Interdisciplinary Courses Facilitate an Insightful Understanding

For instance Ethics is another subject with an interdisciplinary approach. It teaches scientific and emotional reasoning by involving various case studies and solving these. Through the combined scientific and emotional reasoning method, one can identify the problem by understanding it from various perspectives like social science, humanities, economics, polity, religious, law and other areas of study. 

Interdisciplinary courses are an emerging flavour in the academic domain, which now and going forward shall increasingly cater to a work environment where there is a visible and clear overlap between disciplines. Research too follows an inherent interdisciplinary approach. For instance it is impossible to conclude a relevant research on emerging consumer technologies without understanding the broad social and economic contexts of the target beneficiaries. History is a classic example of a subject that has an interdisciplinary approach. Every story or event in history can be understood and analyzed if the socio-political and cultural factors influencing that time period are taken into account.

To understand individual subjects in the most comprehensive sense, one invariably has to don multiple lenses. Stemming from this basic fact, interdisciplinary courses are here to stay and evolve.

In short an interdisciplinary course of study incorporates more than two traditional or core courses/subjects into a major. For instance there is BCOM. LLB, where one can study commerce, administration and accounts along with law. Such a qualification enables one to easily acquire a job in the corporate sector and the role will entail a blend of the legal as well as managerial aspects.

Some examples of interdisciplinary studies include BA/ BCOM. LLB courses, human biology, gender studies, international business, computer science and entrepreneurial leadership, physics and philosophy, comparative literatures, Masters in sustainable development and management and cybernetics, etc.

An interdisciplinary subject enables a student to study an issue, concept or the main ideas of a subject by understanding it through the lens of other related and unique concepts. This approach gives more flexibility to understand the different nuances of varied theories associated with the core concept/subject. Interdisciplinary subjects help students to be more socially aware and engaged and also help in connecting their problems with real life consequences. For instance Ethics is another subject with an interdisciplinary approach. It teaches scientific and emotional reasoning by involving various case studies and solving these. Through the combined scientific and emotional reasoning method, one can identify the problem by understanding it from various perspectives like social science, humanities, economics, polity, religious, law and other areas of study.

Some flagship interdisciplinary courses are as follows:

Water Science and Policy- This is offered in Shiv Nadar University, Gurgaon. The course is offered as a 1 year post- graduate diploma programme. It has 2 semesters of course work. The course is offered in School of Humanities and Social Sciences under the department of Center for Public Affairs and Critical Theory. The student needs to complete 32 credits in the entire duration of the course. The semester wise areas of study include basic concepts, problems and applications, 21st century solutions in water and dissertation in semesters 1,2,3 and 4 respectively.

Interdisciplinary PHD programmes- This programme is provided in IIT Hyderabad with 12 or 24 credits depending upon the students work. The area of study essentially includes- bioengineering and healthcare; novel materials and techniques; energy, environment and creative design and artificial intelligence, communications and networks. The PHD programme is offered for students who like to think innovatively and intend to undertake research in the areas of science and engineering. The course is offered for 5 years under the department of Center for Interdisciplinary Programs (CIP). There are various criteria's of eligibility to the programmes; however candidates may refer to the official site of IIT Hyderabad for accurate information. The candidates having BTech degree from IITs and IISERs can apply without the GATE score.

MA World Literature- Offered in Nalanda University, Bihar, this course is open to all Indian and international students from diverse disciplines. This particular programme is all about studying literature and culture from an interdisciplinary perspective that is largely South Asia and Southeast Asia centric. This programme prepares students for today's multi polar world. The admission process is online and along with other documents entails a self introductory note.

Politics, Philosophy and Economics (BA Hons)- This is an interdisciplinary course that combines all these three subjects. This is a flagship course of Ashoka University, Haryana

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