<p>Has anyone applied for an IDS major? If so, was the process complicated? The people I e-mail at UF aren't helpful and offer only ambiguous answers about the application process.</p>
<p>Interdisciplinary</a> Programs | UF College of Liberal Arts and Sciences</p>
<p>I am a senior graduating in an interdisciplinary major in a few weeks this term. I applied and was accepted to my established concentration two years ago. No one at UF knows about the program because very few people do it and, although there are strict boundaries, it is VERY flexible and open to deviation… no two IDS majors are identical. Because of this, a lot of people (many of whom are NOT IDS majors) spread a lot of false information based on hearsay/my-friend-who-did-that/speculation. </p>
<p>The good side of it is that the actual people who are in charge of it know EVERYTHING about the program and its rules because they made the rules. You can work with them on anything and they interpet and enforce the rules to help you out to make sure you get what you want out of IDS. The most important thing any IDS major needs is self-reliance and, most importantly, to be a good independent planner. People who are used to the University or their Advisor telling them what classes to take and what career path to go down are NOT the types of students IDS was designed for. Each student in IDS is expected to be independent and take what they want/need from each CLAS department as they see fit. There are no list-servs, bi-weekly meetings, or application workshops. Your thesis and curriculum will be of your own doing and the application process requires that you can understand and explain why you want to design your own major. The beauty of IDS is that if you were accepted to IDS then you will already know what you are doing.</p>
<p>Anyway, you are probably emailing the wrong people. First, email the chairs of the established concentrations that are already established. Email Assistant Dean Margaret Fields (who is a lovely administrator) or her secretary Jennifer G for the questions answered no where else.</p>
<p>As an aside, do not get too caught up too much with what your concentration is. You essentially design your own major in every single circumstance; the established majors are just “half-constructed”. Many of them overlap each other (European Studies/Medieval Studies or Neuroscience/Biochemistry+MolecBio) and significant differences are among the upper level courses in each. Keep your mind open your first couple of semesters and do not jump into the application until Fall of your Sophmore year, at the earliest.</p>
<p>Thanks so much for the reply. I am actually a Transfer student and will begin my first upper division semester this summer, so I guess I’m a Junior and know that time is of the essence right now. I spoke to Dr. Smith, the one in charge of the NBS IDS major, but he was very vague. The website says you should get “sponsors” as soon as you decide you want IDS, because they “help out since the planning stage” so that’s why I’m kind of worried. I don’t understand if I should look for sponsors before I’m accepted, do I start taking courses and THEN apply? Since this is such a flexible program, I am unsure of the exact steps to take. What would be the first step? Also, did you have your thesis roughly figured out, before you applied, or is it something the sponsors help you solidify?</p>
<p>I have preview coming up and ofcourse am planning on asking all these questions but I just wanted to have an idea, so I have a little more time to figure things out.</p>
<p>Once again, thanks for the reply.</p>
<p>Sponsors = research mentors</p>
<p>You need to look for mentors before you apply. </p>
<p>Yes, you should take courses in the disciplines you want to study before you apply</p>
<p>All of these steps can be the first steps, it depends on the individual and how far they are in their career</p>
<p>Yes, I had a good idea of what my thesis would be on before I applied. It was not exactly perfect and was subject to change… but I still had a good idea.</p>
<p>Yes, your mentors help solidify your thesis proposal but they wont do it for you.</p>
<p>Good luck asking these questions at preview… I am fairly sure only a few people there would be able to adequately help you… its very generic.</p>
<p>I have worked through Dr. Smith myself and can assure you that if you approach him with vague questions he will give you vague answers. If you are informed, have a good idea of what you want and why you want it, and have a sense of direction he will be honest and forthwright with you and reasonably approve whatever you need.</p>
<p>Like I said before, you have to be self-relient. Be innovative, unique, and daring. Figure things out on your own. Read the papers your possible research mentors have written. Gain their support as far as directions to take with your career and with coursework. You cannot just ask what them first step is and follow some formula. Some paths have no clear cut and there might not be clear answers, you just have to trust it.</p>
<p>IDS is NOT for everyone… it just is not. The fact is that most students at UF need the guidance, convenience, and clarity a departmental major offers. IDS is for people who know what they want and feel like no one else is giving it to them. Remember that if you are accepted you are basically given a significant reign over what your curriculum, critical tracking, and target graduation date will be. This is <em>huge</em>. You won’t be getting anywhere if you want UF to tell you what to do when you are in a program that is supposed to be unique, individual, and self-created.</p>
<p>Thanks again for the reply. I am aware of how the program works (you pick your own courses), the lab hour requirements, thesis, ect. I understand theree are no steps within the major but my questions where how to initially become involved. As in, what I need to do before submitting an application. I haven’t taken any credits at UF so I can’t apply til Feb anyways, because they need to calculate my UF gpa, and i wanted to know what I should do til then. You’ve answered this (find sponsors, and take related classs). Thanks. I don’t expect the general advisors to be much help but I do hope I can get away at some point and ask the people in charge of IDS. I don’t live in gville so preview is my only chance to talk face to face with the IDS staff before class starts. I know preview is all day, but maybe during a lunch break or something. Idk, we’ll see. Anyways, again thanks for the info. I know what I’m getting myself into. I just wasn’t sure what came first, applying, taking courses or finding a sponsor, because the site doesn’t specify, so I was a bit confused. I wasn’t sure if you were allowed to look for sponsors if you haven’t been accepted yet.</p>
<p>yeah… well here are some pointers for the Neuro program:</p>
<p>Take PSB3340 as soon as possible.</p>
<p>Don’t try to double major… you are an IDS student, you can take whatever you want so choose wisely. No one cares if you double majored in Neuroscience and Biology. </p>
<p>Take CHM2210/CHM2211/BCH4024 instead of the suggested CHM3217/CHM3218 sequence.</p>