Multidisciplinary Studies, A.A. (Altoona)

At which campus can I study this program?

Program Description

The objectives of the Multidisciplinary Studies major are to broaden the student's understanding, interests, and skills; to help the student become a more responsible, productive member of the family and community; and to offer a degree program with sufficient electives to permit some specialization according to the student's interests or career plans. Multidisciplinary Studies is a complete two-year degree major. However, graduates who later seek admission to baccalaureate degree majors may apply baccalaureate credits toward the new degree.

In addition to a wide variety of baccalaureate majors offered at University Park campus, graduates of the Multidisciplinary Studies major may qualify for admission to the baccalaureate degree majors in Behavioral Sciences, Elementary Education, Humanities, or Public Policy offered at Penn State Harrisburg. Or they may qualify for any of a large number of baccalaureate degree majors offered by Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, in business, the liberal arts, and sciences.

Entrance to Major

Students must have a minimum 2.0 GPA to change to this Associate degree after admission to the University.

Degree Requirements

For the Associate in Arts degree in Multidisciplinary Studies, a minimum of 60 credits is required:

Program Requirements
Requirement	Credits
General Education	21
Electives	15
Requirements for the Major	30

6 of the 21 credits for General Education are included in the Requirements for the Major. This includes 6 credits of General Education GWS courses.

Requirements for the Major

The required credits of General Education and Requirements for the Major must be baccalaureate-level courses. For students intending to seek admission to a baccalaureate program upon graduation, it is recommended that most, if not all, of the courses be at the baccalaureate level. For those students who will seek a bachelor of arts degree upon graduation from Multidisciplinary Studies, it is strongly recommended that a world language be taken since admission to a bachelor of arts program in the College of the Liberal Arts requires one college-level course, or the equivalent, in a world language.

Courses that will satisfy the arts, humanities, social and behavioral sciences, natural sciences, and quantification requirements are defined on the Multidisciplinary Studies checksheet, which may be obtained from the College of the Liberal Arts associate dean for undergraduate studies at the University Park campus or from any Multidisciplinary Studies representative at other locations.

A grade of C or better is required for all courses in the major. To graduate, a student enrolled in the major must earn at least a C grade in each course designated by the major as a C-required course, as specified by Senate Policy 82-44.

Course List
Code	Title	Credits
Prescribed Courses
Prescribed Courses: Require a grade of C or better
CAS 100	Effective Speech	3
ENGL 15	Rhetoric and Composition	3
Additional Courses
Additional Courses: Require a grade of C or better
Select one of the following:		3
ENGL 202A	Effective Writing: Writing in the Social Sciences
ENGL 202B	Effective Writing: Writing in the Humanities
ENGL 202C	Effective Writing: Technical Writing
ENGL 202D	Effective Writing: Business Writing
Supporting Courses and Related Areas
Supporting Courses and Related Areas: Require a grade of C or better
Select 3 credits in any course designated as arts		3
Select 3 credits in any course designated as humanities		3
Select 3 credits in any course designated as social and behavioral sciences		3
Select 3 credits in any course designated as physical, biological, or earth sciences		3
Select 9 credits in any one of the following areas: arts, humanities, social and behavioral sciences, natural sciences and quantification, and world language skills ¹		9

¹: If world language courses are chosen, it is recommended that these courses be in one world language sequence.

General Education

Connecting career and curiosity, the General Education curriculum provides the opportunity for students to acquire transferable skills necessary to be successful in the future and to thrive while living in interconnected contexts. General Education aids students in developing intellectual curiosity, a strengthened ability to think, and a deeper sense of aesthetic appreciation. These are requirements for all associate degree students and are often partially incorporated into the requirements of a program. For additional information, see the General Education Requirements section of the Bulletin and consult your academic adviser.

The keystone symbol appears next to the title of any course that is designated as a General Education course. Program requirements may also satisfy General Education requirements and vary for each program.

Foundations (grade of C or better is required and Inter-Domain courses do not meet this requirement.)

Quantification (GQ): 3 credits
Writing and Speaking (GWS): 3 credits

Knowledge Domains

Arts (GA): 3 credits
Humanities (GH): 3 credits
Social and Behavioral Sciences (GS): 3 credits
Natural Sciences (GN): 3 credits

Note: Up to six credits of Inter-Domain courses may be used for any Knowledge Domain requirement, but when a course may be used to satisfy more than one requirement, the credits from the course can be counted only once.

Exploration

Any General Education course (including GHW and Inter-Domain): 3 credits

University Degree Requirements

Cultures Requirement

3 credits of United States (US) or International (IL) cultures coursework are required and may satisfy other requirements

Writing Across the Curriculum

3 credits required from the college of graduation and likely prescribed as part of major requirements.

Total Minimum Credits

A minimum of 60 degree credits must be earned for a associates degree. The requirements for some programs may exceed 60 credits. Students should consult with their college or department adviser for information on specific credit requirements.

Quality of Work

Candidates must complete the degree requirements for their major and earn at least a 2.00 grade-point average for all courses completed within their degree program.

Limitations on Source and Time for Credit Acquisition

Credit used toward degree programs may need to be earned from a particular source or within time constraints (see Senate Policy 83-80). For more information, check the Suggested Academic Plan for your intended program.

Program Learning Objectives

Application: Students will be able to apply empirical or creative process specific to their fields of specialization.
Communication: Students will be able to communicate clearly and persuasively the integration of their learning of multiple disciplines in a degree program that reflects their theme.
Cultural Competence: Students will be able to engage meaningfully and respectively with others who have different perspectives or world views.
Professional Identity: Students will be able to synthesize multiple disciplinary perspectives into an intellectual or professional identity.

