The ISF houses a research-driven program of liberal education. It is a problem-based program, not a discipline. It offers motivated students the unique opportunity to develop an individualized cross-disciplinary Research Program that includes a Course of Study and a Senior Thesis. The Course of Study is made up of courses taken in the social sciences, the humanities, and/or the professional schools and colleges, alongside the required courses in ISF. The capstone experience a scholarly, rigorously-researched 40 page required Senior Thesis, a sustained inquiry in the social sciences and humanities based on original, cross-disciplinary research. Read more about the major
The Interdisciplinary Studies Program is proud to host Berkeley Course Threads, developed by the Townsend Center for the Humanities, that give students the chance to connect their courses thematically to earn a certificate in interdisciplinary studies.
Recent ISF Graduates
Mollie McDowell
Health and Medicine
Mollie who graduated in 2012 writes: “ISF allowed me to carve out my own path (a critical skill in ’the real world’), figure out what I was actually interested in and make every class count. I also double majored in art, where I found myself exploring the same themes I was studying in ISF. Immediately after school I moved to San Francisco, started freelancing in interior design and even became a house manager and innkeeper. After a year, I wanted to move back to health, so I interned at Rock Health, a full-service seed fund that supports startups working at the intersection of healthcare...
Read More...Academic Advising
