I
CSCI-1100 Computer Science I
ERTH-1200 Geology II
BIOL-1020 Introduction to Biology Lab.
CHEM-1200 Chemistry II
CSCI-1200 Computer Science II
PHYS-1100 Physics I
BIOL-2120 Intro. to Cell and Molecular Biology
PHYS-1200 Physics II
EARTH-1100 Geology I
2. Science options should be planned with an adviser and can occur at any time in the curriculum. All four options must be fulfilled in order to receive an interdisciplinary science degree.
Option I is a series of eight (8) courses of 4 credits each chosen from a single science or mathematics discipline.
Option II is a series of four courses in a single science or mathematics discipline that is different from the discipline in Option I.
Option III is a course in a single discipline that is different from that in Option I or II.
Option IV is a course in a single discipline that is different from that in Option I, II, or III.
3. The total number of credits required for graduation in the School of Science is 124, electives are generally offered as four credits. If three credit courses are taken or transferred, the total must still be 124 credits for graduation.