Overview

The Interdisciplinary Studies program offered by University of Southern California is a program intended for students with superior academic records and excellent writing skills who have focused ideas as to the curricula which might be most meaningful to them--students whose individual intellectual interests have led them out of the center of a major into an area which interacts with one or more other disciplines in exciting ways.

Key Features

IDM is not a back door into competitive programs or a reduced version of a double major: students are required to submit and complete individual research projects with foci that are compelling to them and to the faculty of their guidance committee. During their senior year, each IDM major writes a thesis of thirty pages in length, which must be accepted by his or her thesis director and guidance committee.

If you have a topic of personal interest that really fascinates you and would like to discuss the possibility of designing your own undergraduate curriculum, contact us.

In this program students learn:

To identify and develop an independent research project

To design an individual, thematic curriculum

To engage in self-directed research

To integrate perspectives and methodologies from different fields; and

To work with scholars in different disciplines who share a common academic interest

Programme Structure

Courses include:

The interdisciplinary major allows students to create an individual, original major. It is a flexible option available when a combination of existing majors and academic minors does not adequately fulfill a student’s educational goals. With close advisement, students can build their own programs of study.

Key information

Duration

Full-time
- 48 months

Start dates & application deadlines

Starting 2027-08-24 00:00:00
- Apply before 2027-01-10 00:00:00

Language

English

Duolingo English Test

130

Take A Free Practice Test!

TOEFL^® IBT

100

Schedule TOEFL®

PTE Academic

Schedule a PTE test!

IELTS

Prepare for Your English Test

Cathoven AI IELTS Preparation

Learn your IELTS Score

AI-powered IELTS feedback. Clear, actionable, and tailored to boost your writing & speaking score. No credit card or upfront payment required.

Trusted by 300k learners
98 accuracy using real exam data
4.9/5 student rating

Credits

120 SCH

Delivered

On Campus

Campus Location

Los Angeles, United States

Disciplines

Liberal Arts View 1420 other Bachelors in Liberal Arts in United States

Join for free or log in to access our complete career info list.

Academic requirements

GPA

English requirements

Duolingo English Test

130

Take A Free Practice Test!

TOEFL^® IBT

100

Schedule TOEFL®

PTE Academic

Schedule a PTE test!

IELTS

Prepare for Your English Test

Cathoven AI IELTS Preparation

Learn your IELTS Score

AI-powered IELTS feedback. Clear, actionable, and tailored to boost your writing & speaking score. No credit card or upfront payment required.

Trusted by 300k learners
98 accuracy using real exam data
4.9/5 student rating

Other requirements

General requirements

Applicants for the Interdisciplinary Major Program must submit:

the application form signed by two faculty members willing to serve on your Guidance Committee;
a copy of your current transcript; and
a 3-4 page proposal explaining the research the research project which will ultimately lead to your Interdisciplinary Thesis

To apply, you must have:

completed 80 units or less towards a degree;

a minimum GPA of 3.0, although students with GPA’s below 3.3 are the exception; and

a focused interest in an area of research which falls between two or more existing academic departments.

Tuition Fees

Tuition fees are shown in and the most likely applicable fee is shown based on your nationality.

International Applies to you

Applies to you

Non-residents

73260 USD / year

≈ 73260 USD / year
Out-of-State

73260 USD / year

≈ 73260 USD / year
Domestic

Applies to you

In-State

73260 USD / year

≈ 73260 USD / year

Living costs

Los Angeles

United States

1520 - 2570 USD / month

The living costs include the total expenses per month, covering accommodation, public transportation, utilities (electricity, internet), books and groceries.

Funding

Need help with your student visa?

Get Visa Support

Get personalized guidance from a certified VFS Global advisor and save 20% through Studyportals.

Avoid common visa mistakes and delays
Know exactly what documents you need
Get a clear checklist tailored to your situation

In order for us to give you accurate scholarship information, we ask that you please confirm a few details and create an account with us.

Scholarships Information

Below you will find Bachelor's scholarship opportunities for Interdisciplinary Studies.

Available Scholarships

You are eligible to apply for these scholarships but a selection process will still be applied by the provider.

About

Overview

Key Features

Programme Structure

Key information

Duration

Start dates & application deadlines

Language

Prepare for Your English Test

Credits

Delivered

Campus Location

Disciplines

What students do after studying

Academic requirements

English requirements

Prepare for Your English Test

Other requirements

General requirements

Tuition Fees

International Applies to you

Domestic

Living costs

Los Angeles

Funding

Need help with your student visa?

Scholarships Information

Available Scholarships

Our partners