All Interdisciplinary Studies (IDS) programs are administratively based in University College, IDS/IS being no exception. The title "Interdisciplinary Studies/Concentration in International Studies" is indeed a mouthful to pronounce, but University College's IDS structure permits enormous creativity in designing creative and demanding academic programs. Physically, we are housed in the Honors College (Slonaker House). While a good number of IDS/IS majors are indeed Honors students, being an Honors student is NOT necessary for admission to the program.

Intended for students who want a customized, multidisciplinary education and who have a strong desire to work in an international setting, IDS/IS melds work from three fields: international systems, language/regional studies and a functional track. Four functional tracks are available: applied political economy, development studies, science & technology policy and culture. Language study receives great emphasis, foreign study or other international immersion is essential, and a mandatory senior thesis weaves together the strands of each student's customized program. IDS/International Studies is a small, advising-intensive program. All IDS/IS students work with the Director of International Studies and Scholarships and with one of the program's faculty mentors.

The paradox of IDS/IS involves the name of our program. Could there be a broader, less specific term than "international studies?" While the name is seemingly all-inclusive, we see the term as an umbrella under which we can pursue customized yet rigorous academic design. When that design process succeeds, particularly when a student uses coursework from various academic disciplines to address a specified international problem, two results ensue. First, despite the broad scope of the major, individual student programs are actually highly focused and directly linked to each student's career goals. Second, because the student is directly involved in the design of his or her plans, a sense of ownership normally prevails, student morale and initiative are very high, and the level of effort is impressive.