Teaching, writing, research, and the fine arts are all examples of interdisciplinary careers. Some interdisciplinary program graduates plan their studies in order to pursue advanced degrees in education or other fields. For college students with a wide range of interests who don’t want to limit themselves to one specialty area, an interdisciplinary degree is often a viable option. Interdisciplinary career opportunities are readily available to recent graduates who have identified and developed the skills they will need to pursue the specific job field they have in mind, contrary to some popular misconceptions.
Planning a custom set of undergraduate college courses tailored to interested students’ interests and goals is common when preparing for interdisciplinary careers. The most difficult part of this planning phase, according to many students, is determining how each subject will provide them with the necessary skills for their chosen career path. These degree programs are typically broad in scope, but they also include intensive study in a variety of subject areas from both the arts and sciences. Depending on the policies of individual schools, an aspiring interdisciplinary major may be required to demonstrate to a faculty adviser how this custom degree program will be more beneficial than a traditional bachelor’s degree in arts or science.
Because of the breadth of knowledge gained in one of these college degree programs, many college graduates interested in teaching can find rewarding interdisciplinary careers. Multidisciplinary programs typically place a premium on the ability to connect disparate fields of study. For example, an interdisciplinary major studying art, anthropology, and history will typically gain a better understanding of all three subjects. New graduates who go on to become teachers will frequently adopt this multidisciplinary teaching approach in their own classrooms. Many people who have a strong interest in education decide to continue their education at the graduate level in order to become qualified as interdisciplinary college professors.
Additional options for interdisciplinary careers include writing and research. Professionals who can research and write new material about specialty niche topics are in high demand in a variety of industries. Because of their extensive knowledge in more than one concentrated area, many interdisciplinary graduates find this career path particularly rewarding. Without these types of interdisciplinary learning skills, their published articles and journals can often draw parallels between ideas that would not have been obvious to others.