Center for Interdisciplinary Studies

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Director: Professor Denham (German)
Professors: Putnam (Biology), Stell (Philosophy)
Adjunct Lecturers: Konen (Medical Humanities) (Fall), Veilleux (Medical Humanities) (Fall)
Advisory Faculty: Associate Professors M. Foley (Economics), Lerner (Music), Multhaup (Psychology), Wessner (Biology), Assistant Professor Wills (Religion)

The Center for Interdisciplinary Studies (CIS), housed in the Carolina Inn on Main Street, offers capable and highly motivated students the opportunity to design their own interdisciplinary majors. In addition, Davidson faculty members (occasionally in cooperation with faculty members from other institutions) may, through the CIS, offer courses not easily aligned with a single department or program.

A potential applicant should first discuss his or her plans with the director. If these ideas seem appropriate, the student will be invited to submit a proposal outlining the major, identifying potential advisors, and detailing the area in which the senior thesis (a requirement for all majors) will be done. Acceptance of the proposal comes when the director, advisors, and a member of the CIS Advisory Faculty Committee agree that the proposal is meritorious. Students majoring through the CIS are expected to satisfy all college graduation requirements. The director certifies the satisfactory completion of each student’s major.

Center for Interdisciplinary Studies Courses

Courses in the Center are numbered in ways that normally reflect numbering in other departments: 200-level courses are introductory, 300-level more specific or advanced, and 400-level courses are normally seminars for advanced students. There are rarely 100-level courses in the Center. Because of the eclectic and often changing nature of the course offerings—many of which do not appear in the catalog because they are offered only once—it is best to see the current Center web pages and address any questions to the Director.

See department website for current proposal guidelines and course listing.