Get Started on Your Online Degree Today!

Have you ever wanted to finish your undergraduate degree but never had the opportunity?

Some students have jobs, families, or other reasons that prevent them from completing a four-year degree on a university campus. With the Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies (BSIS) degree program, you can earn the final years of your degree at Mississippi State University (MSU) completely online!

Complete your freshman and/or sophomore year requirements through MSU online, at an accredited community college, or at any other accredited four-year institution. Students may transfer up to 60 hours of community college course work to MSU.

Tuition & Fees

Tuition per credit hour $419.00
Instructional Support Fee per credit hour $25.00

Tuition and fees listed are subject to change and do not include all possible charges. Additional fees may apply. Please refer to the master class schedule for individual course charges.

 

What are some potential careers?

 

What's next?

Take 36 hours of MSU upper-level emphasis classes through online education from two or three of the following fields:

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences:

College of Arts and Sciences:

College of Business:

College of Education:

School of Health Professions:

“I was hired at PACCAR in March 2011 and discovered different opportunities to grow within the company. The only thing that was lacking was a degree. When I looked into it and saw the interdisciplinary studies program Mississippi State was offering online, it was intriguing. I could do all my coursework and continue to work. Once I started, I never felt like I was out there by myself – I could always reach out to all my instructors. It made me feel like I was a part of the family. On graduation day, my son told me he’s going to graduate from Mississippi State just like his dad, and it made me proud! Before I had the degree, I was limited in the choices I had and promotions I could apply for. Once I got the degree, it meant that I had options.”

Cedric Brownlee, Mantee, MS (Craft Technician, PACCAR)

Degree Requirements

To graduate with a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies:

  • Students must complete a minimum of 120 hours.
    • Up to 60 hours transferred from an accredited community college may count toward the degree.
    • 60 hours must be from an accredited four-year university.
    • 36 hours must be upper-level (3000 and above) emphasis area course work.
    • The final 32 hours of course work must come from MSU. Request to deviate from this rule must be submitted in writing to and approved by the College of Arts & Sciences prior to enrolling in the desired course.
  • Students must have: (all three)
    • a 2.00 GPA per emphasis area
    • a 2.00 MSU GPA
    • a 2.00 overall GPA in order to graduate.
  • Students are required to take IDS 2111 Intro to Interdisciplinary Studies in their second semester and IDS 4111 Professional Seminar during the semester in which they plan to graduate. These courses are intended to help prepare students for the job market and/or further study beyond this undergraduate degree. These are one-hour courses that requires use of the Career Center's handbook (no charge). These courses will provide Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies (BSIS) students with information, tools, and skills to make career decisions that coincide with their career goals. The objectives of these courses are to develop career planning skills for use throughout a lifetime; to explore occupations, graduate schools, or professional programs consistent with one’s skills, abilities, values, and interests; learn to identify occupations that may be of interest. These courses will also provide you with skills to be competent in executing the mechanics of the job search process, to gain understanding about the world of work, and to develop clear verbal and written communications. Students must have a web camera and microphone on their computers.

Transfer Credit

  • Students may transfer up to 60 hours from an accredited community college.
  • Students may transfer up to 90 hours from an accredited four-year university.
  • For students who have a combination of the two: Students can transfer up to 86 hours from accredited institutions, but MSU will only accept 61 community college hours.
  • Half of the program (61 hours) must come from an accredited four-year university.
  • Upon admission to the university, the Registrar’s Office will evaluate transfer credit to determine how it transfers to MSU.

Program Structure

To graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies degree, Students must complete a minimum of 122 hours.

84 Hours from Core Curriculum
+36 Hours of Online Emphasis Areas
120 Hours to Graduation

Core Curriculum

All students who enter MSU must meet the common core curriculum requirements as set by the Board of Trustees, Institutions of Higher Learning of the State of Mississippi to qualify for any bachelor's degree.

This is a general overview of what you need to take in order to satisfy the core curriculum requirement. Please consult a BSIS Advisor for more specific information.

 
Communication: 9 hours
  • English Composition I and II
  • Speech
Humanities and Fine Arts: 9 hours
  • Foreign Language
  • History
  • Literature
  • Philosophy
  • Religion
  • History or Appreciation of the Arts
Social and Behavioral Sciences: 6 hours
  • Anthropology
  • Economics
  • Geography
  • Psychology
  • Political Science
  • Sociology
Natural Science with Labs: 6 hours
  • Biology*
  • Chemistry
  • Geography
  • Geology
  • Microbiology*
  • Physical Science
  • Physics*
  • Plant and Soil Sciences*
Mathematics/Quantitative Reasoning: 3 hours
  • Math in Your World*
  • Calculus
  • College Algebra**
  • Statistics
  • Trigonometry
Junior/Senior Writing Requirement: 3 hours
  • Options available are dependent on the student's emphasis areas and approved in IDS 2111.
Extra University Core: 12 hours
  • Any of the types of courses listed above that are not being used already.
Free Electives: 29 hours
  • Any course offered by MSU.
Intro to Interdisciplinary Studies: 1 hour
Professional Seminar: 1 hour

*Courses in these subject areas are not currently available online.

**College Algebra does not satisfy math/quantitative reasoning requirement but is a prerequisite for statistics and trigonometry.

Do you have CLEP credit? See what CLEP credit MSU accepts.

Emphasis Area Courses

Click on the corresponding emphasis area for a list and course description of the types of courses that are currently available. The listings are for information purposes only. Do not take any courses without talking to your advisor.

