An Introduction to IAS

The Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences curriculum is a program of advanced study in the humanities, social sciences and natural sciences. The focus of the curriculum is the comparative study of peoples, groups, societies, cultures and environments within the United States and selected regions of the world. To provide an interdisciplinary and comparative basis for the study of different groups, societies and cultures, the Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences curriculum is organized around three general dimensions of social life: Culture and Ideas (Fine Arts and Humanities), Society and the Individual (Social Sciences) and The Natural World (Natural Sciences).

The goals of the Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences curriculum are to help students:

• Develop proficiency in skills such as writing and critical thinking that are needed for productive careers, and gain mastery of a broad curriculum in the humanities, social sciences and environmental science;
• Achieve knowledge of the theories, concepts and methods of cross-cultural analysis;
• Understand the complexity of relations between groups, societies, cultures and natural environments; the history of these relations and the forces of social change;
• Gain a knowledge and appreciation of cultures other than their own while exploring the expression of cultural identity, thought and beliefs through literature and the other arts; and
• Build experience in the analysis of environmental issues and their scientific basis.

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