Customize Your Degree with Embry-Riddle's B.S. in Interdisciplinary Studies

With over 60 undergraduate degrees, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University provides a diverse range of programs related to the aviation and aerospace industries. With renowned programs focused on aviation, business, engineering, technology, safety and more, Embry-Riddle students and graduates find opportunities right at their fingertips.

For many Embry-Riddle applicants and students, their program choice is easy. However, this isn’t always the case. Some students have two or even three programs that interest them equally and may find difficulty in narrowing their options.

If you find yourself feeling torn between multiple options or wish that you could combine programs to create your ideal degree, then a B.S. in Interdisciplinary Studies might be the perfect fit.

What is Embry-Riddle's B.S. in Interdisciplinary Studies?

The B.S. in Interdisciplinary Studies is a non-traditional program that allows students to combine coursework from multiple programs to create a unique educational experience. Like traditional programs, you will begin by completing general education requirements, including communication, humanities, mathematics and science courses.

Students in the program will also enroll in courses that fulfill seven core requirements for a total of 30 credits: aviation/aerospace foundation, management foundation, global focus, philosophical perspectives, enhanced communication/humanities, research methods and a capstone experience.

While you will be required to choose from a list of pre-approved courses for the core requirements, tailoring these introductory courses as closely to your unique program as possible is encouraged.

Where the program truly becomes yours is through the minor/breadth area requirement. During the Interdisciplinary Studies program, you will select either three minors or two minors and a breadth area that will become the key component of your degree.

When looking for a major, I considered many options, but each felt like a one-size-fits-all program that didn’t fully align with my goals. Once I learned about the Interdisciplinary Studies program, I realized I could design a degree that combined my interests with my career aspirations. This flexibility allowed me to create a program uniquely suited to me, and I couldn’t be more pleased.

What minor/breadth options are available for the program?

With over 50 minors at the Daytona Beach Campus and over 20 minors at the Worldwide Campus, the possibilities are endless. Whatever your interests, program advisors will work with you to craft a plan of study that will support you in your academics and future endeavors.

Every student’s journey is different, and your choice should reflect your individual skills and interests. However, the following combinations can help you brainstorm the endless possibilities available to you at Embry-Riddle.

• Aerospace Life Sciences and Biomedical Sciences with a breadth area
• Aerospace Life Sciences, Human Factors and Psychology
• Aviation Law, Communication & Broadcast Media and Humanities
• Communication & Broadcast Media, Marketing and Psychology
• Cybersecurity Applications & Management, Finance and Forensic Accounting
• Humanities, International History and a language minor
• Intelligence, Global Conflict Studies and Terrorism Studies
• UAS with Entrepreneurship and GIS or Emergency Management

If you choose to pursue two minors and a breadth area, you will complete 15 credits in a subject that delves deeper into one of your minors or creates a grouping of classes that enhances an area of interest outside of your minors, such as sports, human resources, medicine and more.

“When I meet with my students to figure out their individual path, I use a Japanese concept called ikigai. It is basically finding life's purpose,” explained Program Coordinator Joanne DeTore.

Dr. DeTore begins by asking students questions about their interests, hobbies, favorite courses, learning/work styles and more, then helps them create a program that will best support them in their future endeavors.

“I look at where they excelled. I look at the market and what majors are in demand and how those skills could be used in certain industries,” she said. “I want our students to come out with degrees that are marketable and also take advantage of their strengths and passions.”

This program offers a unique approach to building credits that culminates in a degree tailormade for each student based on their interests, encouraging students to define their educational path for themselves. Its smaller size and more intimate setting open the door for lasting connections with both classmates and professors, while its core tenets of self-exploration and pursuit of knowledge instill students with the attitude of a lifelong learner. If you have varied interests and aren’t sure which path to take, this program offers a way to explore them simultaneously.

How will a program like this help me succeed?

As a part of the B.S. in Interdisciplinary Studies, you will engage with a senior capstone project, either completing an internship or a co-op or submitting a senior thesis. These real-world experiences prepare students to begin careers in fast-paced and dynamic industries or continue their education with an advanced or professional degree.

At Embry-Riddle, students and graduates of the Interdisciplinary Studies program have earned prestigious internships and post-graduate roles in industry, government agencies and the military. One year after graduation, Interdisciplinary Studies alumni are earning an average of $94,800, according to Institutional Research, 2022-23 Cohort.

Notable employers of alumni include:

• American Airlines
• The Boeing Company
• Federal Aviation Administration
• Lockheed Martin
• SpaceX
• The White House

Opening doors to industry and the future, Embry-Riddle students and alumni find that the B.S. in Interdisciplinary Studies has allowed them to branch out in individual ways and carve paths to unique careers — influencing the industries of tomorrow.

The requirement of the degree program to participate in a co-op/internship is what kick-started my career. I was selected to intern at the House of Representatives Subcommittee on Aviation and was hired immediately after. Gaining communication skills and having a wide breadth of aerospace knowledge from the Interdisciplinary degree program was something that I would not have had with other programs. Because my faculty advisor helped guide me, I felt confident that my degree plan reflected who I am as a person and what my specific interests were.