UWW Interdisciplinary Studies Spring 2025 Degree Planning Handbook
The Degree Plan
Creating Your Degree Plan
The degree plan includes:
- The title of your area of concentration (AOC)
- A statement defining the essential components of your concentration
- A list of courses and other credited learning experiences already earned
- A list of courses, exams, and portfolio credits yet to be earned
- Identification of the areas of learning for your portfolio and the estimated number of credits
Each of the above components should relate to each other, so that the degree plan represents a coherent course of study and meets the requirements of a UMass Amherst bachelor’s degree.
The title, for instance, should reflect the actual courses you select, and the statement should explain what the title means. Your faculty advisor will offer feedback as you think through the planning of your degree during your UWW 305 course.
Your Area of Concentration
Your individualized, interdisciplinary area of concentration identifies the focus of the course of study that you intend to explore in depth. It differs from traditional disciplines in that it allows you the flexibility to incorporate your specific interests and needs rather than forcing them to fit into a predetermined departmental structure. The Area of Concentration is individualized, and allows you to combine your previous coursework, your experiential learning, and new coursework.
You have a great deal of latitude in defining an individualized concentration, but it must meet the following two expectations:
Depth and Breadth
The concentration includes a broad view of the field of study and a focused exploration of a particular aspect of that field. Some concentrations cannot be fully supported by the courses offered online at UMass, so in these cases you may need to rely on your transfer courses or in-person coursework (if you live locally).
Theory and Practice
The concentration should demonstrate theoretical learning (the ability to attach meaning and interpretations to experience) and practical learning (the ability to test theoretical learning through practical application).
Why does the department put so much emphasis on critical thinking and analytical writing in the core curriculum?
Because the essential philosophy of the UWW Department of Interdisciplinary Studies’ approach to education emphasizes student-centered learning, in which:
- you make decisions about what you want to study and how to best bring together previous and new learning in the process
- you reflect on learning gained through unaccredited experience in a process that requires you to recognize patterns, uncover evidence, draw conclusions, and make evaluations
- your experience becomes the context and testing ground for theories in your field
The University Without Walls Department of Interdisciplinary Studies is designed to support critical and reflective thinking. The degree planning work is part of the curriculum, and gives you a chance to carefully examine your degree goals and create a plan that allows you to meet those goals.
How does planning a degree fit into all of this?
Most departments have lists of courses you must take or have fulfilled with transfer courses prior to entry. Being a UWW Interdisciplinary Studies student is more like sewing a patchwork quilt, bringing together the bits and pieces of your life and your education to create a comprehensible and satisfying pattern. The degree plan is individualized as it is based on your past coursework, your experiential learning, and your goals for your degree.
Some of you may have a clear idea of what you want to study, have browsed the course catalogs for likely courses to support the field, and may just be a few fairly simple steps away from developing a solid degree plan. Others, however, may not be certain of how to best construct a degree. You may have questions about what you most would like to do for a career, about how you can design the degree so you can finish as quickly as possible, or how to discover your passion.
And so, what do I do next?
During your degree planning class (UWW 305) you should adhere to the following steps to move you along in the degree planning process:
- Review UMass Amherst general education, UWW, and Area of Concentration requirements
- Review the degree planning questions funnel
- Review the titles of possible area of concentrations and their descriptions in the Area of Concentration Definition List
- Complete the online degree plan form in FormSite
Ask questions! Not sure about some of these guidelines? Maybe you have a precise question, or maybe you want someone to guide you along a path. Don't hesitate to ask questions of your faculty advisor (the instructor of your degree planning course) Nothing brings out those questions faster than working with your SPIRE Academic Advisement Report (ARR), unofficial transcript, and the online degree plan form, so definitely take time to look at these documents.
Scope out the possibilities. Planning an individualized degree can seem daunting if you have to pull a topic and a curriculum out of your head. But you don't. We have developed tools to help you. Not sure what you want to study? Review the list of areas of concentration that the UWW Department of Interdisciplinary Studies has already defined as possibilities. Most of you will probably find the topic that fits fairly closely to what you want to study. Though we have presented you with some defined titles, we have not prescribed a set of courses for each. Two or three students studying the same topic (such as health care administration) may have very different transcripts when they graduate because, though components certainly overlap, each degree reflects the students’ particular interests, previous course of study, and experience.
Asking and Answering Questions in Degree Planning
The central element of the degree planning process is learning how to ask the right questions of yourself and others and then figuring out how to tap into the necessary resources to get the information you need. The degree planning process involves a funneling of questions (refer to the Degree Planning Funnel), research, and decision-making over a few weeks to lead to a degree plan that satisfies you, your instructor, and the UWW Academic Review Team (ART).
