Learn more about how current Interdisciplinary Studies students are designing their major to follow passions and accomplish post-undergraduate goals.
Thelma Cordes
Degree: Bachelor of Arts, Interdisciplinary Studies—Integrative Concentration
Minors: Sustainability, Public Health
Fact: I have been a vegetarian my whole life!
Why did you choose to create your own major?
I chose Interdisciplinary Studies as my major because I have several different passions, and I jumped at the opportunity to combine them all in one major. I love that I am able to create my own major, as I get to pinpoint exactly what I want to do!
How will the Interdisciplinary Studies major help you after graduation?
I want to help people be healthy and promote sustainability. I am excited to make an impact on the future and aim for a healthier society and an eco-friendly world! I think interdisciplinarity will help me in that I get to take a variety of classes and will learn a variety of things and skills that I can use in my future career.
Jane Gordon
Degree: Bachelor of Arts, Interdisciplinary Studies - Individualized Concentration
Areas of Study: Anthropology, Environmental Science, Sustainability, Communication Studies
Fact: There are at least 10 different common backyard weeds that I eat regularly. My snacks include rose petals, daylilies, and white clover.
Why did you choose to create your own major?
My original plan was to Major in Anthropology and Minor in Environmental Science, but that exact profile was not available at UNO. I know exactly what I want to study, Anthropology, but with a specific focus on how people create and live from their ecosystems. I’m interested in the interactions between persons, culture, and landscapes.
An Interdisciplinary Studies Major allows me to focus on the specific aspects of Anthropology and Environmental Science that are related to wildlife and natural resource conservation combined with healthy human communities. By choosing Individualized Concentration, I can choose classes from several disciplines that revolve around that central idea.
How will the Interdisciplinary Studies major help you after graduation?
I want to research a wide variety of human/landscape interactions to find models that could be incorporated into a future sustainable system of agriculture. As the cracks in the agribusiness model become increasingly apparent, we need to look outside our own mental paradigms for alternative solutions. I hope an Interdisciplinary Studies Degree focused on Anthropology, Environmental Science, Sustainability, and Communications will help me contribute to the growing body of professionals working toward a greener and more equitable future.
Tyler Hamilton
Degree: Bachelor of Arts, Interdisciplinary Studies - Individualized Concentration
Areas of Study: Linguistics, Languages, Philosophy, Communication Disorders, Psychology, Anthropology
Fact: I was robbed by pirates on the Amazon River during a trip in Peru. It was extremely scary, but now I will always have an answer when people ask for a fun fact about me.
Why did you choose to create your own major?
I’ve been interested in other languages since I was a kid. They have always felt like some secret knowledge that I need to uncover. Once I started thinking about a potential major while in high school, I realized linguistics was the perfect fit. Unfortunately, there isn’t a program in Nebraska, and obtaining a degree out of state has been financially impractical. Now that the Nebraska Promise has come into effect (something I am extremely, extremely grateful for), I will be able to pursue my education goals. I was really excited once
I became aware of the Interdisciplinary Studies option as I realized that was my opportunity to imitate a linguistics program at another university as closely as possible. It may even end up being a better option as I will have more flexibility to integrate related fields into my plan of study.
How will the Interdisciplinary Studies major help you after graduation?
I would like to obtain a graduate degree in linguistics, and if I can accomplish it at a university abroad, that would be ideal. The line of work that is most appealing to me is linguistic fieldwork in language documentation. I would love to help communities maintain such a vital part of who they are.
This will involve working with people who have completely different societal structures and ways of thinking. I’ll need to find as many opportunities as possible to check my biases, blind spots, and privilege, and the flexibility of an interdisciplinary education will allow for that. I feel many more students could probably benefit from the interdisciplinary studies program.
Breck Olsbo
Degree: Bachelor of Science, Interdisciplinary Studies—Individualized Concentration
Areas of Study: Psychology, Communication Studies, Public Health, Environmental Science
Fact: I have a 430-day streak on Duolingo in Dutch. I started learning it so I could understand more if I chose to study abroad in the Netherlands, but instead I think I’ll go there on a vacation someday to test my knowledge!
Why did you choose to create your own major?
I came out of high school with no idea what I wanted to do with my life. I did my best to fulfill my general education requirements by taking very different classes to try and figure that out. I think I took nearly every introductory course that even vaguely sounded interesting to me. T
his helped me to eliminate several possible majors, but I was still at a loss for what I really wanted to focus on. Environmental Science is something I’m really interested in, but none of the concentrations sit right with me. Public Health, Communication Studies, and Psychology were similar in that they didn’t fully fit my interests. I was relieved when Interdisciplinary Studies was introduced, since now I’m able to take all of these different courses and see all the intriguing connections between them.
How will the Interdisciplinary Studies major help you after graduation?
I do not have a plan for after graduation. I will either choose to further my education by pursuing a Master’s degree, or I will find a career that fits my interests. I want to help people better their lives in every way possible, but I do not have a clue what that will look like after graduation.
That’s why Interdisciplinary Studies is perfect for me. I can live my college life to the fullest by taking courses that bring me joy and excitement for what’s to come. With my areas of study, I hope to someday help people to forge strong, positive relationships and to live healthy, sustainable lives.