University of Connecticut – Individualized Major Program
Fairfield University Conference on “Learning in Action: Innovative Course Pedagogy and Redesign XI” June 2011
Design of an Individualized Major Interdisciplinary Gateway Course
Ken Fuchsman, Faculty, Individualized Major Program, University of Connecticut,
Ken.Fuchsman@uconn.edu
LuAnn Saunders-Kanabay, Academic Advisor, Individualized Major Program, University of Connecticut,
luann.saunders-kanabay@uconn.edu
Monica van Beusekom, Assistant Director, Individualized Major Program, University of Connecticut,
Monica.vanbeusekom@uconn.edu
The University of Connecticut’s Individualized Major Program exists to allow students to design an
interdisciplinary major drawing from at least two and typically three or four departments. Consisting of at least 36
credits at the upper-level, an individualized major plan of study includes a course (or courses) that addresses
research methodology in a relevant discipline and concludes with a research project, either in the form of a
research paper in the program’s capstone course or a thesis. Many individualized majors also include an
internship, study abroad, and/or independent study. One of the key challenges the program faces is developing
students’ understanding of disciplines, interdisciplinarity, and integration both at the time of application and when
they pursue research projects as they conclude their majors. Through the development of a one-credit hybrid
(online and in-person) gateway course, we are seeking to introduce students, within a structured setting, to the
disciplines and research methodologies most relevant to their proposed major and thus prepare them to develop
their disciplinary and interdisciplinary understanding in subsequent courses for their major.
The rationale for the new gateway course can be explained by reference to the model of the
interdisciplinary process refined by William H. Newell (2007), specifically Part A, “Drawing on Disciplinary
Perspectives.” This initial stage identifies the critical tasks, namely:
 define the problem
 determine the relevant disciplines
 develop a working command of the relevant concepts, theories, and methods of each discipline
 gather all relevant disciplinary knowledge
 study the problem from the perspective of each discipline
 and generate disciplinary insights into the problem
The third step, “develop a working command of the relevant concepts, theories, and methods of each discipline,”
is central to the structure of the course. In preparing a plan of study and major proposal, students need to know
what kinds of questions their disciplines ask (conceptual foundation), the rules of evidence employed
(methodology) and how the discipline is organized.
The general objectives of the gateway course are to prepare students to think critically about and acquire
the conceptual tools for engaging in the interdisciplinary process. Moving through the steps of identifying
disciplines and courses, defining the concerns and methodologies of the relevant disciplines, defining
interdisciplinary studies, and developing a research question will enable the students to prepare a more coherent
and conceptually grounded plan of study and statement of purpose for their individualized major application.
With better grounded plans of study and statements of purpose, we expect that many individualized majors will
achieve a richer, deeper, and more complete study of their chosen theme in an interdisciplinary manner.
Newell, W.H., “The Role of Interdisciplinary Studies in the Liberal Arts,” LiberalArtsOnline, January 2007.
http://webshares.northseattle.edu/IS/readings/The%20Role%20of%20Interdisciplinary%20Studies%20in%20Liberal%20Arts
.htm
1 University of Connecticut – Individualized Major Program
Fairfield University Conference on “Learning in Action: Innovative Course Pedagogy and Redesign XI” June 2011
Outline of a New Gateway Course for the Individualized Major
The University of Connecticut’s Individualized Major Program allows students to design their own
interdisciplinary major. Students wishing to pursue this program must prepare a proposal consisting of a
statement of purpose and a plan of study for consideration by a faculty committee which makes
admissions decisions.
This course is intended for students who wish to apply for admission to the program. It seeks to
introduce students to the concepts of disciplines and interdisciplinarity so that students have the tools to
prepare an individualized major proposal that effectively explains the relevance of particular disciplines
and interdisciplinary approaches to the student’s area of interest.
This is a one-credit course with both online and in-person elements.
