Interdisciplinary Studies (formerly General Studies)

The Interdisciplinary Studies Program at Mount Wachusett Community College provides students with the opportunity to earn an Associate of Science Degree in Interdisciplinary Studies.  Upon completion of this program, students are prepared to enter a variety of careers or transfer to a four-year institution to complete a baccalaureate degree. The Interdisciplinary Studies program offers a student the opportunity to explore many interests while completing a core curriculum used for a career or transfer path. Students will gain knowledge in a variety of disciplines including math, science, the humanities and the social sciences.

Interdisciplinary Studies Degree (IDS)

If your career and educational goals are not yet firmly defined, the Interdisciplinary Studies program provides a flexible curriculum allowing you to explore many different disciplines.

Year 1
FallCredits
ENG 101College Writing I 3
MAT 126Topics In Mathematics (or higher) 3
Computer Information Systems Elective 1 3
General Elective 2 3
General Elective 2 3
Spring
ENG 102College Writing II 3
SPC 113Speech (formerly THE113) 3
Behavioral Social Science Elective 3 3
General Elective 2 3
General Elective 2 3
Year 2
Fall
Business Elective 4 3
Non-Behavioral Social Science Elective 5 3
Science Elective 6 3-4
General Elective 2 3
General Elective 2 3
Spring
General Elective 2 3-4
ISC 220 or ENG 290The Interdisciplinary Capstone (or Advanced Writing and Research) 3
Humanities Elective 7 3
Advanced General Elective 8 3
Advanced General Elective 8 3
 Total Credits: 60-62
1

CIS ELECTIVES: CIS 109 Introduction to Programming, CIS 121 Spreadsheet Applications or CIS 150 Computer Science I.

2

General Electives: See General Electives exceptions.

3

Behavioral Social Science Electives: See Elective Courses by Abbreviation.

4

Business Electives: See Elective Courses by Abbreviation.

5

Non-behavioral Social Science Electives: See Elective Courses by Abbreviation.

6

Science Electives: See Elective Courses by Abbreviation.

7

Humanities Electives: See Elective Courses by Abbreviation

8

An advanced general elective is any 200-level course.

See Interdisciplinary Studies program student learning outcomes and technical standards.

Student Success Tips

Interdisciplinary Studies is an opportunity for students to customize a program of study for transfer to a four-year institution.  For example, students who wish to major in a discipline not offered at MWCC (e.g., Sociology or English) may choose IDS. The flexibility allowed in the IDS program is a good way to explore a variety of academic options.

Transfer Options

IDS students interested in transferring should meet with the college's transfer counselor as well as contact their transfer schools of choice. For transfer options, please click here. 

Special Requirements

Technical standards must be met with or without accommodations.

Program Student Learning Outcomes for IDS

Upon graduation from this program, students shall have the ability to:

  • Demonstrate an understanding of complex written texts that demand an appreciation of subtext, irony, metaphor, and the subtlety and nuances of language.
  • Formulate a research question, conduct research using the library’s databases, and synthesize information from a variety of sources into a cohesive and in-depth analysis of a topic through the completion of a research paper.
  • Demonstrate knowledge of historic, social, and cultural backgrounds necessary for understanding their own and other societies with an emphasis on important ideas and events that have shaped, and continue to shape, their world.
  • Demonstrate scientific literacy, which can be defined as the matrix of knowledge needed to understand enough about the universe to deal with issues that come across the horizon of the average citizen, in the news or elsewhere.
  • Demonstrate a broad exposure and clear understanding of the various disciplines and the proper foundation to pursue a variety of career choices.

Technical Standards for IDS 1  

Students entering these programs must be able to demonstrate the ability to:

  • Comprehend textbook material at the 11th grade level.
  • Communicate and assimilate information either in spoken, printed, signed, or computer voice format.
  • Gather, analyze, and draw conclusions from data.
  • Learn to operate a computer and work at a computer for a minimum of two hours.
  • Possess manual dexterity to operate computer devices such as a keyboard and mouse.
  • Read data from a computer screen.
  • Sit or stand for prolonged periods of time.
1

For general information about technical standards and accommodation, see Technical Standards.