This case study examined the transdisciplinarity and complementarity of a double degree program in undergraduate chemistry and computer engineering, based on the perspectives of its graduates. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eighteen graduates to explore how well the program integrated both disciplines and prepared them for the job…

To address deficiencies in STEM and sustainability in business management and intra-university curricula, we developed and implemented an interdisciplinary STEM-based sustainability curriculum at a university in the Western United States. Six classes participated in curricular efforts including in-person and online sections of a business…

To meet the changing demands of the students and many other stakeholders of education in this twenty-first century, the education systems of different nations of the world are in the process of continuous paradigm shifts in their curriculum, methods of instruction, management, evaluation process and other related components. Integrated programmes…

Prompted by William Newell's 2013 call for the Association of Interdisciplinary Studies (AIS) to consider whether to rethink its mission in light of other organizations' interests, this article begins by reflecting on similarities and differences among five of the founding organizations of a recently formed Global Alliance for Inter- and…

This article argues that institutions of higher education (IHEs) require a fundamental paradigm shift toward an Indigenous Knowledge (IK) model inclusive of Indigenous Peoples, perspectives, and values. This model acknowledges the sacred value of nature, the rights of non human species, and the power and potential of transformative learning via…

Interdisciplinarity requires the collaboration of two or more disciplines to combine their expertise to jointly develop and deliver learning and teaching outcomes appropriate for a subject area. Curricula and assessment mapping are critical components to foster and enhance interdisciplinary learning environments. Emerging careers in data science…

Polar research plays a vital role in developing our understanding of Earth's climate system. It is intrinsically interdisciplinary, lending itself to integration into existing undergraduate courses. Here we explore introducing undergraduates to polar research through computational guided inquiry (CGI) modules taught in a variety of courses and…

The Division of Graduate Medical Sciences at the Boston University School of Medicine houses numerous dynamic graduate programs. Doctoral students began their studies with laboratory rotations and classroom training in a variety of fundamental disciplines. Importantly, with 15 unique pathways of admission to these doctoral programs, there were…

'Research and teaching' is a typical response to the question, 'What are universities for?' For most people, one comes to mind more quickly than the other. Most undergraduate students will think of teaching, while PhD students will think of research. University staff will have similarly varied reactions depending on their roles. Emphasis on one or…

Many basic scientists including anatomists are currently involved in decisions related to revisions of the undergraduate medical curriculum. Integration is a common theme in many of these decisions. As described by Harden, integration can occur along a multistep continuum from independent, discipline-based courses to a completely interdisciplinary…

Recent education policy designed to promote arts education tends to focus on how such curriculum supports "skills for innovation" required for success in the global economy. Emphasis on the transfer of arts-based learning to professional innovation and achievement, a dynamic that is difficult to determine, can undermine the value of…

Traditional curricular approaches within engineering education tend to be fragmented, with opportunities for content- and meta-level synthesis being mostly limited to freshman and senior year design courses. In this paper, we are proposing a curricular model, the Synthesis and Design Studio, to combat the tendency towards fragmented curricula. The…

This mini-article outlines a continuum of collaboration for faculty within a department of the same discipline. The goal of illustrating this continuum is showcase different stages of collaboration so that faculty members can assess where they are as a collective and consider steps to collaborate more. The separate points along a continuum of…

In recent years, mathematical and quantitative arguments have become prominent in the media as well as in politics, business, and science conversations. This has led to multiple calls for mathematics to be more accessible and meaningful to a wider range of the population (AMATYC, 2006; Cerrito, 1996; Cheney, 1989; Cohen, 1982; College Board, 1983;…

Sequestered far from rough-and-tumble, real-world considerations, often viewed as too theoretical to be useful, a liberal arts education is associated with thinking and contemplation rather than praxis. Entrepreneurship, on the other hand, is almost always situated within the domain of business and involves some type of market exchange, giving it…