Seeing these typical questions laid out and categorized may help you realize that there's a natural progression in this process. Most—but not all—of you will have resolved the life questions sufficiently at this point so that you have a general view of what you would like to do. Instead you're more likely to be struggling with the more specific research, degree, and task questions.
Don't let yourself get stuck at a particular stage. Sometimes moving up or down the funnel can help you get unstuck. For instance, if you feel you have no idea what you want to focus your degree on or what you want to do with your life, but do know that you need this degree as quickly as possible to improve your marketability after a layoff, then it may help to skip down to the degree questions. If you find yourself feeling no enthusiasm for the area you thought you wanted to study, then move back up to the life questions and talk them over with someone close to you, someone who can help you shape the questions and do the self-exploration needed to find the right path for you.
Graduation Requirements
120 credits required for a bachelor’s degree
- 45 UMass Amherst credits (minimum residence requirement)
- Minimum GPA of 2.0 (academic standing)
- Completion of General Education Requirements (can be tracked by the ARR report in SPIRE)
- Completion of UWW Department of Interdisciplinary Studies core curriculum (15 credits)
- 45 credits in Area of Concentration (AOC)
- 15 graded upper-level credits in AOC (300 level or higher)
Total Credits
Completion of 120 credits, 45 of which must be residence credits (students can transfer in a maximum of 75 credits). Of those 45 credits, at least 15 must be graded.
Residence credit includes credits earned through the prior learning portfolio, as well as all other coursework or independent studies taken through the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
General Education Requirements
UMass Amherst students are required to fulfill general education requirements (a minimum of 13 courses totaling at least 39 credits). These courses can be taken through UMass Amherst, transferred in through other colleges and universities, or taken via CLEP or exemption exam.
- Writing: 2 courses
- College Writing (CW) or an equivalent
- Junior Year Writing (JW), satisfied by taking UWW 370
- Basic Mathematics and Analytical Reasoning: 2 courses
- Basic Math (exemption exam or course) (R1)
- 1 Analytical Reasoning (R2)
- Biological and Physical World: 2 courses
- 1 Biological Science (BS)
- 1 Physical Science (PS)
- Social World: 4 courses
- 1 Arts or Literature (AL or AT)
- 1 Historical Studies (HS)
- 1 Social and Behavioral Science (SB)
- 1 other course in the social world category (AL, AT, HS, SB, or an interdisciplinary course (I), satisfied by taking UWW 305
- Social and Cultural Diversity: 2 courses
- 1 focused on Diversity in the United States (DU)
- 1 focused on Global Diversity (DG)
- The DU and DG designations are always combined with social world courses with designations, for example ALDU, ALDG, HSDU, HSDG, SBDU, SBDG, IDU or IDG.
- Integrative Experience: 1 upper-level integrative experience course (IE); must be completed in department; the UWW Experiential Reflections courses satisfy this requirement.
- Additional general education requirements: 2 additional courses may be selected from the following categories: Basic Math Skills and Analytical Reasoning; Biological and Physical World; Social World; or Integrative Experience.
- Completion of the degree planning course, UWW 305 Concepts in Learning Integration. As part of this course, you will complete a degree plan and submit it for academic approval.
- Two UWW Experiential Reflections courses (choose from UWW 310, 320, 330, 340, 350, or 360). If you would prefer to take one experiential reflections course and two 300-level UWW Interdisciplinary Studies elective courses, talk to your advisor about submitting a second reflections waiver.
- Completion of the course of study (area of concentration) as mapped out in your degree plan. The Area of Concentration (AOC) includes 45 credits. Of the 45 credits, 15 graded credits must be upper-level (generally 300 level or above). Keep in mind that sometimes courses have prerequisites. A prerequisite is a course that is required before enrolling in a higher-level course. Talk with your faculty advisor about whether you should take the prerequisite(s) or ask the professor for a waiver. You may make substitutions to your degree plan, but discuss these with your faculty advisor or your academic advisor.
- Completion of the junior year writing requirement, UWW 370 Writing About Experience, during which most students develop a prior learning portfolio
Degree Planning Questions Funnel
These require you to look at yourself, identify your own desires, needs, circumstances to answer. What do I want to do with my life? What makes me happy? What career should I pursue? Should I follow my passion or pursue the best job prospects?
Resources
Partners, friends, mentors, career counselors, etc.
These assume basic choices have been made and now you are looking at the implications for your degree. These questions provide a focus for your information gathering. How can I prepare myself to move ahead in my current career? Should I plan to go to graduate school? What do I need to be admitted? How do I incorporate previous courses into a concentration that will lead me in a new direction? What courses should I include in my concentration to round it out and make it a strong degree?
Resources
Library and web research, advisors, faculty, people working in the field, journals, etc.
These pertain specifically to putting the degree together once you have decided on a concentration. The materials in the degree planning module should help you figure them out, and you can ask questions. Do any of the titles fit my interests? How many portfolio credits should I aim for and what areas should I seek credit in for the portfolio? Do any of the courses I would like to take have prerequisites? Should I plan to take summer courses to speed up the degree?
