Central College will introduce a new integrated studies major and a new entrepreneurship minor for the fall 2012 semester.
The integrated studies major is intended for students whose academic interests and goals can be best met outside the structure of any single major or disciplinary department. It will serve as excellent preparation for a variety of graduate school programs and professional careers.
The integrated studies program will require students to write a formal proposal identifying educational and vocational goals, have two advisors from different departments, complete work at the 300 and 400 levels from two disciplines and create a capstone project or thesis.
“This new major is a culmination of work done over the past academic year,” said Leslie Duinink, former chair of the curriculum committee. “The integrated studies major brings together interdisciplinary and integrated learning in a way that provides guidance, structure and flexibility to students, allowing for depth in disciplinary study and the breadth of a multidisciplinary perspective. We are excited about the possibilities for students who declare this major.”
The entrepreneurship minor is designed to foster creativity, create social change and build relationships in a community. This minor provides a program for students to integrate the skills needed to recognize business opportunities, to improve leadership and business skills, to instill creativity and innovation and to ensure long-term entrepreneurial success.
“CEOs around the world report that creativity and innovation are the top leadership skills necessary to be successful in an increasingly competitive world,” said Wade Steenhoek, director of the Martin Heerema Entrepreneurship Program. “Entrepreneurs count on these skills for their own success and employers recognize the importance of creative problem solving in a competitive marketplace. By adding an entrepreneurship minor to a degree, graduates will obtain these critical skills and differentiate themselves in a demanding job market.”
