Degree Offered
- Associate of Arts
Nature of the Program
The associate of arts degree in multidisciplinary studies (MDS) provides the first two years of the four-year bachelor’s program. The goal of the program is to prepare students to transfer into the four-year program on the Morgantown campus or to gain entry-level positions within the workforce. The program provides the opportunity for students to choose three focus areas, in areas such as psychology, sociology, english, business, biology, and many more. Choosing three focus areas allows students to gain knowledge and skills in multiple related fields that will allow them to create a unique and individualized degree. The focus areas provide the foundation courses required to complete three minors on the Morgantown campus upon transfer into the multidisciplinary studies bachelor's degree program. Students can also transfer into a bachelor's program in one of their focus areas or enter the workforce.
Career Opportunities
MDS degree holders are flourishing in business, teaching, entrepreneurial endeavors, health professions, and public health administration. They are earning advanced degrees in health professions, social work, business administration, psychology, and law. The flexibility of the MDS degree ensures that students are prepared for success in today's rapidly changing workforce. Continuing in a bachelor’s program will only serve to increase the student’s marketability for positions in the workforce that require or seek bachelor’s degrees.
Faculty
Chair
- Erin Cunningham - M.S. Biology
Year @ PSC 2007
General Education Foundations
Please use this link to view a list of courses that meet each GEF requirement.
NOTE: Some major requirements will fulfill specific GEF requirements. Please see the curriculum requirements listed below for details on which GEFs you will need to select.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| General Education Foundations | ||
| F1 - Composition & Rhetoric | 3-6 | |
| Introduction to Composition and Rhetoric and Composition, Rhetoric, and Research | ||
or ENGL 103 | Accelerated Academic Writing | |
| F2A/F2B - Science & Technology | 4-6 | |
| F3 - Math & Quantitative Reasoning | 3-4 | |
| F4 - Society & Connections | 3 | |
| F5 - Human Inquiry & the Past | 3 | |
| F6 - The Arts & Creativity | 3 | |
| F7 - Global Studies & Diversity | 3 | |
| F8 - Focus (may be satisfied by completion of a minor, double major, or dual degree) | 9 | |
| Total Hours | 31-37 | |
Please note that not all of the GEF courses are offered at all campuses. Students should consult with their advisor or academic department regarding the GEF course offerings available at their campus.
Curriculum Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Students must achieve a minimum 2.0 GPA for graduation. | ||
| Students must earn a C- or higher in all courses required for the major. | ||
| General Education Foundation Requirements | 36 | |
| Select one of the following: | 1 | |
| First-Year Seminar | ||
| First Year Seminar | ||
| Focus Area One | 6 | |
| Focus Area Two | 6 | |
| Focus Area Three | 6 | |
| General Electives (may vary depending on options selected and AP credits) | 5 | |
| Total Hours | 60 | |
Suggested Plan of Study
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| MDS 191 | 1 | ENGL 102 (GEF 1) | 3 |
| ENGL 101 (GEF 1) | 3 | GEF 5 | 3 |
| GEF 3 | 3 | GEF 6 | 3 |
| GEF 4 | 3 | GEF 7 | 3 |
| Focus Area I - 1 | 3 | Focus Area I - 2 | 3 |
| Elective | 2 | ||
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| GEF 8 | 3 | GEF 2 | 3 |
| GEF 8 | 3 | GEF 8 | 3 |
| GEF 2 | 3 | Focus Area II - 2 | 3 |
| Focus Area II - 1 | 3 | Focus Area III - 2 | 3 |
| Focus Area III - 1 | 3 | Elective | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Total credit hours: 60 | |||
Major Learning Outcomes
Multidisciplinary Studies
Graduates of the associate's degree program should be able to:
Knowledge:
- Beginning of the broad-based knowledge of three discrete areas of study
- Understanding of synergistic advantage of multidisciplinary curriculum
Skills:
- Ability to begin thinking critically in each of three disciplines
- Ability to partition and interpret information or events using the most appropriate discipline’s toolset
- Ability to write a professional resume and apply to bachelor's degree programs
- Ability to research and write a research paper
Attitudes:
- Positive attitude towards civic action, nonprofit organizations, and community engagement
Integrative Learning:
- Ability to explain Multidisciplinary Studies and its advantages to others
- Ability to apply academic knowledge to contemporary political, social, scientific, and humanitarian questions