South Dakota State University Interdisciplinary Studies Major

The Interdisciplinary Studies Major at South Dakota State University helps students align unique educational interests and professional goals to design an individualized degree plan.
In the process, the student earns a Bachelor of Science degree in a major that is student-centered, academically rigorous, and often includes hands-on learning experiences.
Our department is founded on a model accepted by the Association for Interdisciplinary Studies. Just listen to what one of our majors had to say about us.
I’ve switched my major multiple times and it really allowed me to explore what I’m truly interested in.
It allows you to find your passion.
What’s really cool about the major is that you’re able to connect those things to solve a certain problem.
So, what I tell people about interdisciplinary studies is that you’re able to think about a problem and with that problem you solve it from not just one discipline but multiple disciplines.
So you really integrate different disciplines and learn how to solve a problem from multiple perspectives.
Our students are truly exceptional people who tend to be independent-minded, ambitious and knowledgeable.
Our majors stand out from other students because each student designs a distinctly personalized curriculum that aligns with his or her own interests.
Working directly with faculty, students select courses from a variety of fields
This allows students to earn an education that other majors simply cannot duplicate.
We have an excellent learning environment with state-of-the-art facilities and strong interaction with employers in a wide variety of industries and graduate programs.
IDL graduates have landed jobs as a buyer for Saks Fifth Avenue and as an events coordinator for the Washington Pavilion in Sioux Falls.
Others have started their own businesses as professional writers, photographers, and musicians.
Still others have been accepted into graduate school. One earned a doctorate in meteorology and atmospheric sciences from Mississippi State University.
Now you know what’s so special about the IDL program.
To learn more about the interdisciplinary studies major at SDSU, please contact us by calling 605-688-6823.