MA/MS in Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General

Integrative studies at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a graduate program for people whose career goals sit between traditional disciplines. Students draw on two areas of expertise and weave their coursework into a single master's plan, either the Master of Arts or the Master of Science. Examples of fields that suit the approach include heritage and cultural resource management, marketing communications and engineering management. A student who finds no suitable existing pairing may ask the graduate director to help craft an individual plan around two or more focus areas of participating programs, and those focus areas are listed on the transcript. The degree is meant for professionals who want to advance within a particular industry, move into an emerging multidisciplinary field or launch their own business. It can also serve as a route into doctoral study. The art studio, art therapy, psychology and public administration programs are excluded from the arrangement.