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences:

College of Arts and Sciences:

College of Business:

College of Education:

School of Health Professions:

Students must maintain a 2.00 Grade Point Average per emphasis area and have no more than one grade of "D" per emphasis area.

Emphasis Areas Guidelines

  1. You must choose emphasis areas from at least two different colleges, meaning you cannot have all emphasis areas from one college, such as the College of Arts and Sciences.
  2. You must complete a total of 36 hours of upper-level emphasis area course work.
  3. You must complete either two of the 18-hour emphasis area options and take 18 upper-level hours in each area or complete three of the 12-hour emphasis area options and take 12 upper-level hours in each area.
  4. Other restrictions may apply. Please ask one of the BSIS Advisors for more information.

12-hour Emphasis Areas (Choose THREE)

  • College of Agriculture and Life Sciences:
    • Animal and Dairy Sciences
    • Health Promotion

  • College of Arts and Sciences:
    • Communication
    • Criminology
    • Geosciences
      • Meteorology
      • Geographic Information Systems
      • General Geosciences
    • History
    • Psychology
    • Social Work
    • Sociology
  • College of Business:
    • General Business

  • College of Education:
    • Counselor Education
    • Educational Psychology
    • General Technology
    • Kinesiology
    • Manufacturing Fundamentals
    • Music

  • School of Health Professions:
    • Healthcare Administration

18-hour Emphasis Areas (Choose TWO)

  • College of Arts and Sciences:
    • Communication
    • Geosciences
      • General Geosciences
    • History
    • Psychology
  • College of Business:
    • General Business

  • College of Education:
    • Counselor Education
    • Educational Psychology
    • General Technology

  • School of Health Professions:
    • Healthcare Administration

Admissions Process

New Admissions

If you have never attended Mississippi State University, please complete the online Undergraduate Admissions Application.

  • You will choose Interdisciplinary Studies (BS) as your major and Online Education as your campus.
  • Request that official ACT or SAT scores be sent to MSU.
  • Request that your high school send your official transcript. Faxed transcripts will not be accepted.
  • Submit a separate official final transcript from each college or university attended; faxed transcripts will not be accepted. An applicant may not ignore previous college attendance and must list all colleges attended on the application for admission. You must be in good standing at the last college or university attended.
  • If you are able to submit official transcripts and other documentation electronically, you may send them to admit@msstate.edu.
  • If you are unable to submit official transcripts and other documentation electronically, you may send them via U.S. Postal Service to:
    Office of Admissions & Scholarships
    P.O. Box 6334
    Mississippi State, MS 39762
  • All new admits will pay non-refundable application fee online.

Returning Students

Have you previously attended MSU but left before you completed your degree? It’s not too late to become a full-fledged, card-carrying member of the Bulldog family. We can help!

If you have taken upper-level (3000 or higher) course work in a specific subject and have 12 to 18 hours, we can make a request to the corresponding department for approval of an emphasis in that specific area.

To begin, you would simply need to get readmitted to the University. There is no fee for readmission applications.

Once you are readmitted, we would need your permission to change your previous major to Pre-Interdisciplinary Studies (PRIS) and your campus to Online Education.

Then, we can review your academic records, including any transfer work you may have, and advise you on what action to take to earn your degree online.

Let us help you realize your academic goals today with a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from Mississippi State University!

Academic Advising

After gaining admission to the university, you must contact one of your advisors to determine the courses that are most appropriate for you to take. Approximately two months prior to the upcoming semester, your advisor will send an email to your MSU email account, making course recommendations based on your program of study.

Mississippi State University uses email as its official means of communication with all MSU students. Please check your MSU email account (NetID@msstate.edu) daily. Information on setting up your MSU email can be found at the link for student services.

Headshot of Cain Page

Caine Page

Online Education

  • BSIS Coordinator/Advisor
662-325-2617Fax: 662-325-2657

Program Reminders

  • If you are BSIS Committee approved and want to deviate from your signed and approved program of study at all, check with one of your advisors first because you will need permission to do so from your faculty sponsor. Doing so without permission invalidates the non-approved course.
  • If you take courses not on the list of our suggestions (non-approved), there is a risk that these courses will NOT count toward your BSIS program of study.
  • Only one (1) "D" per emphasis area is allowed, and you must maintain a 2.00 within each area.

**Students may not receive minors in the BSIS program. After a BSIS degree is awarded, a student may not return to school and receive a second bachelor's degree in an area of emphasis used in BSIS. A student may not receive a BSIS degree if he/she already has a bachelor's degree.

All programs of study are subject to review by the Registrar's Office for graduation, even from a signed program of study. Courses that do not equal MSU courses exactly may or may not apply to your program as core courses. You can see these course translations through the CAPP report found at my.msstate.edu. To access the report, log into your myState account and click on the "hamburger" icon in the top left corner in order to access the Banner tab; click or hover over the myBanner for Students tab in order to view the Academic Records column where you can click on the CAPP Compliances link.

Undergraduate Catalog

College of Arts and Sciences


Contact Information

Headshot of Catrinia Anthony

Catrinia Anthony

Enrollment & Onboarding Coach

  • General Program Questions
  • Assistance with Admissions Process & Requirements
662-325-1742
Headshot of Cain Page

Caine Page

Retention & Engagement Coach

  • Current Student Inquires
  • Academic & Support Services Assistance
662-325-2617Fax: 662-325-2657