The interdisciplinary studies major offered by the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences is intended to cover the needs of the IDS student whose interests and abilities are not met be a regular major, double major, or major and minor. The student must comply with all College degree requirements (e.g., foreign language, distribution of electives, etc.). In lieu of the normal departmental major concentration, the student is expected to devise, with the aid of two faculty sponsors, an interdisciplinary concentration that consists of a coherent set of 3000- and 4000-level courses from two or more departments. The rationale for these courses is to be clearly stated in terms of how this course of study will fit the student’s academic and career goals. In addition, the student is required to undertake and complete a research project, under the direction of one or more of the faculty sponsors, and to produce a senior thesis.
Faculty must be permanent, not “visiting” and not “temporary,” to ensure continuity toward completion of requirements for students in the IDS major.
The student must have a UF GPA of 3.0 or higher and locate at least two faculty sponsors who are willing to serve as the advisory/supervisory committee. At least one of the sponsors must be a member of the faculty of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
Duties of the Primary Sponsor
- Review the student’s proposed program prior to its submission to the College for approval, making sure that the list of courses is appropriate to the overall goals of the particular interdisciplinary major;
- Review the projected research project with the same criteria in mind;
- Review the student’s academic record to evaluate ability to complete an independent research project and write a senior thesis.
- Sign the student’ s application form and write a short letter stating your willingness to be a faculty sponsor and evaluating the proposed thesis project.
- Be available to advise the student as the course of study progresses, especially if the student encounters difficulty or problems in the area of the sponsor’s expertise. Once approved, the program the student has proposed is a contract. Any change(s) from the approved program (core or research hours) (OVER) must be requested in writing by the student and approved by the Primary Advisor and the Associate Dean for Interdisciplinary Studies. Change forms are available in from 2014 Turlington Hall.
- Review, approve, and sign the senior thesis before it is handed in (due approximately two weeks before graduation.)
- Advisors must provide grades for students registered in IDS 4906 (Interdisciplinary Thesis Research) to 2014 Turlington Hall (392-2264). If the research is still in progress, you may give a grade of I, which you can turn into a regular grade in a later semester when the thesis is completed. For graduation with honors, a student must attain a 3.5 overall upper-division grade point average. Based on the faculty sponsor’s evaluation of the thesis, this student can also be recommended for high or highest honors. One copy of the thesis and an abstract must be delivered to the Graduation Secretary at the Academic Advising Center at least one week prior to graduation.
- Advisors should insure that students received appropriate authorship, co-authorship, or acknowledgment in any publications resulting from the thesis research.
Duties of the Second Sponsor
- Review the student’s proposed program prior to its submission to the College for approval, making sure that the list of courses is appropriate to the overall goals of the particular interdisciplinary major;
- Review the proposed research project with the same criteria in mind;
Review the student’s academic record to evaluate ability to complete an independent research project and write a senior thesis.
Provide advice as needed during the student’s progress toward a degree.