Building on the success of its undergraduate program, the School of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences offers a Master of Arts degree in Interdisciplinary Studies. The graduate program offers opportunities to pursue questions of interest across a wide range of fields, spanning the humanities, social sciences and environmental sciences, with special emphasis on the relation of knowledge to public action. What are Interdisciplinary Studies? The concept of interdisciplinary studies is founded on a recognition that the experience of phenomena—such as the public problems of poverty, violence, social justice or environmental degradation—do not come in neatly bounded, disciplinary or professional packages. While disciplinary divisions of labor are convenient and necessary to the efficient pursuit of in-depth knowledge, the application of that knowledge in the sphere of public action requires its broader re-integration with the rich, multidisciplinary dimensions and complexities of actual, lived situations. The structure of the Master of Arts program is highly flexible, building on the wealth of disciplinary and interdisciplinary expertise among members of the faculty. A required series of five core courses and a capstone course address issues of models, problem formation, evidence, values, and research/writing. The core courses examine the basic foundations of knowing and acting, making them relevant to diverse areas of specific inquiry. Through electives and a thesis (or Master’s project or practicum), students are encouraged to apply the lessons of the core courses to their own chosen areas of interdisciplinary interest. A broad range of student interests can be accommodated due to the interdisciplinary nature of the program. The program integrates the sociology of knowledge, philosophy, social and political theory, history, cultural studies, anthropology and other perspectives to shed light on domains of public action. Some examples of possible areas of interest, broadly defined, might include the environment, education, anthropology, ethnicity, gender and sexuality, art and arts administration, media and film, cultural studies, philosophy, literature and writing, human rights, labor, immigration, history, trade and development, social policy, nonprofit studies, state and local government or international nongovernmental organizations. What is Public Action? Public action entails a series of determinations that are reached as a result of the following considerations: • What is the nature of the problem to be addressed? • What mode of analysis is to be employed? • What will count as evidence? • What values are considered relevant or irrelevant? • What options are included or excluded? • What outcomes of the action are anticipated or unanticipated? By exploring these questions, the Master’s program becomes a sustained investigation of factors that critically shape actions, procedures and outcomes. The factors to be investigated include: • Conceptual models, or paradigms • Social, professional and institutional cultures • Various types of data used to support alternative perspectives and decisions • How various value frameworks shape perspectives, decisions and actions These factors provide a foundation for knowledge and action in the public sphere. The core course of study in this program may therefore apply to virtually any profession or endeavor in our shared public life, whether one works in a large organization or a one-person shop, whether one seeks knowledge for utilitarian ends or to achieve a richer understanding of the world in which everyone must live and act. The Master of Arts program emphasizes foundations of public action and is a 55-credit master’s degree. There are three MAIS degree options, see below for more information.