The selective Interdisciplinary Studies (IDS) program at Wheaton College offers students the unique opportunity to design their own program of study (POS), integrating coursework across 2 or 3 disciplines in order to pursue innovative, independent lines of inquiry. The program emphasizes rigorous academic study grounded in a biblical perspective within the context of a supportive learning environment.
The state of higher education today can be readily encapsulated by a picture of the multi-hundred student lecture hall: there is necessarily a widespread emphasis on the dissemination of information rather than the cultivation of curiosity and critical thinking. In contrast, IDS majors at Wheaton College are personally encouraged not to be content with facts alone, but rather to understand the significance of those facts in the context of a bigger picture so that they can ultimately use that understanding to effect tangible redemptive change in the world.
Read more about the unique features of Wheaton's IDS program in the links below:
Wheaton’s IDS program is one of the highest ranked interdisciplinary studies programs in the nation and maintains active memberships in prestigious interdisciplinary associations.
IDS majors develop a set of "guiding directives" to shape the direction of their individualized programs of study.
Based on their chosen guiding directives, IDS majors build a customized Program of Study (POS) by selecting approved coursework from multiple disciplinary areas.
The Interdisciplinary Studies program invites students to explore, learn from, and integrate diverse perspectives while honoring difference.