The learning outcomes are defined as follows:
The student will be able to:
o Design a coherent and rigorous major plan of study
o Explain in a written essay how the disciplines and courses in that plan of study each contribute to
developing the student’s understanding of his/her field of study
o Define what a discipline is and have a basic understanding of the disciplines relevant to his/her
field of study
o Define interdisciplinary studies and describe the origins, strengths, and limitations of this
approach
o Describe differences in the methodological approaches of the sciences, social sciences and
humanities and the key strengths and limitations of qualitative and quantitative research
methodologies
o Identify an issue or question within his/her field of study and discuss how various disciplines
might contribute to the analysis of the issue or question
Course Outline
1) Student introductions, including a brief statement of area of interest
Students outline their interest and, in a preliminary fashion, identify relevant disciplines and courses and
explain their rationale.
2) Examine how different disciplines might approach a problem through case study/ies
The first part of the course presents students with several different problems that can be addressed from
a number of disciplinary perspectives. These problems are in thematic areas that are regularly pursued
by individualized majors at UConn, for example, international studies, health studies, and criminal
studies. Using TedTalks and/or University Podcasts as starting points, students will explore the
disciplinary and interdisciplinary nature of these issues. Students will identify key questions they want
to ask about the problem and what disciplines they think have the best tools to answer those questions.
2 University of Connecticut – Individualized Major Program
Fairfield University Conference on “Learning in Action: Innovative Course Pedagogy and Redesign XI” June 2011
3) Overview of the origins and nature of disciplines
In order to understand why there are such things as disciplines and why some advocate for
interdisciplinarity, we need to explore briefly how disciplines emerged and the ways in which
intellectuals and others have critiqued the ‘splintering’ of knowledge and advocated for integration and
interdisciplinarity.
Using the problems addressed in part 2, the students would examine how different disciplines define
their domain of inquiry, what assumptions each discipline holds, and how that shapes the questions it
asks and the methodologies it deploys. The students would also explore examples of cross-cutting
theoretical debates that are not located in any single discipline.
Reading:
Joe Moran, “The Rise of Disciplines,” Interdisciplinarity, pp. 3-14.
Other Resources:
Websites of the professional associations of the major disciplines, many of which have a section for
students with titles such as “What is Economics?”
Dictionary of the Social Sciences Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2002
Access Science at: http://www.accessscience.com/index.aspx an online encyclopedia (McGraw Hill)
4) Overview of research methodologies
Both among and within disciplines there are often deep divisions regarding research methodologies. In
this section of the course, students examine these debates surrounding experimental, quantitative and
qualitative methods. Again reference would be made to the problems examined in part 2 to explore
differing research methodologies, their underlying assumptions, and their strengths and limitations.
We plan to develop a lecture on research methodologies.
5) Interdisciplinarity
What does it mean to take an interdisciplinary approach? What have been the critiques of
interdisciplinarity?
Reading:
Thomas Benson, “Five Arguments Against Interdisciplinary Studies” and William Newell, “The Case
for Interdisciplinary Studies” in William Newell, Interdisciplinarity: Essays from the Literature.
6) Identification of student interest and exploration of relevant disciplines
In part 6, students would define their area of interest, identify relevant disciplines, and deepen their
understanding of these disciplines through research and consultation with faculty. Background provided
earlier in the course would help students structure their conversations with faculty more effectively as
they prepare a plan of study and statement of purpose. Students will prepare a statement of purpose and
a plan of study for their proposed major. An initial draft will be critiqued by a peer, the instructor, and
the faculty advisors working with the student.
3 University of Connecticut – Individualized Major Program
Fairfield University Conference on “Learning in Action: Innovative Course Pedagogy and Redesign XI” June 2011
7) Prepare a research proposal
In part 7, students consider a topic on which they might like to conduct research. Using their knowledge
of disciplines, interdisciplinarity, and research methodologies, they discuss how one might go about
researching this question in an interdisciplinary manner.
Plan for the assessment of student learning:
Student learning will be assessed in both formative and summative ways.
