Welcome
At McMurry University, your college path does not have to fit into one traditional major. The Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies gives you the flexibility to build a degree around your interests, goals, and previous college credits.
With guidance from an advisor, you can combine three areas of study from more than 20 concentrations. This makes the program a strong option for students with diverse interests, transfer credits, military experience, or a nontraditional path to graduation.
Interdisciplinary Studies may be a good fit if you:
- Have interests that span more than one major
- Want to make the most of the credits you have already earned
- You are a transfer student close to completing a bachelor’s degree
- Enjoy connecting ideas across different subjects
- Need a flexible degree plan that supports your future goals
McMurry’s personalized approach helps you move forward with confidence. We will work with you to create a practical degree plan that builds on what you have already accomplished and prepares you for your career, graduate school, or new opportunities ahead.
Areas of Study
All McMurry degrees include a general education core and courses in your chosen area of study. The Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies adds flexibility by allowing you to build your degree around three concentrations that match your interests, goals, and previous college credits.
In addition to the core, students complete one modern language course and one math or science lab course of their choice. Then, with advisor guidance, students select three areas of study from the options below.
If you possess a keen eye, talented hand and creative mind and are energized when challenged to produce a creative artifact or product, the art concentration could be for you. This area of study builds on the essential elements of artistic design and offers you the opportunity to hone proficiency in any one of the following mediums: ceramics, photography, graphic design, multimedia applications and more. Our faculty and curriculum encourage you to study and draw upon cultural influences and artistic movements to create art that reflects both a personal and contemporary world view.
You have been playing sports all your life and want to be a coach. While it may be a natural extension of your interest and talent, outstanding coaches must also have a fundamental understanding of the human body, training techniques that optimize performance and strategy. Course topics in the administration of coaching concentration include organization and administration of athletics, coaching and officiating, exercise prescription and leadership, and nutrition. Coaching and sports administration internships are available and include supporting McMurry Athletics, community and private coaching facilities, and area public school districts.
Allied health professionals are integral to the medical field — as X-ray technicians, dental hygienists, dietitians, physical therapists, physician assistants, speech-language pathologists, health information managers and more — and these roles are in increasing demand. This concentration spans multiple departments to provide you with the knowledge you need to extend your training into a particular allied health career. You will study introductory courses in medical terminology, chemistry, nutrition, pathophysiology, human anatomy, physiology and microbiology. The allied health concentration is a good fit if you are interested in human health services and healthcare professions that support the medical community.
Whether you have entrepreneurial aspirations, want to give yourself a foundation in business to compliment your profession or are pursuing a career in business, this concentration offers the foundation you need. You’ll study the principles of accounting, economics, marketing and management so that you can make sound fiscal decisions in business and personal settings.
If you are called to Christian ministry, this concentration supports career preparation to serve as a hospital chaplain, church administrator, pastor, camp coordinator, counselor, social services case manager, disaster relief worker and more, as well as participate on medical and disaster mission trips. You’ll be challenged to grow intellectually and spiritually with studies in religion and scripture, along with opportunities to participate in mission groups and study-abroad programs.
Learning to communicate effectively is essential in any career. It requires you to consider your audience, the message you are conveying and the way it is delivered. In the communication studies concentration, you will examine such topics as organizational and intercultural communications; interrelationships among the internet, media and society; ethical considerations; and shaping attitudes and behavior through rhetoric, argumentation and persuasion.
Ever wonder what prompts an individual to become a serial offender — and what it takes to investigate such cases? Are you concerned about the root causes and devastating effects of crime in society? If so, the criminology concentration prepares you to be part of the solution by expanding your understanding of the complex factors that influence criminal behavior. This area of study offers insights into juvenile delinquency, raises questions about appropriate punishments for given offenses and what happens if someone is wrongly convicted, and shows how you can be an advocate for change and improvement.
Early learners are unique and require specialized instructors who understand how to best nurture and support a young child’s emotional and academic development for success at every stage of development. This area of study teaches the skills needed to educate young, impressionable minds so they may become strong, avid and confident lifelong learners.
If you are someone who strives to model honesty and integrity in your relationships and decisions, a concentration in ethics could be for you. You will explore ethics through studies in philosophy, religion and business and gain insight to ground and support you in any circumstance as a trusted leader and individual.