Academic Advising

Altoona

Jennifer E. Slusser
Academic Adviser, Program Specialist, Division of Undergraduate Studies
Smith Building C112
3000 Ivyside Park
Altoona, PA 16601
814-949-5084
jzg3@psu.edu

Abington

Pierce Salguero
Program Chair, Integrative Arts
1600 Woodland Road
Abington, PA 19001
215-881-7826
salguero@psu.edu

Berks

Thomas Lynn
Program Coordinator, Associate Professor
Franco 117
Reading, PA 19610
610-396-6298
BKLettersArtSci@psu.edu

Brandywine

Paul deGategno
Professor of English
25 Yearsley Mill Road
Media, PA 19063
610-892-1465
pjd15@psu.edu

DuBois

Jackie Atkins/Anthony Vallone
Co-Program Coordinators Letters, Arts, and Sciences
1 College Place
DuBois, PA 15801
814-375-4815 or 814-375-4814
jka1@psu.edu or ajv2@psu.edu

Erie

Patrick Cosby, Ph.D.
Associate Teaching Professor of History
154 Kochel Center
Erie, PA 16563
814-898-6970
phc14@psu.edu

Fayette

Lindsey Simon-Jones
Associate Professor
2201 University Drive
Lemont Furnace, PA 15456
724-430-4249
lmj133@psu.edu

Harrisburg

J. Craig Haas, M.A.
Program Coordinator
Olmsted Building, W356
Middletown, PA 17057
717-948-6723
jch19@psu.edu

Hazleton

Charles Dewald
Program Coordinator, Multidisciplinary Studies
Butler 203
76 University Drive
Hazleton, PA 18202
570-450-3558
cxd35@psu.edu

Mont Alto

Megan Lundy
DUS Academic Adviser
1 Campus Drive
Mont Alto, PA 17237
717-749-6055
mol7@psu.edu

New Kensington

Ruth Ann Herstek
Academic Adviser
Academic & Career Success Center
3550 Seventh Street Road
New Kensington, PA 15068
724-334-6094
rah32@psu.edu

Schuylkill

Nicole Andel
Teaching Professor, English and Humanities
200 University Drive
Schuylkill Haven, PA 17972
570-385-6088
nikki@psu.edu

Scranton

Paul Perrone
Assistant Teaching Professor
13 Library Building
Dunmore, PA 18512
570-963-2660
pjp3@psu.edu

Shenango

Amy Petrucci-Effinite
Manager & Academic Advising
147 Shenango Avenue
Sharon, PA 16146
724-983-2860
alp23@psu.edu

University Park

Liberal Arts Academic Advising
814-865-2545
Use the Liberal Arts Meet the Academic Advisers web page to see the contact information for the specific adviser(s) of this program

Wilkes-Barre

Christyne Berzsenyi
Program Coordinator, Letters, Arts, and Sciences
44 University Drive
Dallas, PA 18612
570-675-9275
cab39@psu.edu

World Campus

Undergraduate Academic Advising
100 Innovation Blvd
Suite 225
University Park, PA 16803
814-863-3283
advising@worldcampus.psu.edu

Suggested Academic Plan

The suggested academic plan(s) listed on this page are the plan(s) that are in effect during the 2024-25 academic year. To access previous years' suggested academic plans, please visit the archive to view the appropriate Undergraduate Bulletin edition.

Multidisciplinary Studies, A.A. at Altoona Campus

The course series listed below provides only one of the many possible ways to move through this curriculum. The University may make changes in policies, procedures, educational offerings, and requirements at any time. This plan should be used in conjunction with your degree audit (accessible in LionPATH as either an Academic Requirements or What If report). Please consult with a Penn State academic adviser on a regular basis to develop and refine an academic plan that is appropriate for you.

First Year
Fall	Credits	Spring	Credits
ENGL 15 or 30H^‡	3	CAS 100, CAS 100A, CAS 100B, or CAS 100C^‡	3
PSU 3	1	General Education Course	3
General Education (GQ)^‡	3	General Education Course	3
General Education Course	3	Area of Emphasis Course for the Major^*	3
Social and Behavioral Science for the Major^*	3	Elective	3
Elective	3
	16		15
Second Year
Fall	Credits	Spring	Credits
Arts Course for the Major^*	3	Area of Emphasis Course for the Major^*	3
Physical, Biological or Earth Sciences Course for the Major^*	3	Humanities Course for the Major^*	3
Area of Emphasis Course for the Major^*	3	ENGL 202A, 202B, 202C, or 202D^‡	3
Elective: Writing Across the Curriculum Requirement	3	General Education Course	3
Elective	3	Elective	3
	15		15
Total Credits 61

*: Course requires a grade of C or better for the major
‡: Course requires a grade of C or better for General Education
#: Course is an Entrance to Major requirement
†: Course satisfies General Education and degree requirement

University Requirements and General Education Notes:

US and IL are abbreviations used to designate courses that satisfy Cultural Diversity Requirements (United States and International Cultures).

W, M, X, and Y are the suffixes at the end of a course number used to designate courses that satisfy University Writing Across the Curriculum requirement.

General Education includes Foundations (GWS and GQ) and Knowledge Domains (GHW, GN, GA, GH, GS) requirements. Foundations courses (GWS and GQ) require a grade of 'C' or better.

Additional Notes

The associate degree in letters, arts, and sciences (2 LAS) is a degree which allows learners to experience a variety of academic disciplines as well as prepare for continued studies in a bachelor degree program. Please consult with your adviser if you have a particular bachelor degree in mind. Your adviser can help build a plan to help you meet any admission or course prerequisite requirements for the bachelor degree.

Students must complete one course with each of the following designations: W: Writing intensive; US and IL for International competency. This require can be met through General Education or Related courses.