Bachelor of Science in Multi-Disciplinary Studies, B.S.

Jeremy Van Kley, M.Div., Program Director

The Multi-Disciplinary Studies program provides an online degree path for students who cannot fulfill their educational goals through a single degree program. This online degree program provides a convenient option for students to self-design an individual degree program to fit individual needs. This program is intended to prepare students to be able to connect multiple disciplines to personal life philosophy and vocational goals. This program can prepare students for a variety of potential career paths or post-baccalaureate opportunities.

Program Features

Students can earn a Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Applied Science in Multi-Disciplinary Studies degree by completing course work in up to 3 concentration areas. Possible concentrations include:

Corporate Communication
Intercultural Studies
Management
Leadership
Healthcare
Criminal Justice

Students transferring in credits may also qualify to create their own unique concentration of at least 15 credit hours, based on the coursework being transferred in. These unique concentrations are subject to transcript review and program director approval.

Students must complete 120 total hours of online coursework, with 45 unique credit hours in at least 2 concentrations. A minimum of 15 unique credit hours must be earned in each concentration. Students may also choose to pursue 3 different concentration areas with a minimum of 15 credit hours earned in each concentration. All students pursuing a Multi-Disciplinary Studies degree will be required to complete the following courses:

Required Courses:

General Education Requirements

ENG 109 - College Writing I (Prerequisite)
ENG 200 - College Writing II (Must be completed prior to or with the first course of the BUS core)
COM 105 - Oral Communication
SOC 120 - Introduction to Sociology
or PSY 204 - Industrial/Organizational Psychology

or PSC 223 - American Government
HIS 210 - Western Civilization
ENG 204 - World Literature
or ENG 301 - Thematic Studies in Literature
FIN 105 - Fine Arts
GEO 121 - Physical Geography
or CHM 101 - Chemistry
BIO 201 - General Biological Science
MTH 117 - Finite Mathematics
or MTH 120 - Introduction to Statistics
FAC 126 - Nutrition in Health & Fitness
BIB 105 - Introduction to Christianity *
BIB 215 - Understanding the Bible
THE 300 - Faith and Contemporary Issues
or THE 310 - Christianity & Culture

*students who transfer in 45 hours do not have to take BIB 105

Learning Outcomes:

Develop a personal life philosophy and worldview that drives personal and vocational goals.
Demonstrate critical thinking skills necessary to connecting course work from multiple disciplines
Ability to articulate connections between course work from multiple disciplines.
Make applications between life philosophy, course work, and personal and vocational goals.

Note:

To graduate, students must successfully complete the MDS curriculum with a GPA of 2.0 or above and have earned a total of 120 credit hours. Students must complete 30 hours of upper-division coursework and two (2) or three (3) Bible classes at Olivet. Students falling below a 2.0 GPA will be put on academic probation and may be subject to suspension from the program.

Students who possess an Associate of Applied Science degree or comparable educational credentials in an applied science or technical field may be eligible for block transfer credit. Students using block credit will earn a Bachelor of Applied Science in Multi-Disciplinary Studies degree.