Formative assessment tools:
o Contributions to discussion board regarding assigned reading
o Analysis of case studies that exemplify interdisciplinarity presented in course materials
o Preliminary report on disciplines and methodologies relevant to the student’s proposed major
based on the student’s research and consultation with faculty
o Draft plan of study and statement of purpose
Summative assessment tools:
o Plan of study and statement of purpose
o Written essay presenting how disciplinary and interdisciplinary perspectives would shape
research on an issue/question within student’s area of interest.
The statement of purpose and the essay outlining a research question produced in this gateway course
will be used as a measure of student skills and knowledge at the start of the major. Similar written work
produced at the end of the major, during the required capstone course–a statement of achievements, a
research paper, and a reflection paper – serves as a measure of student skills and knowledge at the
conclusion of the major.
4 University of Connecticut – Individualized Major Program
Fairfield University Conference on “Learning in Action: Innovative Course Pedagogy and Redesign XI” June 2011
New Gateway Course for the Individualized Major
Draft Assignment #1 - Disciplines
Watch the Ted Talks, “Solving Social Problems with a Nudge” by Sendil Mulainathan and “Sex, Drugs
and HIV – Let’s Get Rational” by Elizabeth Pisani. Choose one of these talks and answer the following
questions.
1. What is the key issue that each speaker is addressing? What questions is the speaker trying to
answer?
2. What does the speaker think has been overlooked in past efforts to address this issue? Where
does the speaker think the answer(s) lies?
3. Identify three disciplines that you think would be primary contributors to addressing the issue
this speaker discusses. Why? What other disciplines might also contribute in a secondary way?
Why?
Use these sources to help develop your understanding of disciplines:
Social Sciences:
Anthropology: “What is Anthropology” American Anthropological Association:
http://www.aaanet.org/about/WhatisAnthropology.cfm
Economics: American Economics Association: What is Economics-http://www.aeaweb.org/students/index.php
History (see Humanities)
Political Science: “What is Political Science” http://www.apsanet.org/content_9181.cfm?navID=727
Psychology: http://www.apa.org/careers/resources/guides/careers.pdf
Sociology:
http://www.nyu.edu/classes/persell/aIntroNSF/Documents/Field%20of%20sociology033108.htm
See also Dictionary of the Social Sciences, Craig Calhoun, ed. (Oxford University Press, available
through the UConn library online)
Natural Sciences:
See Access Science at: http://www.accessscience.com/index.aspx an online encyclopedia (McGraw Hill)
with general entries for Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics as well as entries for the many
subfields of these disciplines.
Humanities:
History: “Why Study History” American Historical Association
http://www.historians.org/pubs/free/WhyStudyHistory.htm
Languages & Literature: Modern Languages Association:
http://www.mla.org/pdf/adfl_brochcollege.pdf
Philosophy: Guide to Philosophy, American Philosophical Association:
http://www.apaonline.org/publications/texts/briefgd.aspx
5 University of Connecticut – Individualized Major Program
Fairfield University Conference on “Learning in Action: Innovative Course Pedagogy and Redesign XI” June 2011
Draft Assignment #2 – Methodologies
Part A: Listen again to the talk you focused on for Assignment 1. What does the speaker reveal about
the research methodologies that have been used to study the issue? What have been the strengths and
weaknesses of these methodologies? What have researchers been able to learn using these
methodologies and what has been obscured?
Part B: Referring to the three disciplines you identified in Assignment #1, discuss the research
methodologies (experimental, quantitative, or qualitative) associated with each discipline and how these
might be used to research the issue. What would be the strengths and limitations of these methodologies
when applied to this particular issue?
Draft Assignment #3 – Interdisciplinarity
Choose one of the issues highlighted in either Mullainathan’s or Pisani’s TED Talk and, utilizing the
three disciplines you’ve identified, discuss how the resources of these disciplines might work together to
develop answers to these questions.
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