Integrative Studies
Integrative Studies at UM-Dearborn is intended for students who wish to customize their degree program to fit their own interests, career goals, and aspirations.
Students create their own curriculum path, choosing three individual concentrations, or minors, instead of a traditional major. A minimum of 39 credit hours is required for the Integrative Studies major, which includes LIBS 450 Capstone. This major leads to an interdisciplinary Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree, depending on the concentrations selected.
Integrative Studies can provide an excellent foundation for graduate and professional education in many areas such as law, business, public administration, counseling, and social work. It may also serve as a pathway into a variety of careers. Three career pathways have been developed and are provided as examples for students. In addition, students may create their own career pathways.
More about Integrative Studies
Integrative Studies encompasses all the academic minors (which become concentrations for this major). These minors may be within a discipline, or they may be interdisciplinary. In addition, they may include minors in the College of Business; College of Education, Health, and Human Services (excluding teacher certification minors); and Computer and Information Science from the College of Engineering and Computer Science.
- Be able to think critically across disciplinary lines and demonstrate a creative breadth of knowledge drawn from diverse perspectives.
- Be able to demonstrate fundamental knowledge of each chosen focus area.
- Be able to take responsibility for life-long educational and career planning which integrates varied approaches in education and a multidisciplinary curriculum.
- Be able to compare and contrast related concepts.
Degree Requirements
Learn more about CASL Degree Requirements.
The Integrative Studies degree requires:
- LIBS 450 Capstone.
- Students transferring from a community college with an Associate Degree may transfer a maximum of 30 credit hours of general credit courses (GENL). The maximum total transferrable credits from a community college is 62.
- The Foreign Language requirement is not needed for this major.
Concentrations
Integrative Studies students must select three concentrations. Concentrations are divided into three general groups.
CASL students can choose any combination of concentrations from any group, with the exception that only one concentration may come from Group III.
These are concentrations focused within a single disciplinary area. For example, the Psychology concentration contains only Psychology courses, the Anthropology concentration, only Anthropology courses.
12 credit hours at the upper level required (plus any prerequisites needed).
You may choose one, two, or all three concentrations from Group I:
Anthropology, Applied Statistics, Arabic, Art History and Museum Studies, Biochemistry, Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Comparative Literature, Computer and Computational Mathematics, Economics, English, Environmental Science, French Studies, Hispanic Studies, History, Linguistics, Mathematics, Microbiology, Music, Philosophy, Physics, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology
These are concentrations that cross disciplinary boundaries. Within this group, the concentrations listed consist of courses from across different disciplines. For example, a student completing an Urban and Regional Studies concentration could do so through a combination of courses from Economics, Political Science, and Sociology.
12-18 credit hours at the upper level required (plus any prerequisites needed).
You may choose one, two, or all three concentrations from Group II:
African and African American Studies, Applied Art, Arab American Studies, Astronomy, Communications, Community Change Studies, Criminology and Criminal Justice, Environmental Studies, Film Studies, Geography, Global Cultures, Journalism and Media Production, Law and Society, Leadership & Communication in Organizations, Medieval and Renaissance Studies, Organizational Change in a Global Environment, Religious Studies, Social Science Research Methodology, Society and Technological Change, Urban and Regional Studies, Women’s and Gender Studies
These are concentrations outside of the College of Arts, Sciences, & Letters (CASL).
Minimum of 15 credit hours at the upper level required (plus any prerequisites needed).
You may choose only one concentration from Group III:
Accounting, Artificial Intelligence, Computer and Information Science, Digital Marketing, Entrepreneurship, Finance, Financial Planning, Game Design, Human Resources Management, Human Services, Information Systems Security, Information Systems Management, Management, Marketing, Pre-Health Professional Studies, Public Health, Supply Chain Management.
Suggested Concentrations
The Integrative Studies major focuses on an individualized program to best fit your career goals. By customizing three concentrations, the curriculum provides courses that make sense for your future career.
These are suggested concentrations based on careers and job trend research. There are many options to choose from with the Integrative Studies major.
The Customized Pathway
Potential Concentrations Include:
You can customize by choosing three concentrations.
Career Opportunities Include:
Students can choose from any of the concentrations to build a degree based on interests, experience, prior credits, and future goals.
The Media Pathway
Potential Concentrations Include:
Sociology or Psychology; Journalism & Media Production or Communication; Marketing or Digital Marketing.
Career Opportunities Include:
Digital Marketing, Social Media Manager, Content Creation, Public Relations, Media Relations, Integrated Communications Specialist.
