I have been asked many times what I am getting my bachelor degree in. When I respond with integrative studies I either get a puzzled look or I am asked what that means. In the beginning I honestly didn’t know what it meant either. After starting my BIS 201 class I began to learn more about it and now I know what integrative studies is as well as how to explain my degree. To me, integrative studies is combination of different disciplines that isn’t focused in one certain area. My degree takes information that I have already gained through work experience and life experience and builds on it. It not just a standard degree it can be shaped to fit anyone no matter what they want their focus or outcome to be.
SEO means Statement of Educational Objective. When I first started to think about my SEO it was overwhelming. Now that I have figure out what I want my concentrations to be it is a lot easier to figure out my SEO. The first concentration I chose is staffing and recruitment. I have already fulfilled the requirements for this concentration. The five classes for this concentration were: CMR 111 (this replaces CMR 112)CMR 241, CMR 244, ENG 313, CMR 401. The last two classes in this concentration I am taking this semester and then this concentration will be complete. My second concentration is applied sociology. The five classes that I have to take for this one is SOC 202, PSY 221, SOC 262, SOC 451, and SOC 153 which I am taking this semester as well. My thematic sequence is applied communications which was recommended to me by Dr. Spencer. I have completed one class so far and it was STC 136. I still have to take APC 428 and APC 336 to fulfilled this requirement.
I have learned many things since starting BIS 201. I have learned that being in this program gives me the freedom to design my degree to fit my goals. I have learned that whenever I see a bowl of fruit or a smoothie I will think about the fruit being multidisciplinary and the smoothie being interdisciplinary. Multidisciplinary is two are more disciplines work side by side with no integration. Where as interdisciplinary is two are more disciplines work together to create a better understanding, they integrate or blend together.
I really don’t have any questions or confusion about the SEO but I do have some areas on my DAR that doesn’t seem to reflect the classes I have taken. This makes it hard to determine what I still need to do to fulfill the requirements of the Miami plan as well as my SEO.
My Journey with Integrative Studies 