Interdisciplinary Studies (IDIS)

This course provides an opportunity for students to do work with community organizations, and to reflect on this work under the supervision of a faculty member.

Student participation in a professional work experience for which credit will not apply to the degree. Approval for enrollment is determined by the Center for Career and Professional Development. Experience must be related to the student's major or career area of interest, include adequate supervision by an agency professional, and include at least an average of 5 hours per week over ten weeks or the equivalent.

Introduction to the college experience focusing on strategies for success during the first year and beyond. This course is open only to first year students who are members of the Summer Transition Program.

Introduction to the college experience focusing on strategies for success during the first year and beyond. This course is open only to first year students who are members of the Summer Transition Program.

At UMW we have opportunities to work with communities outside of campus. To do so effectively we need to think about what makes a good “partner” and strong partnerships. In this course we learn about partners in Fredericksburg, get involved in community projects, and think critically about campus/community connections.

Gandhi called on us to “Be the change you want to see in the world.” But how do we do this? This class will help you understand how communities work, learn about existing systems, and develop the skills to bring about positive social change.

This course focuses on building each student’s awareness and understanding of the interconnectedness of their UMW Liberal Arts education; their values, interests, personality, strengths, and skills; and their personal and professional growth. Using the core tenets of Design Thinking, students will reframe how they find what they want to do now, and how to answer who they want to grow into. The course is appropriate for any undergraduate student who wants to feel more confident in their personal and professional development.

This class will prepare students for careers in healthcare fields by helping them to identify careers and the requirements necessary for entrance into professional schools. Students will begin to build a pre-health portfolio with information and experiences that can be used by the student to apply for jobs and for admission into professional schools. Offered as pass/fail only.

This course is for students who are preparing to start their strategic job search and is designed to support them as they seek to understand, assess, and refine their professional identity. Offered as pass/fail only.

This course is for seniors who are preparing for their post-college transition to the world of work and independent living. Offered as pass/fail only.

This course focuses on discovering and learning how to apply for grants and fellowships that students may be eligible for after graduation. While primarily focusing on Fulbright, other grants are also included within course instruction (Rhodes, Truman, CLS, NSF-GRFP, DAAD, Marshall, Boren).

Study of the development of world cinema from the late nineteenth century to the present.

This course is a study of the legal principles underlying business relationships in sports. The course introduces law that affects sports and the business of sports including regulations of amateur athletics, public regulation of sports activities, legal relationships in professional sports, enforcement of professional sport contract, liability for injuries, and anti-trust aspects of sports activities.

Co-requisite: IDIS 242. This course challenges secondary STEM teaching candidates to consider how their experiences relate to and shape their disciplinary thinking and practices. Candidates will examine their preexisting beliefs about their content area, identify productive models of disciplinary thinking, and consider how to model and promote productive disciplinary beliefs in their classrooms.

Co-requisite: IDIS 241. This course examines equity and justice in STEM education through theory, research, and practice. Through instructional approaches such as culturally responsive pedagogy, students will unpack critical issues and grand challenges in STEM education to re-imagine academic success for all students.

Topics offered under this heading are designed to supplement and enhance the programs of various departmental majors.

This course provides an introduction to the E component of STEM, engineering. Engineering and its associated design process provide the methodology for applying scientific and mathematic principles, as well as technology in developing and testing solutions to practical problems.

This interdisciplinary course connects a broad and diverse range of issues pertaining to disability. This course examines everything from disability and education to issues of accessibility and accommodations, as well as the ways archaeology, architecture, computer science, literature, psychological science, visual art, and writing engage with disability. Coursework examines how various critical lenses offered by disability studies theory impact assessment of disability alongside class, ethnicity and race, gender and sexuality, and other identities/expressions.

Interdisciplinary study of a selected area abroad, combining lectures, readings, discussion, and experiential learning.

Prerequisite: HISP 209 or GEOG 231 or GEOG 237 or permission of the instructor. Provides an opportunity to explore an urban issue in-depth and to conduct independent research related to urban studies. This class is the capstone course for students completing the Urban Studies minor and is open to other students only with the permission of the instructor.

Prerequisite: IDIS 307 and Senior class standing. This course provides the capstone experience for the Interdisciplinary Science Studies major. It is a project-based course, with the focus on the implementation of STEM concepts and principles in solving a practical, real-world problem.

Permission of instructor. Students in the course will develop their skills with a variety of digital tools and technologies used at the University for the purpose of providing peer support for the First-Year Seminar. No more than 4 credits can count toward the 120 hours of graduation.

This individual study is only available for students who have an approved Special Major Program. Individual investigation of a subject appropriate to the special major, directed by a member of the faculty. The registration form must be signed by both the directing faculty and the offical advisor of the student's special major.

Supervised off-campus experience, directed by a member of the faculty.