Best Online Bachelor’s in Interdisciplinary Studies Degree Programs for 2024

Badge for BEST ONLINE BACHELOR'S IN INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES

Updated: Feb 12, 2024

Find top-ranked Online bachelor’s in interdisciplinary studies degree programs for students looking for careers in fields like healthcare, environmental studies, social sciences, entrepreneurship, and business.

Top 10 Online Bachelor's Degrees in Interdisciplinary Studies

University of Missouri
University of Massachusetts Amherst
University of Alabama
University of Arkansas
University of Central Florida
Southeast Missouri State University
University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Florida International University
Florida Atlantic University
Liberty University

University of Missouri
University of Massachusetts Amherst
University of Alabama
University of Arkansas
Florida International University
University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
University of Central Florida
Florida Atlantic University
University of Alaska Fairbanks
Winston-Salem State University

Liberty University 99%
Central Methodist University 98%
Prescott College 98%
Western Kentucky University 97%
Shorter University 97%
University of North Alabama 96%
Troy University 95%
Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary 93%
Dallas Baptist University 91%
Stephen F. Austin State University 90%

University of Central Florida 29 to 1
Florida International University 24 to 1
Florida Atlantic University 22 to 1
St. Petersburg College 22 to 1
Georgia Southern University 22 to 1
University of Arkansas 20 to 1
Southeast Missouri State University 20 to 1
Northern Arizona University 20 to 1
Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University 19 to 1
University of Alabama 19 to 1

Elon University $42,241
Saint Joseph's College of Maine $41,586
California Baptist University $38,058
Houston Christian University $36,750
Point Park University $36,620
Prescott College $35,450
Dallas Baptist University $35,310
Newman University, Wichita $34,400
Anderson University $31,720
Ouachita Baptist University $31,180

Dallas Baptist University $21,186
Elon University $19,494
Prescott College $16,824
Shorter University $16,800
National University $15,912
University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa $15,600
University of Massachusetts Amherst $14,364
California Baptist University $13,680
Point Park University $13,662
Ouachita Baptist University $13,500

Dallas Baptist University
Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
Anderson University
Shorter University
Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Chadron State College
Newman University, Wichita
Lindenwood University
Winston-Salem State University
Park University

Newman University, Wichita
Lewis–Clark State College
Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Shorter University
Bryan College
East Central University
Columbus State University
Ouachita Baptist University
Belhaven University

University of Central Florida 41%
Belhaven University 43%
Anderson University 45%
Newman University, Wichita 51%
Governors State University 57%
Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University 58%
Florida International University 64%
University of Massachusetts Amherst 64%
University of South Alabama 65%
East Central University 70%

Belhaven University 9 to 1
Prescott College 9 to 1
Saint Joseph's College of Maine 10 to 1
Governors State University 10 to 1
Newman University, Wichita 10 to 1
Elon University 11 to 1
University of Alaska Fairbanks 11 to 1
Point Park University 11 to 1
Ouachita Baptist University 12 to 1
Lindenwood University 13 to 1

Elizabeth City State University $1,000
St. Petersburg College $1,943
Florida Atlantic University $2,522
Winston-Salem State University $3,401
Columbus State University $4,371
Georgia Southern University $4,371
University of Central Florida $4,478
Florida International University $4,721
Norfolk State University $5,752
East Central University $6,001

Elizabeth City State University $3,375
Winston-Salem State University $3,872
East Central University $4,555
Chadron State College $4,650
Lewis–Clark State College $4,703
Georgia Southern University $4,986
Stephen F. Austin State University $5,262
Florida Atlantic University $5,467
Southeast Missouri State University $6,205
Columbus State University $6,300

Key Takeaways

Students in online interdisciplinary studies degree programs study multiple disciplines, resulting in a bachelor’s degree that best fits their interests and career goals.
The opportunity to tailor your bachelor’s degree depends on the policies of the interdisciplinary studies degree program, with some allowing for build-your-own-degree options and others laying out structured policies.
Graduates of interdisciplinary studies programs possess sought-after soft skills that enable them to bring new perspectives and creative solutions to the table.

Table of Contents

Featured Programs

Discovering the Online Bachelor’s in Interdisciplinary Studies Program

Students in the best online bachelor’s in interdisciplinary studies degree programs explore more focused subjects with an interdisciplinary or multidisciplinary approach.