While watching a film, do you notice camera angles, lighting, nuances of dialogue or an actor’s expression? Are ideas for screenplays percolating in your brain? If you envision yourself immersed in this craft, film is an ideal concentration for you. You will be immersed in workshop-oriented courses that develop your skills across all aspects of the film industry, including writing for films, editing, shooting, analysis and cinema studies, and understand what sets the great films apart from others.
Explore U.S. history—from Reconstruction to World Wars—while gaining critical thinking and global perspective skills. A history concentration prepares you for careers in law, public service, diplomacy, research, and more. If you’re passionate about understanding the “why” behind world events, history is the path for you.
If you are contemplating a career that draws on your faith and desire to share it with others, want to provide comfort to others in difficult times, or are interested in working with people from varied backgrounds and religious faiths, interfaith studies offers this opportunity. You’ll study religion, sociology, philosophy and servant leadership and understand the different faith traditions to prepare for careers in religion, ministry, counseling, social work, nonprofit, education, research, law and more.
Kinesiology, the study of the mechanics and anatomy of human movement, is a versatile concentration that enables you to tailor your studies to match career aspirations as a personal trainer, athletic trainer or strength and conditioning coach; physical or occupational therapist; physical education teacher; professor; and more. Courses include exercise science, accident prevention and care of injuries, instructional strategies for PE, athletic training, nutrition, rehabilitation of injuries, and legal issues in sport and PE. Your internship includes options at corporate and private fitness centers, country clubs, sports retail, pro shops, and sports coaching and training facilities.
The concentration in mathematics strengthens your foundation for careers in business, research, data analytics, strategic planning, computer programming, cryptography, engineering, software development, information systems and more. Studies include algebra, calculus, advanced and numerical analysis, and ordinary differential equations.
If you think and create in multiple dimensions and envision a career that values that skill and talent, consider studying multimedia applications. This concentration will draw from the department of art for classes in Adobe Creative Suite, where you’ll learn InDesign and Photoshop, as well as be introduced to related applications, digital animation and advanced levels of digital video production.
Are you musically inclined? Are you interested in performing at university events? If so, the music concentration is ideal for artists interested in a performance-based program that will further their skills and techniques. This area of study gets you in tune with musicality and aural skills, and it includes four semesters of study in your principal instrument, two semesters of ensemble and nine hours of advanced electives such as orchestration and arranging, western music, singer’s diction, and marching and jazz methods.
Pursue a concentration in psychology if you’re intrigued by human behavior, envision yourself counseling others or want to use psychology to inform decisions that impact personal conduct. In this area of study, you will learn about the mind and how it influences our actions. Classes include sleep and dreams, healthy relationships, personality psychology, positive psychology and mental health, multicultural psychology, marriage and family therapy, and psychology of the criminal mind. This versatile area of study is valuable in myriad settings.
This program is intended for those students interested in pursuing a career related to improving health and well-being but not interested in pursuing a medical or clinical career. Many of these individuals will have strengths and interests in other disciplines but wish to work in the health industry. Graduates with this major will be qualified to directly enter the career field but will also be poised to pursue graduate programs. The professions that stem from this degree are far-reaching and can encompass almost any interest of our students.
Servant leadership is a natural complement if you have a calling to help others and an interest in religion, psychology, sociology or Christian ministry. This area of study explores theories and techniques of serving others, building trusting relationships and transforming the lives of people. Service opportunities and projects are integral to this learning experience.
With a concentration in sociology, you’ll study human behavior in the context of the structure of social groups, organizations and societies. This includes issues surrounding race, gender and social class; family interaction; religious traditions; and organized crime. Courses address fundamentals of social norms; problems and stratification; issues of race and ethnicity; and the discipline of social investigations. This program also aligns with the criminology concentration.
With a spotlight on creativity, production, theory and performance, the theatre concentration covers the art and business of theatre. Courses include acting, stagecraft, lighting design, costume construction, make-up, direction, production, theatre management, playwriting and more. You’ll be involved in McMurry theater shows on day one, whether you want to be on stage or behind the scenes.
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