BA Interdisciplinary Studies Requirements

• Approval by the chair of Interdisciplinary Studies of a Learning Agreement outlining the student’s focused, achievable, individualized program.
• Students will design their Learning Agreement for a BA in Interdisciplinary Studies in the Gateway Seminar.
• Sixty credits generally earned at 300-level classes and above. These credits will be accumulated by completing the courses listed in the student’s approved Learning Agreement, and will include:
  • credits earned from INTD301 The Gateway Seminar (3) (required)
  • INTD380 Advanced INTD Research Seminar (3),
  • 6 credits of INTD490 Special Topics (3),
  • INTD480 The Capstone Seminar (3).
• Course work to be applied to the major may include up to 9 credit hours of independent study and 9 credit hours of transfer and/or consortium credits.*
• Interdisciplinary Studies students must attend the Gateway and Capstone semesters, Special Topics, and Advanced Research courses in residence.

* Note: This does not constitute an increase in the total number of transfer credits allowed. A maximum of 60 transfer credits will be accepted.

Learning Agreement

The Learning Agreement is an intensive investigation into the areas of academic interest. The student will be guided through this investigation by a careful consideration and interaction with the professor teaching the Gateway Seminar. In order to reflect the interdisciplinary nature of the Bachelor of Arts program, the Learning Agreement must incorporate disciplines from at least two but no more than three of the BA programs offered at Naropa. Students must select a minimum of 12 credit hours at the 300-level or above from each BA program’s list of required courses provided in the course catalog. This is to ensure that they receive basic fluency, literacy, and methodology for each discipline.

100–200 level courses are intended for first- and second-year students. In some departments, courses are developmental and cumulative in skill advancement (e.g., Visual Arts, Music, Performing Arts, Traditional Eastern Arts). In some cases, 100 and 200 level courses are acceptable to fulfill the 12-credit hour requirement for each discipline.