In contrast, a liberal arts degree combines a wide range of subjects, from philosophy to literature. Both bachelor’s degrees, however, emphasize a broad knowledge base in combination with critical thinking and communication skills.

You may, for example, be interested in a career as a crime journalist. Your interdisciplinary studies program of study can include courses in journalism and criminology. You may also want to combine music studies and business administration courses when earning a customized degree in music management.

You should consider working with an academic advisor to create your personalized program of study. Most online bachelor of arts in interdisciplinary studies programs offer academic advising services. Be sure to take advantage so that your interdisciplinary studies program will work to your advantage in opening career opportunities.

Suitable Candidates for Interdisciplinary Studies Programs

Before looking into the admission requirements and courses in an online interdisciplinary studies program, you must first ask yourself if you’re a good candidate. Individuals who are a good fit for online interdisciplinary studies programs include those who:

Have keen interest in building a knowledge base from multiple disciplines
Desire a bachelor’s degree that colleges and universities in the local area don’t offer
Enjoy the flexibility of combining multiple disciplines

While some students in online interdisciplinary studies programs may be undecided about their career paths, their indecision isn’t a sign of weakness. The beauty of an interdisciplinary studies degree is the opportunity to be courageous and follow the beat of your own drum!

Examples of Interdisciplinary Studies Majors

Yet another great thing about an interdisciplinary studies degree is that there are hundreds, even thousands of possible combinations! The interdisciplinary studies online program at the University of Central Florida, for example, allows students to choose up to three disciplines.

The popular disciplines and their possible courses that interdisciplinary studies majors can choose from include:

Business management: Finance, accounting and marketing
International Studies: Anthropology, religious studies, and international relations
Sociology: Global health and disease, mass media, and women in society
Biology: Genetics, bioethics, and evolutionary biology
Literature: Shakespeare, works by women, and queer literature

Other disciplines include psychology, economics, and political science. Many online programs in interdisciplinary studies also allow combinations of STEM and liberal arts courses.

Components of the Curriculum: Courses, Capstone, and Internship

The online bachelor’s degree program in interdisciplinary studies online programs have several components in their respective curriculum. Note that specific policies about prerequisites, sequence, and type of courses differ. Again, work with an admissions officer or an academic advisor to determine your options.

Students are typically required to meet the academic standards for these online courses:

General education requirements are liberal arts courses in humanities, natural and social sciences, and mathematics, among others (These courses may fall under core curriculum courses depending on the program)
Major electives are the courses that fall under the areas of study selected by a student
Free electives are the courses that aren’t categorized as part of the selected areas of study

Some online interdisciplinary studies programs allow students to choose 2-3 areas of study, with the requirement that the courses meet total credit hour requirements. Some interdisciplinary studies online programs require students to complete a minimum of credits from each chosen area of study.

Other typical graduation requirements include a thesis and a capstone project. Both are intended to demonstrate each student’s knowledge, and skills learned. Internships may also be required in a bachelor’s in interdisciplinary studies degree program.

Frequently Asked Questions About Interdisciplinary Studies Degrees

A bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies takes personalized education to a whole new level. Students who pursue this four-year degree essentially create their own program of study by selecting two areas of focus and combining them into one degree. For example, some may choose to blend gender studies and sociology or business and communications.

Although coursework and program requirements will vary based on your customized degree path, students are typically required to earn about 120 credits, which can be completed either online or in person.Students may also be required to complete an internship or fieldwork component.

Upon graduation, and depending on their chosen academic focuses, students will be prepared for careers in fields like healthcare, environmental studies, social sciences, entrepreneurship, and business.

How do we determine the best online interdisciplinary studies bachelor's degree programs?

Methodology

Pursuing your degree online doesn’t mean you need to settle for an inferior school. Today, most universities and colleges offer online degrees, and many respected schools are seeing significant growth in their numbers of online students.

The people affiliated with a school are ultimately what make it great. This is why influence — i.e., the academic impact of faculty and alumni associated with a school — gets at the heart of what is truly best in education. The combined influence score of a college or university’s top academic influencers is the best indicator of academic excellence. For our online degree rankings, we focus on the academic influence of faculty and alumni in the specific disciplines we’re ranking.

