Overview
"The Integrated Sciences Program [IntSci] is an alternative to a traditional Major or Honours program for students whose interests cross disciplinary boundaries within the Sciences. The program gives [undergraduate] students the opportunity, and the guidance, to design their own curriculum.
Students in Integrated Sciences design their own upper-division curriculum, which must bridge at least two disciplines within science or beyond. These custom curricula must include Integrated Sciences "core" courses (ISCI courses) that are explicitly interdisciplinary. When applying for admission to the Integrated Sciences Program ... students must accomplish several things. They must demonstrate in essays and during conversations with their IntSci mentor that they are developing a vision of their own education that encompasses more than one discipline, and that it is more valuable for them to explore those fields as a set rather than independently. They design [an] interdisciplinary curriculum that embodies that vision and satisfies University and Faculty requirements for graduation, as well as additional requirements. For example, students must take fourth-year courses in more than one discipline. Students graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Integrated Sciences if they complete the curriculum they propose. This flexibility and the mentoring that accompanies it are very valuable. IntSci encourages students to review their programs periodically.
The Integrated Sciences "core" courses (ISCI courses) are highly interactive and generally stress active learning, group discussion and collaborative research. They are interdisciplinary and are often taught by a team of faculty from different disciplines. When co-teaching, instructors actively discuss each other's content in the classroom, much as they would do in a research environment. This converts the classroom into a microcosm of the scientific enterprise in general. Of course, engagement of professors from different disciplines also means engagement of disciplines. This significantly broadens students' scientific horizons. In addition to the content-related objectives that distinguish different courses, core courses aim strongly to develop transferable skills and attitudes to support the students' other studies."
The above text is an edited excerpt from: Benbasat, J. A. and Gass, C. L. 2002. Reflections on integration, interaction, and community: the Science One program and beyond. Conservation Ecology 5(2): 26. Click here to see the entire article. It is a good source of further information about the educational goals and value of Integrated Sciences, and other interdisciplinary programs.
Requirements
General admission and graduation requirements for Integrated Sciences can be found in the UBC Calendar.
Application
To enter the program, students must complete an online Application. Integrated Sciences (IntSci) is a program for undergraduate science students. Students are encouraged to apply once promoted to second year, and first year students may already want to look over the IntSci application to get an idea of how to plan for next year. Some students may also qualify to join IntSci after their 3rd year.
IntSci students
Students in Integrated Sciences have formed their own student association, the Integrated Sciences Students Association (ISSA). Please contact the ISSA to get further information about IntSci from students who are already in the program, and for current activities of the ISSA.
Recognition
Integrated Sciences is a 2003 winner of the Alfred Scow Award, which is awarded by the UBC Campus Advisory Board on student development (CABSD) for exceptional contributions and significant improvements to student experience and learning.
Example programs and Testimonials
To give you an idea of the kind of curricula that are possible within IntSci, here are some examples of actual programs that have been accepted for IntSci degrees in the past. (Only upper level courses are listed. The students would also have completed appropriate pre-requisite courses.) If you want to apply to IntSci you have to create your own program to suit your needs. Finally, here are some testimonials from IntSci students about their experience with the program.