Resources
Your advisor, classmates, web research of other university sites for the names of relevant subject areas.
These questions are about just getting it done. Answers are related to time management skills. How can I get this degree plan done by the deadline?
Resources
The calendar, the clock, caffeinated beverages, your own inner resources, etc.
You did it!
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Earning Credit
UMass Amherst University+ courses are offered fully online (except for a few exceptions) in the fall and spring semesters, as well as two summer sessions and one winter session. These courses are listed in SPIRE and cost $450/credit up to the 500 level for UWW Interdisciplinary Studies students.
UWW Interdisciplinary Studies students may sign up for any university-scheduled (also known as “day division”) courses they meet the requirements for. Some courses require instructor permission to enroll. University-scheduled courses are listed in SPIRE and cost $701/credit for UWW Interdisciplinary Studies students.
These can be an important part of the degree. Students taking transfer courses at other colleges after matriculation in the UWW Department of Interdisciplinary Studies must first seek permission from their academic advisor to ensure transfer to UMass Amherst. Once the course is completed, students need to request an official transcript so that credits may be posted to your record here. No more than 75 transfer credits may be counted toward the required 120 graduation credits at UMass (students must still complete a minimum of 45 UMass Amherst residence credits). All credits accepted by UMass Amherst from other institutions will appear on the university transcript.
This refers to the process by which UWW awards credit for past learning gained outside the structure of formal education. When UWW Interdisciplinary Studies students write and submit a portfolio, they have the potential to earn UMass Amherst credits (counted as residence credits). The portfolio is written in the UWW 370 course, and then can be submitted for experiential learning credits once the portfolio is completed.
This process assigns college credit to trainings, workshops, and courses that are directly related to the student’s area of concentration and conducted outside of an accredited college environment that reflect an integrated and sustained curriculum. Many UWW Interdisciplinary Studies students have participated in extended workplace trainings related to their concentrations. A fee is charged for each approved special transcript submitted. With proper documentation (official verification of topic, dates, completion, and contact hours), college-level trainings are generally awarded one credit for every sixteen verified contact hours, although there are exceptions to this formula depending on the type of training. The coursework/training/certification must be college-level and directly related to the student’s area of concentration. These credits are considered “transfer” credits and the student will be charged $450 for an approved request.
Military trainings may be accepted for transfer credit. UMass Amherst uses the American Council on Education (ACE), CLEP, and DSST guidelines, and applies the same standards to credits for military education as those applied to coursework from accredited colleges and universities. Request your Joint Services Transcript be sent to UMass Amherst through the JST website. You will receive 3–4 credits for basic training, and additional trainings will be evaluated for credit by the Admissions Office.
CLEP exams test college-level learning in a variety of subject areas, offering an option for a less expensive and faster way to meet general education requirements, demonstrate independent learning, and earn credit. Here is a list of CLEP/DANTES exams accepted by UMass Amherst.
Before signing up for a CLEP exam, you should check with your academic advisor to be sure it is accepted for transfer. You may need to complete and submit for approval the Prior Approval form prior to registering for certain CLEP exams. CLEP exams are administered by the College Board and are included on the transcript as transfer credit.
If you attended UMass Amherst before becoming a UWW Interdisciplinary Studies student, you may need 4 credits to fulfill a general education requirement, but some CLEP exams are only 3 credits. Make sure to consult with your academic advisor to confirm that a CLEP exam can satisfy a general education requirement if you previously attended UMass Amherst.
AP credits may be accepted by UMass Amherst, no matter how old they are.
Since 2019, some Massachusetts high school graduates have been eligible to earn the Massachusetts State Seal of Biliteracy, in recognition of having studied and attained proficiency in two or more languages by high school graduation. UMass Amherst will award 12 credits for the Massachusetts Seal of Biliteracy and 15 credits for the Seal of Biliteracy with Distinction. If you have earned the seal, learn more and opt in.
In some circumstances a student, with permission from the instructor of a course, can take an exam that proves their complete knowledge of the course material and receives credit for that course. The choice to allow a challenge exam, and how the exam is administered is up to the instructor. If you live at a distance, an instructor may or may not agree to allow you to take a challenge exam by proctor. Contact the department for more information.
A student may be able to receive UMass Amherst credits for demonstrating that they are proficient or fluent in a language other than English.
If you grew up speaking Spanish or German, or if you are proficient or fluent in any language other than English, Spanish, or German, you should complete the Request for Foreign Language Proficiency Test form and contact Kara Eich-Richardson, Assistant Dean and Director of Advising. Please check your email regularly, as you have to schedule the testing appointment once your request has been processed. If you attempted this process, but are proficient or fluent in a language that UMass Amherst cannot test for, please speak with your academic advisor to discuss your options.