If you are serious about finding the best online colleges, you should be asking where the most influential professors are teaching, and whether their graduates themselves are advancing the school’s reputation for academic excellence. Most ranking sites rely on an opaque combination of reputation surveys and arbitrary performance metrics. Influence, as measured by our InfluenceRanking engine, provides a ranking that is free from bias, insulated from manipulation, and reflective of real-world educational outcomes.

How We Chose the Best Online Bachelor’s in Interdisciplinary Studies Programs

The ten best online bachelor’s in interdisciplinary studies degree programs featured here were chosen based on a rigorous set of criteria. Regional or national accreditation of the colleges and universities offering these interdisciplinary studies programs is the foremost criterion.

Accreditation is proof that higher education institutions meet stringent standards of academic excellence, among others, and provide quality education.

Upon earning their bachelor’s, students are expected to be ready for a graduate degree in interdisciplinary studies or work opportunities in the field.

The online interdisciplinary studies programs were also chosen because of their proven track record, particularly their graduate outcome. Students’ testimonies were considered, as were the academic experiences of graduates. The track record can be concluded from the programs’ reputation in the academe.

Academic excellence supported by student support services was also considered in the listing. Students were more likely to earn a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies when their professors provided top-notch academic instruction and support. Since professors are usually the first and frequent point of contact among students, the approachability of professors is also paramount.

Every interdisciplinary studies major also benefits from the exceptional student support services in combination with an accessible, user-friendly, and interactive learning management system. Student support services include admissions counseling, virtual tutoring, writing, academic advising, and career services. The best online programs provide 24/7 IT help desk support and digital library access.

Best Online Bachelor’s in Interdisciplinary Studies Degree Programs

Not sure if an online degree in interdisciplinary studies is the right fit for you? Check out our rankings of online degrees in construction, architecture, or public health!

Online Degree Frequently Asked Questions

If this is your first time taking an online course, the experience may require a time of adjustment. Although you’ll typically learn the same material and take the same exams as your on-campus peers, going online will require greater independence and responsibility than going in person. You’ll be accountable for your own time management, for harnessing the online educational technology that you’ll need to use, and for completing the course requirements, such as listening to lectures, learning lessons, reading texts, and handing in assignments. This means you’ll need to create a suitable workspace for yourself, maintain a realistic schedule, and take the initiative in building relationships with your instructors and classmates. With online college, your goal is to find a balance between independence and engagement.

No. The only part of online education that’s easier than campus-based education is ease of access: all you need is a computer and an internet connection for online education. But even this seeming advantage of online education can be misleading: what’s easier, studying online with your computer and internet connection from your home where you need to cook, clean, pay rent, and maintain a job? Or studying on campus in a dorm where all your living needs are handled by the school, and college staff are there to help you every step of the way?

If you take the commute to campus out of the equation, campus-based education is easier. All the support structures available on campus for students, especially with real people to help you in person, are not there online. The demands on you as an online student will largely be the same as for your campus-based counterpart, but without the same helps.

In general, your online courses will present the same material and test you in the same way as traditional in-person courses. In many cases, you’ll even have the same instructors as your on-campus counterparts. In fact, if you are adjusting to the experience of independent learning with remote educational technology for the first time, online college may be considerably more challenging than campus-based college. For a few insights on how to manage this new online experience, check out our 10 Tips for Adjusting to School Online.

Accreditation is especially important when it comes to online college. This is because the online education landscape is a mix of highly-reputable non-profit institutions on the one end and less-than-reputable for-profit institutions on the other end. Accreditation gives you the power to identify the more reputable actors in online education. Accreditation is a stamp of approval from an independent accrediting agency indicating that a college or university is meeting standards of quality and credibility. School-wide accreditation falls into two major categories: regional and national accreditation. Regional accreditors generally hold jurisdiction only over schools in the states comprising their region, whereas national accreditors hold jurisdiction over schools in all states. Regional accreditation is widely regarded as a more rigorous standard of quality and credibility than national accreditation.

Attending a college or university that is not regionally accredited could limit your opportunities. For students seeking an online education, we strongly recommend that they opt for regionally accredited schools. Regional accreditation ensures eligibility for federal loans and grants, ensures your college credits can be transferred between schools, and ensures that your degree credits can be accepted if you wish to earn an advanced degree. For more on this important topic, check out our What is Accreditation and Why Does It Matter? College & University Accreditation Guide.

