2024-2025 Academic Catalog

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Interdisciplinary Studies (IDST)

IDST 5000 -  Special Topics  (1-3 Credits)  
Cross-listed with IDST 4000. Note: May be taken more than once for credit when topics vary. Repeatable. Max Hours: 9 Credits.
Grading Basis: Letter Grade
Repeatable. Max Credits: 9.
IDST 5010 -  Foundations of STEM Communication  (3 Credits)  
This course will provide students with an introduction to STEM communication and offer opportunities for developing STEM content for a variety of audiences across multiple formats. These formats span written, oral, digital, and social media communication. Through classroom exercises and assignments, students will understand the role of communication in shaping perceptions, knowledge, decisions and ultimately realities vis-a-vis STEM. They will also learn to provide critical analysis of popular mainstream STEM communication and be able to identify basic expectations and constraints of STEM communication across audience and context. The class will explore approaches to communicating concepts in STEM disciplines to a variety of audiences through practice. Ultimately, the students will develop the skills and resources necessary to enable effective communication of complex STEM ideas to a wide range of audiences. Note: Students may not earn credit if they have already received credit for IDST topics courses with a similar title. Restriction: Restricted to Graduate and Graduate Non-Degree majors (NDGR-NHL and NDGR-NLA). Cross-listed with IDST 4010. Max hours: 3 Credits.
Grading Basis: Letter Grade
Restriction: Restricted to Graduate and Graduate Non-Degree Majors
IDST 5013 -  Methods and Practices of Graduate Interdisciplinary Studies  (3 Credits)  
The second of three required Master of Humanities core courses, this course introduces beginning graduate students to methodologies and intellectual frameworks for gathering, organizing, and developing interdisciplinary research. Focus is on the application of theories and methods of research, interpretation and analysis in humanistic research through readings that explore philosophical and cultural discourses have altered theory and method. Course note: Students must repeat this course if they earn a C+ or lower and must have permission from the instructor to repeat the course. Students will only earn 3 credits for this course, even if they must repeat it. Restriction: Restricted to Graduate Level Students. Term offered: spring. Max hours: 3 Credits.
Grading Basis: Letter Grade
Restriction: Graduate level students.
Typically Offered: Spring.
IDST 5020 -  Foundations and Theories of Interdisciplinary Studies  (3 Credits)  
The first of the Master of Social Science core courses, this course exposes beginning graduate student to critical , key analytic models, and their application in disciplines that comprise the social sciences (classical anthropology, sociology, sociology of religion, philosophy of history, political theory, classical psychology, etc.) for the purpose of graduate-level interdisciplinary social science research. Course note: Students must repeat this course if they earn a C+ or lower and must have permission from the instructor to repeat the course. Students will only earn 3 credits for this course, even if they must repeat it. Restriction: Restricted to Graduate and Graduate Non-Degree majors. Term offered: fall. Max hours: 3 Credits.
Grading Basis: Letter Grade
Restriction: Restricted to Graduate and Graduate Non-Degree Majors
Typically Offered: Fall.
IDST 5023 -  Research Perspectives in Interdisciplinary Studies  (3 Credits)  
Introduces interdisciplinary social research through a critical examination of various methodological approaches. Each student formulates a research proposal which includes a research question, a review of the literature, and methods of study. Restriction: Restricted to Graduate and Graduate Non-Degree majors (NDGR-NHL and NDGR-NLA). Term offered: spring, fall. Max Hours: 3 Credits.
Grading Basis: Letter Grade
Restriction: Restricted to Graduate and Graduate Non-Degree Majors
Typically Offered: Fall, Spring.
IDST 5660 -  Visual Arts: Its Past, Present, and Interpretations  (3 Credits)  
Provides graduate-level interdisciplinary study in the historiography, methodologies, and theories used to understand how visual arts, including painting, sculpture, photography, film and performance art influence the making of culture. Students gain critical skills for analyzing a variety of visual and aesthetic products of culture. Cross-listed with HUMN 5660, IDST 4660, HUMN 4660. Max hours: 3 Credits.
Grading Basis: Letter Grade
IDST 5720 -  Sex, Gender, and Visual Representation  (3 Credits)  
Studies sexuality, gender and identity representation from classical antiquity through the present in the visual arts. Uses the literature of visuality, feminism, race and queer theory. Explores representations of femininity, masculinity and androgyny and their reinforcement and challenge to gender-identity norms. Cross-listed with HUMN 5720, HUMN 4720, IDST 4720, WGST 5720, WGST 4720. Restriction: Restricted to Graduate and Graduate Non-Degree majors. Term offered: fall, spring. Max hours: 3 Credits.
Grading Basis: Letter Grade
Restriction: Restricted to Graduate and Graduate Non-Degree Majors
Typically Offered: Fall, Spring.
IDST 5770 -  Viewing Empire: The Art of Imperial and Colonial Propaganda  (3 Credits)  
Western empires disseminate political, social, economic & cultural practices through complex interplay of cultural practices. Visual production is a complex site for meaning making within imperialism. Examines how visual discourses operated to create meaning for audiences, through focus on postcolonial critique. Cross-listed with SJUS 4770, SJUS 5770, HUMN 4770, HUMN 5770, IDST 4770, SSCI 4770, SSCI 5770, WGST 5770, WGST 4770. Max hours: 3 Credits.
Grading Basis: Letter Grade
IDST 5924 -  Research Perspectives in Graduating Interdisciplinary Humanities and Social Sciences  (3 Credits)  
The first of the Master of Humanities core courses, this course provides beginning graduate students grounding in critical theorists, key analytic models, and their application in disciplines which comprise the humanities (philosophy, literature, art history, visual studies, history, communication) for the purpose of graduate-level, interdisciplinary humanities research. Examines questions about reality, knowledge, ethics that affect research and writing in the humanities. Course note: Students must repeat this course if they earn a C+ or lower and must have permission from the instructor to repeat the course. Students will only earn 3 credits for this course, even if they must repeat it. Term offered: spring, fall. Max Hours: 3 Credits.
Grading Basis: Letter Grade
Typically Offered: Fall, Spring.