FUN FACT: Did you know you can essentially create your OWN major at UC Berkeley? A majority of Berkeley students did not know this, as when I conversed with my peers about what my major was, they always ask “what in the world is that?” So, let me introduce you to this major that’s truly one-of-a-kind (literally, as it is unique to each individual enrolled): the magic that is Interdisciplinary Studies.
Now, what exactly does that entail? The term “Interdisciplinary” can mean MANY, many things, as its definition is simply: the involvement of two or more branches of knowledge. But, how exactly do you study that? To answer this question; Interdisciplinary Studies allows students to build a course track tailored to a specific area of research as long as it merges at least three distinct disciplines from one another. Let’s walk through some examples! Fields of study can include: - Language Development in Health: being able to translate documents / research strategical medical communications. This field of study combines disciplines 1. Language 2. Educational Development 3. Health and Illness.
- Historical Politics in Urban Cities: revisiting how law and policies have changed and adapted to certain cities in order to optimize them for the future. This field of study combines disciplines 1. History 2. Politics 3. Urban Studies.
- Animal Nutrition and Wellness: studying consumption patterns of the wildlife and how society can protect or cure these species from danger. This field of study combines disciplines 1. Zoology 2. Nutritional Sciences 3. Medicine.
Isn’t this cool? When people have these passions that they want to research in and potentially pursue as a career choice, they can create this educational pathway to gain the knowledge and skillsets for these field sites! But what am I researching specifically, and why did I choose ISF (Interdisciplinary Studies for short)? Well, i’m interested in the entertainment industry, however I felt as if Berkeley lacks plentiful resources to support research in the Entertainment industry as a whole. Specifically, I want to pursue entrepreneurship, starting my own multimedia corporate (think of companies like Disney, Universal, Sony: they are focused in multiple branches of entertainment such as film, television, music, gaming, parks and resorts, fashion and merchandise, etc.). What’d make my company stand out is its emphasis on multiculturalism, especially representing the culture and people of East and Southeast Asia in Western media that portrays them with authenticity and with pride.
And so, if you haven’t caught onto my three disciplines already, my field of study is: Global Management in Entertainment, combining disciplines 1. Global Studies 2. Business Management 3. Entertainment Industries such as Visual Media. With this, I can take classes from the Haas School of Business without being in Haas but it will still count for my major!
So what does my coursework look like? Well, all ISF majors take 12 total courses. To break that down, there’s two prerequisites and ten upper division courses. The prerequisites contain:
- One “Disciplines” course
- One “World Regions” course
The upper division courses contain:
- Six Courses of Study: these are the classes that the student pick themselves that fit their research interest! They can scout the course catalog for classes that they feel are applicable to their study, consult with an ISF advisor to approve it, and that’s it!
- Two Core Methodology Courses: these courses explore the definition of “Interdisciplinary” through topics such as consumer culture, social theory, media relations, modern capitalism, etc.
- One Interdisciplinary Research Method Course: taken during the student’s second to last semester which will help them develop their thesis - One Senior Thesis Course: taken during the student’s expected graduation semester (yeah, Senior Thesis’s are fairly intimidating and daunting but if we’re passionate about our interests then i’m hoping it won’t be too bad)!
Some specific courses I’m doing for my courses of study include:
1. Music of Brazil: where I got to learn about the history and culture of Brazilian music genres, instruments, and festival culture! There was even a cool lab where I got to learn how to play these instruments.
2. Asians in Film and Video: we watched movies that explored Asian-American stereotypes throughout history, cultural boundaries, and the representation of how these marginalized groups made their presence in contemporary Hollywood cinema.
3. Fundable Startups (currently taking): with a team, I am researching startup strategies on how to invest and raise money for a company when starting from zero, which we tackle through a hands-on startup project!
4. Imagination to Innovation (currently taking): a course that is joint between Haas and the Theater/Performance studies department, where we experiment in various workshops that boost our creativity so we know how to translate our visions onto a tangible platform.
5. Korean Film Authors (currently taking): view how film directors based in Korea utilize film theory and the foundations of cinema to display cultural themes and messages.
6. History of Love Songs: analyze music from the medieval period all the way to modern K-pop and Bollywood where we find patterns in romance, heartbreak, and how love is connected to all of life as a whole.
Isn’t my course work cool?
And boom: after these twelve courses, then you can get your degree in ISF! And of course, how people want to use ISF post Cal will vary for each individual: some will go to masters, straight to work, further their research, etc. Whatever pathway that is, people choose ISF to explore versatility within the realm of education. Cal offers many degree programs, but of course no university can have everything for everyone. However, with the help of ISF, students CAN make a degree catered to their desires. While this major is small, we are MIGHTY!
When students intend to declare in ISF, they have to fill out an application packet found on the Interdisciplinary Studies website. Prior to submitting the packet, they need to meet with at least one ISF Major advisor to get feedback and insight for their designated path, to see if what they are researching can be validated through an Interdisciplinary lens and approach. I’m currently in the process of completing that packet, but I already met with an advisor (shoutout N/A) who confirmed my field of study! The packet includes 3 short essay questions that allow the ISF faculty board to fully analyze the student’s choices for their designated areas of interest, so that’s what I’ve been working on. While I already am declared in Media Law and Policy, I am excited to add ISF into my academic record as it allowed me to expand my career interests and figure out what I really wanted to do as a career. Hopefully, this semi-tutorial helped teach you how you can also build your custom major such as I did!