As long as your online college degree is regionally accredited (see the previous point), you should have little difficulty transferring most of your credits or credentials to another regionally accredited undergraduate school. Every school carries its own standards and procedures for granting a transfer of credits. In many cases, you will encounter some bureaucratic haggling in which some of your credits will be transferred and others may be refused. However, provided that you have attended an online school with recognized regional accreditation, you should be in good shape in transferring your credits earned online.

In most cases, as long you graduate from a well-regarded, regionally-accredited online college, prospective employers won’t look sideways at your degree. In fact, unless you attend an exclusively online college or university, there will likely be no specific indicator on your degree, transcript, or resumé differentiating your school from its brick-and-mortar counterpart. This means that your employer will likely only differentiate between an online and in-person degree if you mention this distinction.

Some employers may express the concern that because you did your degree online, you may need to transition from an online education experience to in-person workplace experience. But in an age of Covid, that concern seems much diminished. The fact is that much employment these days is remote. And collaboration increasingly happens online over Zoom. Many employers will therefore view your online degree as evidence of valuable 21st century professional skills such as independence, self-motivation, time management, and tech savvy.

If you are a student who thrives on the dynamic energy of in-person discussion, who requires the physical surroundings of a classroom to feel engaged, or who considers the social aspects of education to be of equal importance to the actual content of your courses, online education will be less than ideal for you (though depending on your circumstances, it may also be the only viable option).

While there is much in traditional campus-based education that can be substituted or simulated through the online medium, some students may find that there is nothing that can replace the conversation, collaboration, and motivation that occur in an actual in-person classroom setting. As you transition to online education, one of the biggest challenges you will likely face in getting the most out of your online classes is overcoming this difference between “real reality” and “virtual reality.” Fortunately, we’ve got some great Tips for Online Education Beginners.

The advantages of online classes are many. Above all, online courses give you the freedom and flexibility to attend class from anywhere that works for you, whether you’re at home, in a coffee shop, or in a quiet conference room at work. In many cases, you’ll also enjoy the convenience of asynchronous learning opportunities-educational experiences that you can complete at your own pace and on your own schedule. This may include pre-taped lectures, ongoing chat-board discussions, and 24/7 access to digital materials. And of course, just as there are some learners who prefer the energy of a live classroom, there are those who learn best when working in their own personal space, free from distractions. If this sounds like you, you might find the solitude of online learning to be a major advantage.

Whether you’re just getting started on your college search, you’re looking for survival tips on your way to a bachelor’s degree, or you’re preparing for the transition into grad school, we’ve got guides, how to’s and tons of other valuable resources to keep you moving forward in your educational journey.

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Best Online Bachelor’s in Interdisciplinary Studies Degree Programs for 2024

Top 10 Online Bachelor's Degrees in Interdisciplinary Studies

Key Takeaways

Featured Programs

Discovering the Online Bachelor’s in Interdisciplinary Studies Program

Suitable Candidates for Interdisciplinary Studies Programs

Examples of Interdisciplinary Studies Majors

Components of the Curriculum: Courses, Capstone, and Internship

Frequently Asked Questions About Interdisciplinary Studies Degrees

What is a bachelor’s in interdisciplinary studies?

How many credits are required to get a bachelor’s in interdisciplinary studies?

What can you do with a bachelor’s in interdisciplinary studies?

How We Chose the Best Online Bachelor’s in Interdisciplinary Studies Programs

Best Online Bachelor’s in Interdisciplinary Studies Degree Programs

Career Outlook for degree at University of Missouri

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for degree at University of Massachusetts Amherst

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for degree at University of Alabama

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Career Outlook for degree at University of Arkansas

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Career Outlook for degree at Southeast Missouri State University

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Career Outlook for degree at University of Central Florida

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for degree at University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa

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Concentrations

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Career Outlook for degree at Elon University

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Concentrations

Career Outlook for degree at California Baptist University

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Career Outlook for degree at Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University

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Career Outlook for degree at East Central University

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Career Outlook for degree at Prescott College

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Career Outlook for degree at Stephen F. Austin State University

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