Program Description

The Integrative studies program allows students to create an individualized curriculum composed of courses and experiences which meet their individual career needs. This approach is different from many traditional, discipline-based baccalaureate programs which are designed in part to prepare students for advanced work in a specific academic discipline--a major in history or biology, for example. This flexibility enables students to develop academic plans that meet the ever-changing requirements of the world of work, but it also requires careful planning. Students should clarify their career or learning goals as they begin designing the components of their program. The bachelor’s degree in Integrative Studies can also be an appropriate preparation for students planning to attend graduate school in certain disciplines and professions. Students may earn either a baccalaureate degree by completing a planned program of 120 semester credit hours or an associate's degree with a major in Integrative Studies upon the completion of Areas A-F of the Core Curriculum.

Target Audience

While this degree program is open to all qualified students, it has been designed principally to meet the higher education needs of the following two specific groups of students:

(1) Non-traditional students who are already in the workplace, but need a baccalaureate degree to advance in their current career. Consultation with employers or supervisors will help students identify career needs which will form the basis for the design of an individualized curriculum; and

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(2) Traditional students with clear academic or career goals who are open to and interested in novel ways of organizing an undergraduate experience which draws on the multiple resources of current distance learning opportunities, courses available through other institutions within the Atlanta Regional Consortium of Higher Education (ARCHE), and opportunities for internships and work/study experiences available in the larger community.

Why is it called Integrative Studies?

The program is called integrative because of its emphasis on clearly identified career or learning outcomes rather than on academic disciplines. The program allows students the opportunity to bring together--or integrate--courses from a wide variety of academic areas or disciplines to support their individual career goals. In addition to the courses available at Clayton State, students may elect to take courses on the campuses of the Atlanta Regional Consortium like Emory, Georgia State, or Agnes Scott, or they can take advantage of distance learning courses offered by those institutions or others. The program also integrates on-campus with community-based, experiential methods of learning. Workforce skills today require new competencies such as effective collaboration and teamwork which may not be available through classroom instruction alone; these skills must be learned, developed, and advanced in real work environments. For these reasons, internship placements which support this component are arranged for all students in the program.

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Clarification of Career/Learning Goals

Since this program was developed to allow students to design individualized curriculum plans, the first step in the application process is the identification and clarification of career goals. These goals will shape the outcomes of individual programs--what students need to know and be able to do in order to be successful in the occupational or professional area chosen. This step is primarily the responsibility of students seeking admission to the program and will require considerable investigation and reflection prior to completion of the application process. Only if students have clear goals statements can faculty advisors effectively assist them in designing programs which are appropriate and which maximize the resources available.

• Students who are already employed and who desire a baccalaureate degree to advance in their current career should meet with supervisors in order to identify the types of courses and experiences which would best equip them to succeed in their chosen line of employment.

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·         Students who plan to advance to graduate or professional school after graduation should contact these schools to determine undergraduate requirements and to insure that a baccalaureate in Integrative Studies is an appropriate program to meet graduate prerequisites. In most cases, the Integrative Studies baccalaureate is acceptable for graduate and professional programs such as law which have few discipline-specific prerequisites. It is appropriate preparation for the new Master of Liberal Studies graduate degree program at Clayton State.  On the other hand, it is likely not an appropriate choice for students planning to enter traditional, discipline-specific graduate programs such as those in math, biology, or physical science.

Curriculum Overview

Admission to the Program:  Before enrolling in INTE 3901 (Integrative Studies Internship/Practicum), students must

1.       Have completed 45 semester credit hours (Areas A-F of the core curriculum), and

2.       Have achieved an overall institutional grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.0.

Individualized Curriculum: Students work closely with an assigned Integrative Studies advisor to develop a curriculum plan which takes advantage of the wide range of learning resources available. Courses may be drawn from any discipline, but all courses must apply toward the baccalaureate degrees at Clayton State.  Courses from a career associate degree program (AAS) generally do not count toward baccalaureate degrees. 

Completing a degree in Integrative studies requires completion of 120 semester hours as follows:

·         Freshman and Sophomore years (lower division):  60 hours of core curriculum

·         Courses appropriate to the Student’s Career & Academic Goals: (upper division):  48-54 hours.  A minimum of 42 hours of upper division credit is required; no more than 18 lower division hours may be applied at this level.

·         Experiential learning (INTE 3109) and capstone seminar course (INTE 4500):  6-12 hours

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Residency Requirement: The normal University residency requirement of 30 hours applies, with the following exceptions: (1) all INTE courses must be taken in residence at Clayton State University; and (2) 9 hours of coursework taken from schools participating in the Atlanta Regional Consortium for Higher Education (ARCHE) may be counted as “in residence” provided the courses are approved in advance as part of the student’s Integrative Studies program of study. Note:  Of the 30 hours required for residency, 21 semester hours must be 3000-4000 level courses credited toward your degree.

Integrative Studies Seminars and Internship: A key element which distinguishes the Clayton State University program from typical "general studies" majors at many other institutions is the required series of two courses:  (1) an integrative studies capstone seminar, and (2) a required practicum or internship. These experiences will combine traditional academic content with an emphasis on communication and critical thinking and an experiential or service learning component.

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The Integrative Studies Practicum/Internship (INTE 3901) the principal "experiential learning" component of the program although students may also earn additional credit via other internships or cooperative education. This seminar will normally be taken during the first term of the senior year, and the placement site will be in a professional work environment related to the interests/career goals of the individual student. Placement may be with for-profit, not-for-profit, or governmental entities as appropriate. Collaborating businesses/agencies must agree to create and supervise meaningful experiences that will allow students to observe and participate in real world projects and activities that bear directly on the challenges of the contemporary workplace. Students are permitted to complete a practicum or internship in the company where they are already employed. Students are encouraged to seek experiential opportunities outside the USA. 

Integrative Studies Senior Seminar (INTE 4500) is a "capstone" experience normally taken in the last term of the senior year and will focus on the design and execution of an integrative team project. Students will work on case problems appropriate to their career plans and prepare written and oral reports on their proposed solutions. This seminar will provide the opportunity for individual student and program assessment.

Summary of Curriculum Area Hours

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Freshman-Sophomore Years (60 hours)

Core Areas A-E (42hrs) selected from English, Mathematics, Communication, Critical Thinking, Humanities, Natural Science, and Social Science.

Major Area F (18hrs) selected from Humanities, Social Sciences, Natural Science and Mathematics, and courses from a variety of disciplines that relate to the individual student’s career/academic goals.  Note:  Students are not restricted to any one major or school within the University when choosing Area F courses.

Junior-Senior Years (60 hours)

Two INTE course are required (6-12 hours)

·         Integrative Studies Practicum/Internship (INTE 3901, 3-9hrs)

·         Integrative Studies Senior Seminar (INTE 4500, 3hrs)

(Note: 3hrs of INTE 3901are required. With approval, up to 6 additional hours of Practicum/Internship may be taken and will count in the student’s Individualized Program.)

Individualized Program (48-54hrs)

            Courses in the individualized part of the student program may be drawn from any field but must be courses that apply toward baccalaureate degrees.  In general, courses from AAS (career associate) degree programs cannot be used to fulfill requirements for the baccalaureate degree.  The BA/BS program in Integrative Studies requires a minimum of 42 hours of upper division credit; therefore no more than 18 lower division hours can be used in this category.

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Program Entry

In order to be admitted to the upper division level of the Integrative Studies program, students must have and institutional grade point average of at least 2.0 and must maintain a minimum 2.0 GPA to progress to graduation.

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