Jefferson’s Interdisciplinary Studies program encourages pursuing your professional goals through a customized and tailored program.
Whether you are just starting college or looking to transfer previous college experience as you plan an exciting new direction, you can find a home in this major.
Interdisciplinary Studies is a rapidly growing field developed to address a need for versatile talents because problems of today’s world call for innovative solutions that transcend the boundaries of conventional disciplines.
Our Interdisciplinary Studies program — featuring specialiazations such as Global Studies, Diversity Studies, Sustainability Studies, and Health & Society — allows students to customize their education to work toward the career path of their interest. We offer tailored specializations, as well as the ability to work with the department to create a personalized curriculum.
Interdisciplinary Studies at Jefferson offers a way of thinking, of working, of finding innovative solutions to complex problems by integrating a variety of disciplinary and professional skills and approaches in your own work and by working collaboratively with professionals across a range of disciplines and fields.
The flexibility you'll find in this program allows students to build unique skill sets that make them stand out in today's job market. For example, students can build a degree based on biology and data science or health sciences and communication within a single major. The healthcare industry and data science are two of the fastest growing fields, but talents that straddle both fields are rare and in demand.
Interdisciplinary Studies is a good fit for you if you are:
- An innovative person who wants to go beyond traditional academic disciplines and professions
- An ambitious person who wants to tackle complex, real-world issues and problems from multiple perspectives
- A trailblazer who wants to forge your own professional pathway to success
- Looking for an education with small classes and supportive faculty advising that also has the advantages and resources of a large professional university
Careers & Opportunities
The individualized nature of interdisciplinary studies means that graduates can be found in diverse professions ranging from software developers and nurses to teachers and managers. The breadth of knowledge covered by our flexible curriculum also prepares students for leadership roles. According to the latest survey by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, management occupations account for the largest percentage of jobs held by interdisciplinary studies graduates.
An Interdisciplinary Studies degree prepares you for careers and opportunities that you will help create and develop as you work at the intersection of exciting and growing fields like these:
- Civil service/government professional
- Diversity officer — equal opportunity representatives and officers
- Entrepreneur
- Foreign Service Officer
- Human Resources in health care professions
- Healthcare case manager—medical and health service manager
- Journalist
- Pharmaceutical (or other specialized profession) sales
- Nonprofit Manager/Administrator
- Political scientist
- Public relations specialist
- Teacher/educator
- Sustainability consultant
- Climate justice advocate
- Healthcare trends analyst
- And more
Explore some of the specializations you can take with us, including designing your very own.
Highlights of Jefferson's Interdisciplinary Studies program
The flexibility provided by our program allows students to build unique skill sets that make them competitive at the job market. For example, students could choose to focus on biology and data science or health sciences and communication without double majoring.
At Jefferson, we also distinguish ourselves from other similar programs because of the University’s professional focus and our college’s small size. Our faculty will make sure students receive the best advice and care they need to succeed.
- Customize your degree by designing your own course of study through consultation with professors in your major and across the entire campus, or by choosing a specialization rooted in the strengths of Jefferson’s interdisciplinary and interprofessional areas — Global Studies, Diversity Studies, Sustainability Studies, and Health & Society.
- Develop critical skills demanded by workplaces such as complex problem-solving, communication, collaboration, critical thinking and empathy.
- Take advantage of internships with Philadelphia’s cultural institutions and nonprofits, as well as corporations.
- Earn a degree that paves the way for a career in growing industries like: civil service, human resources, diversity and inclusion, public relations, healthcare, and environmental specialist roles.
- Complete the program in as little as three years, with classes available throughout the summer semesters.
Faculty & Student Profiles
Meet our Program Director: Guangzhi Huang
Dr. Huang is the director of Interdisciplinary Studies within the College of Humanities and Sciences, as well as an assistant professor within the program. You’ll find him teaching within the Hallmarks Program for General Education.
Meet our Students: Kylie Delamore
Kylie Delamore is a student at Jefferson earning her Bachelors of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies, with a combined focus in Global Studies and Law and Society.
Interdisciplinary studies is a hands-on approach to learning. In the major, we examine the most pressing issues of our time, then devise ways to study them — all done with an eye to effecting change.