Interdisciplinary Studies

Types of Degrees Interdisciplinary Studies Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many interdisciplinary studies graduations there were in 2018-2019 for each degree level.

What Interdisciplinary Studies Majors Need to Know

In an O*NET survey, interdisciplinary studies majors were asked to rate what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important in their occupations. These answers were weighted on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the most important.

Knowledge Areas for Interdisciplinary Studies Majors

Interdisciplinary Studies majors often go into careers in which the following knowledge areas are important:

• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
• Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

Skills for Interdisciplinary Studies Majors

The following list of skills has been highlighted as some of the most essential for careers related to interdisciplinary studies:

• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

Who Is Getting a Master’s Degree in Interdisciplinary Studies?

This major is dominated by women with about 62% of recent graduates being female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of interdisciplinary studies majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	2
Black or African American	19
Hispanic or Latino	17
White	105
International Students	20
Other Races/Ethnicities	13

Geographic Diversity

Interdisciplinary Studies appeals to people across the globe. About 11.4% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:

• China
• Canada
• South Korea
• Mexico
• India

Master’s Degree Starting Salary

The median early-career salary of interdisciplinary studies students with a master’s degree is $42,300 a year according to 2017-2018 data from the U.S. Department of Education. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $42,300 (25th percentile) and $42,300 (75th percentile).

One thing to note here is that not all of these people may be working in careers related to interdisciplinary studies.

Online Interdisciplinary Studies Programs

In the 2018-2019 academic year, 291 schools offered some type of interdisciplinary studies program. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	8	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	2	0
Certificate (2-4 Years)	1	0
Associate’s Degree	53	11
Bachelor’s Degree	8	0
Post-Baccalaureate	8	0
Master’s Degree	31	5
Post-Master’s	2	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	7	1
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Majors Related to Interdisciplinary Studies

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to interdisciplinary studies.

Major	Number of Grads
Other Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies	37,392
Biological & Physical Science	29,278
International Studies	7,967
Nutrition Science	4,794
Behavioral Science	3,731
Natural Sciences	2,571
Cognitive Science	2,275
Sustainability Science	2,194
Human Biology	1,460
Peace Studies & Conflict Resolution	1,310
Gerontology	1,281
Human Computer Interaction	1,272
Science, Technology & Society	1,171
Mathematics & Computer Science	1,105
Computational Science	927
Systems Theory	917
Museum Studies	801
Dispute Resolution	668
Historic Preservation	433
Multicultural & Diversity Studies	424
Classical & Ancient Studies	303
Marine Science	275
Cultural Studies & Analysis	227
Biopsychology	165
Medieval Studies	108
Accounting & Computer Science	71
Maritime Studies	45
Holocaust Studies	40

References

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
• Image Credit: By UTDallas under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.