The MAIS is a degree program that provides an opportunity for motivated students to bring together three disciplines in a course of study that leads to an integration of all three fields. The purpose of integrating the three fields is to provide a new, more holistic insight into an issue, question, or problem in which the student has a passion or interest. The culminating experience for the MAIS is the thesis or research project in which the three fields are effectively integrated as a means of addressing the student's identified issue or problem.
Any graduate major or minor may participate in the MAIS program and serve as a discipline or field for this degree, but program participation varies from year to year. Use this website to find all graduate programs currently available as a MAIS field of study.
Two of the three fields in a MAIS program of study may be from one department if the areas of concentration within these two fields are different.
Students interested in the MAIS begin their inquiry with intellectual or career goals or interests that can be best achieved through interdisciplinary study. A prospective student may have a keen interest in a particular topic that can only be understood through the integration of disciplinary approaches. An MAIS degree may also help applicants achieve career goals. For example, applicants may want to obtain a masters degree for career advancement, and an interdisciplinary degree may be of greatest relevance to their current professional activities. Since the degree allows you to develop your own program of study, you can tailor it to help you meet your career objectives.
Students with MAIS degrees work in a variety of fields – business, health care, education, government, non-profits, and many others.