If you did not grow speaking Spanish or German, but became proficient or fluent later, the first step is placing into the intermediate level or higher. Next, you should schedule a meeting with Sheila Brennan, Associate Director of Student Success Programs & Services:
- Log into Navigate.
- What type of appointment would you like to schedule? Select: Success & Wellness.
- In the next dropdown menu, select the following appointment reason: Foreign Language Exemption Test Info Meeting.
- Leave the date as-is.
- Click Find Available Times.
- You will see a list of all upcoming appointment dates/times. Click the date/time that works best for you.
- On the next page, review the appointment details, add questions/comments you’d like to discuss and click Schedule.
- You will receive an email confirmation that the appointment was scheduled.
Independent Learning Contracts
Independent learning contracts help students pursue credited learning outside the classroom, under the supervision of a faculty member from the UWW Department of Interdisciplinary Studies or another department. For UWW Interdisciplinary Studies students, independent studies and practicums have the same cost as other online undergraduate courses ($450/credit).
Only 3 credits, independent study OR practicum, can count as upper-level AOC credit with approval.
The student and the crediting faculty member complete a learning contract prior to the beginning of the semester the student wishes to complete the independent study. The learning contract describes the focus of the study, outlines learning goals and curriculum, identifies required resources, and determines how the study/practicum will be evaluated.
Crediting faculty for an independent study or a practicum may be:
- UWW Interdisciplinary Studies faculty with expertise in the area of learning
- Faculty from other departments with expertise in the area of learning
- UWW Interdisciplinary Studies faculty in conjunction with an on-site supervisor who has expertise in the area of learning
Students interested in an independent study or practicum should contact their academic advisor.
- Independent studies provide a vehicle for pursuing research projects outside a traditional course format. They are individually designed studies with a theoretical or research focus and investigate questions and subject matters not covered by available courses.
- The student, crediting faculty member, and student’s academic advisor must all sign off on the learning contract prior to the student’s registration for the independent study.
- Independent studies may be for 1–6 credits.
- In general, each credit for an independent study requires 3 hours of work per week.
- A practicum is an independent learning project with a focus on new experiential learning, similar to an internship. This usually involves participation in a role or institution, typically within an organizational setting. A practicum may involve an exploration of a field through interviews and observation in various settings, or creative work in the arts, or other personal projects. While students sometimes pursue a practicum in the context of current job responsibilities, their focus must be on new learning. Often an on-site supervisor will be involved in structuring and evaluating the student's learning. A practicum is a useful way to apply theory in the field and bring the depth of experience to learning.
- The student, crediting faculty member, on-site supervisor, and student’s academic advisor must all sign off on the learning contract prior to the student’s registration for the practicum.
- The supervisor must document the student’s hours and activities.
- A practicum may be 1–12 credits.
- Students can earn no more than 36 credits for experiential learning, including both portfolio credit and the practicum.
- Each credit requires 3 hours of work per week for a total of at least 48 hours.
- If a practicum is more than 6 credits and does not appear on an approved degree plan, the contract must first be approved by the UWW Academic Review Team.
Once you have a plan of study with a faculty member (outlined in the Independent Learning Contract), you can register for the credits online. Follow these directions, listed under “IS/Practicum through Academic Department”:
- Complete the Independent Study/Practicum Enrollment form. You must have the name and email of your Faculty Sponsor.
- Upon submission, an email will be sent to your Faculty Sponsor, to the email you designate on the form, with instructions on how to approve your request.
- You will receive a copy of the email to serve as confirmation that the request was sent to your Faculty Sponsor for approval.
- Once we receive approval from Faculty Sponsor via email, you will be enrolled in the class and will be notified at your UMass email address. You may also check your schedule in SPIRE.
- Requests received directly from students will not be accepted.
Degree Planning Resources
Students work closely with their degree planning course instructor to develop their area of concentration and complete the online degree plan form. Several resources are available to provide instruction on completing the online degree plan form in the Degree Planning tab in the Student Headquarters:
- Degree Planning Instructions and Form Login
- Degree Planning Instructions PowerPoint
- AOC Definition List
- Sample Online Course List
- ECE and Teacher Licensure in Massachusetts
Approved Degree Plan
When the degree plan is ready for review, it is submitted to an Academic Review Team by the degree planning course instructor, and when applicable, to an external faculty evaluator. This review team is responsible for reviewing and granting final approval of the degree plan. Once approved, the degree plan is placed in students’ permanent files and serves as a guide for subsequent semesters in the department. Students will also receive a copy of their approved degree plans. If you don't have a copy of your degree plan, please ask your academic advisor.
If any adjustments need to be made to the degree plan after it has been approved, students are encouraged to contact their faculty advisor or academic advisor.
Handbook last updated January 23, 2025.