Media Pathway Suggested Courses for Specific Concentrations
Sociology (12 credits required in UPPR courses)
- SOC 200 – Understanding Society (Pre-Requisite), 3 credits
- SOC 302 – Social change, 4 credits
- SOC 310 – Digital Media & Society, 4 credits
- SOC 423 – American Social Classes, 3 credits
- SOC 435 – Urban Sociology, 3 credits
OR
Psychology (12 credits required in UPPR courses)
Communication (12 credits required in UPPR courses)
- COMM 220 – Intro to media & Culture (required) (requires COMP106 or SPEE101 pre-requisite), 3 credits
- COMM 366 – Public Communication & Culture, 4 credits
- COMM 300 – Communication Research Methods, 4 credits
- COMM 420 – Critical Media Studies, 4 credits
OR
Journalism and Media Production (12 credits required in UPPR courses)
Marketing (15 credits required in UPPR courses)
- MKT 352 – Marketing Principles & Policies (required), 3 credits
- MKT 382 – Understanding Customers (required), 3 credits
- MKT 402 – Marketing Management (required), 3 credits
- MKT 363 – Digital Consumer Search & Marketing, 3 credits
- MKT 471 – Innovation, Entrepreneurship, Creativity, 3 credits
OR
Digital Marketing (15 credits required in UPPR courses)
The Mental Health Pathway
Potential Concentrations Include:
Psychology; Criminal Justice or Sociology; Human Services or Public Health.
Career Opportunities Include:
Service Facilitator/Case Manager, Psychiatric/Mental Health Technician, Child & Family Services, School Counselor, Group Home Manager, Benefits and Wellness Specialist, Rehabilitation Counselor.
Mental Health Pathway Suggested Courses for Specific Concentrations
Criminology & Criminal Justice (12 credits in required in UPPR courses)
- CRJ 200 – Intro to Criminal Justice (required), 3 credits
- CRJ 416/POL 4165 – Criminal Law, (required), 3 credits
- CRJ 468 – Criminology (required), 3 credits
- CRJ 480 – Criminal Justice Theory, 3 credits
- CRJ 489 – Law, Crime, and Society, 3 credits OR CRJ 470 – Current Issues in Criminal Justice, 3 credits
OR
Sociology (12 credits required of UPPR courses)
Human Services (15 credits required)
- HHS 210 – Intro to Social Work (required), 3 credits
- HHS 310 – System of Care, 4 credits
- HHS 311 – Work with Vulnerable Populations, 4 credits
- HHS 312 – Family Preservation & Recovery, 3 credits
- HHS 370 – Medicine and Addiction I, 3 credits
- HHS 371 – Medicine and Addiction II, 3 credits
OR
Public Health
The STEM Pathway
Potential Concentrations Include:
Applied Statistics; Environmental Studies; Computer & Information Science or Artificial Intelligence.
Career Opportunities Include:
Data Science, AI, Cloud Computing, Website Developer, Researcher, Ecologist, Environmental Planner, Conservationist.
STEM Pathway Suggested Courses for Specific Concentrations
Applied Statistics (12 credits required in UPPR courses)
- STAT 263 – Intro to Statistics, 3 credits (prerequisite)
- STAT 305 – Intro to Data Science for All, 3 credits
- STAT 325 – Applied Statistics I, 4 credits (MATH 113 or MATH 115 is required for this course)
- STAT 327 – Statistical Computing, 3 credits
- STAT 431 – Machine Learning and Computational Statistics. 4 credits (STAT 325 is required)
- STAT 455 – Environmental Statistics, 3 credits
Environmental Science
- GEOG 320 – Global Climate Change, 4 credits (prerequisite)
- ESCI 401 – Sustainable Cities, 4 credits: ESCI 118 & ESCI 118L are required before taking this course OR ESCI 101
- ESCI 301 – Environmental Science, 4 credits: (Prerequisite(s): CHEM 124 or CHEM 134 or CHEM 144) and GEOL 118 and BIOL 130 OR ESCI 372 Energy and Environment, 4 credits:(Prerequisite(s): ESCI 118 or ESCI 101 or ESCI 201 or ESCI 275 or ESCI 301
Computer & Information Science (minimum of 24 credits), 8 credits at UPPR level
- CIS 150 – Computer Science I, (required), 4 credits
- CIS 200 – Computer Science II, (required), 4 credits
- CIS 275 – Discrete Structures I, (required), 4 credits
- CIS 350 – Data Structure and Algorithm Analysis, (required), 4 credits
- CIS 375 – Software Engineering I, 4 credits
- CIS 376 – Software Engineering II, 4 credits
- MATH 115 – Calculus I, required for this concentration (but does not count toward 24 total credits)
OR
Artificial Intelligence (requires minimum of 26 credit hours of CIS courses with a 2.0 overall GPA in those courses)
- CIS 150 – Computer Science I, (required), 4 credits
- CIS 200 – Computer Science II, (required), 4 credits
- CIS 275 – Discrete Structures I, (required), 4 credits
- CIS 350 – Data Structure and Algorithm Analysis, (required), 4 credits
- CIS 306 – Discrete Structures II, (required), 4 credits
- CIS 479 – Intro to Artificial Intelligence, (required), 3 credits
- CIS 439 – Text Mining and Information Retrieval, 3 credits
Integrative Studies - An Alumni Perspective
Ultimately, it was a savior for me...It was the degree that opened up that door for me.— Ray Field, BA Integrative Studies 2022
For more information, contact your advisor in either:
START: Student Advising and Resource Team
2149 James C. Renick University Center (UC)
313-593-5576
[email protected]
CASL Advising and Academic Success
1039 CASL Building (CB)
313-593-5293
[email protected]