Interdisciplinary Studies, Associate of Interdisciplinary Studies (246)
Program Coordinator
Anne L. Heintzman, anne.heintzman@wku.edu, (270) 745-2966
The Associate of Interdisciplinary Studies degree is designed for those who need or desire a flexible degree program. Within the limits specified for the degree, students, with their advisors, may design programs to suit their personal needs and educational objectives.
This program requires 60 credit hours of coursework. Students who have previously earned 60 hours of credit with a 2.0 cumulative grade point average or above in all higher education coursework, including all coursework completed at Western Kentucky University, and have met all other requirements for the degree, may apply as candidates for the AIS degree. If upon evaluation of their transcripts, such students meet all the requirements for the degree, the degree will be awarded at the next graduation ceremony.
Opportunities
The Associate of Interdisciplinary Studies degree has become more attractive with the growth of business and industry in the area and with the increase of minimum educational requirements for employment or promotion. In addition to those wishing to enhance their employability, several other groups of students will find the program suits their needs. These include those who are seeking a degree for their personal satisfaction; those who plan eventually to move on to the main campus, but wish to have a degree at the two-year level; and those who wish to consolidate previously-earned credits into a degree program.
Areas of Emphasis
- Arts
- Organization & Communication of Ideas
- Business
- Science
- Education
- Social and Behavioral Science
- Health
- Humanities
- Technology
Program Requirements (60 hours)
Minimum requirements for the AIS degree are 60 semester hours distributed among the WKU Colonnade courses and two “areas of emphasis.”
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Colonnade Course Requirements | ||
| Written Communication: | ||
| ENG 100 | Introduction to College Writing | 3 |
| Oral Communication: | ||
| COMM 145 | Fundamentals of Public Speaking and Communication (or other approved course) | 3 |
| Quantitative Reasoning: | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| General Mathematics | ||
| College Algebra (or other approved course) | ||
Natural and Physical Sciences course | ||
| Arts and Humanities: | ||
| ENG 200 | Introduction to Literature (or other approved course) | 3 |
| Select an Explorations AH course | 3 | |
| Social and Behavioral Sciences: | ||
| HIST 101 | World History I | 3 |
| or HIST 102 | World History II | |
| Select an Explorations SB course | 3 | |
| Areas of Emphasis | ||
| Select 27 hours in the areas of emphasis with a minimum of 9 hours in each of the following areas: 1 | 27 | |
Arts | ||
Humanities | ||
Science | ||
Business | ||
Education | ||
Technology | ||
Health | ||
Social and Behavioral Science | ||
Organization and Communication of Ideas | ||
Social Justice and Equity Studies | ||
| Electives | ||
| Select 12 hours of electives | 12 | |
| Total Hours | 60 | |
| 1 | One quarter of the areas of emphasis hours must be earned at WKU. |
A student must obtain a 2.0 grade point average in both areas of emphasis. An overall 2.0 grade point average is required to be awarded the AIS degree.
Students seeking the AIS degree must complete a minimum of 25% of their degree program in residence at Western Kentucky University. Courses taken at WKU off-campus locations through regional campus offerings or through reachu@wku.edu are considered as having been taken in residence.
The Associate of Interdisciplinary Studies degree cannot be filed as a second degree program; as a result, students applying for concurrent or subsequent associate degrees must file the Associate of Interdisciplinary Studies as their primary degree program. Electives are in addition to the Colonnade courses and the areas of emphasis. They may come from Colonnade categories, or from courses that do not fall into any of the above Colonnade areas or the areas of emphasis.