Chair   Samuel C. Wait, Jr.

The Interdisciplinary Science curriculum provides an education in the sciences for undergraduate students whose interests range outside the traditional disciplines and career paths. It is suitable for students wishing to combine sciences in innovative ways or to combine science with more humanistic studies such as 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 becoming familiar with their options.

The introductory courses recommended are the same as those 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 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 to:

• prepare for work in interdisciplinary areas of science such as material science or climatology.
• combine a strong foundation in science with studies in arts, philosophy, psychology, management, economics, or public affairs.
• develop a broader and more interdisciplinary education in the health-related science areas.
• prepare to teach science at the secondary school or junior college level.
• do graduate work in the history or philosophy of science or are interested in science as part of American culture.

A bachelor’s program in interdisciplinary science is excellent preparation for 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.

Undergraduate Program

The core course requirements of the Interdisciplinary Science curriculum are 16 courses, each carrying four or more credits, chosen from offerings in the fields of biology, biochemistry and biophysics, chemistry, computer science, environmental sciences, geology, and mathematical sciences (course codes MATH and MATP). Each curriculum must include courses in at least four science disciplines. For this purpose, course codes MATH and MATP are a single discipline. In order to ensure depth and 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 also be met.

The student’s specific objectives will determine the balance of the curriculum, to yield a total of 124 credits needed for graduation.

This curriculum leads to the Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Science. The 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. Effective courses can be chosen from any of Rensselaer’s five schools or departments and from nearby institutions in the Hudson-Mohawk consortium of colleges.

A typical Interdisciplinary Science degree program is shown below.

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.

Multidisciplinary Science

Traditionally, graduate degrees have focused on a single subject matter such as chemistry, physics, or mathematics. However, current and expected future trends in the working environment show that jobs will increasingly bridge more than one area of specialization. Biochemistry, for example, which is of major importance in today’s society, now spans two or three disciplines. Practitioners must have a thorough knowledge of several areas of chemistry and biology. The same is true of bioinformatics, a new multidisciplinary field that depends on expertise in biology and computational sciences. These are just two in a growing number of fields that cross specializations. Rensselaer’s M.S. and Ph.D. in Multidisciplinary Science meet the need of graduates who anticipate careers in such occupations.

Rensselaer strongly emphasizes interdisciplinary research programs that bridge disciplines within the School of Science and between the School of Science and the School of Engineering. The George M. Low Center for Industrial Innovation was specifically constructed to house research centers such as the Center for Integrated Electronics, the Center for Composite Materials and Structures, the Center for Automation Technologies, the Center for Multiphase Research, and the Scientific Computation Research Center.

Students within multidisciplinary graduate programs are under the tutelage of faculty from more than one discipline. This highly knowledgeable faculty will determine which courses the student needs, develop appropriate examinations, and supervise research activities. The dean of science appoints the doctoral committee and supervises the student’s overall progress.

Students interested in pursuing such multidisciplinary graduate programs must follow Rensselaer’s standard graduate admission guidelines and must seek approval from faculty representing all disciplines related to their individual programs.