The IDS Program at Wheaton College is ranked the #1 Bachelor’s Degree in Interdisciplinary Studies nationwide by Bachelor Degree Center, which cites our program’s “fusion of quality and affordability.” Wheaton's IDS program is also featured in the Best Value Schools' 2024 list of best Interdisciplinary Studies degree programs.
IDS majors are encouraged to pursue a variety of interdisciplinary opportunities through independent study, internships, and academic conferences. In March 2021, for example, a group of alumni and current IDS students presented on a peer-reviewed panel entitled “Liminality and Rhetorics of Human Limitation” at the national Humanities Education and Research Association (HERA) conference.
The program's faculty are deeply invested in interdisciplinary scholarship. The IDS program director, Dr. Jeffry C. Davis, serves as the Assistant Editor for the Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies, the scholarly journal of the Institute of Interdisciplinary Research. He authored one of the core IDS program texts, Interdisciplinary Inclinations: Introductory Reflections for Students Integrating Liberal Arts and Christian Faith and has also published articles in several peer-reviewed interdisciplinary journals, including the following: Expositions: Interdisciplinary Studies in the Humanities; the Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies; Pedagogy: Critical Approaches to Teaching Literature, Language, Composition, and Culture; Providence: A Quarterly Journal of Interdisciplinary Writings from a Judeo-Christian Perspective; Synergy; and Touchstone: A Journal of Mere Christianity. In addition to teaching the IDS Senior Seminar course, Dr. Davis serves as the academic advisor for all IDS majors.
As a Professor of Physics and Philosophy, Dr. Robert Bishop serves as the John and Madeleine McIntyre Chair of Philosophy and History of Science at Wheaton College. He teaches the Introduction to Interdisciplinary Studies Seminar which integrates natural science, social science, and historical and theological inquiry. Dr. Bishop was the primary editor of one of the courses’ core texts, Between Chance and Choice: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Determinism, a collection of refereed essays from experts in physics, philosophy, mathematics, and cognitive and social science exploring the concept of determinism. He serves as a consulting editor for the Journal of Theoretical and Philosophical Psychology, the Area Editor for Philosophy of Science in The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, and a member of the editorial board for Perspectives on Science and Christian Faith.
Our program maintains memberships in multiple professional interdisciplinary associations, including the Association of Interdisciplinary Studies and the Institute of Interdisciplinary Research. Wheaton’s IDS program also hosts a chapter of Alpha Iota Sigma, the Interdisciplinary Studies Honors Association for undergraduate and graduate students, which lends inductees academic distinction, provides opportunities to participate in annual conferences, and facilitates interdisciplinary networking beyond the college.