B.S. in Interdisciplinary Sciences

Students pursuing the Bachelor of Science degree will have a primary and secondary advisor (or minor advisor if pursuing a minor) in different disciplines to ensure interdisciplinary input. Students will discuss an Academic Career Plan with both advisors. Such an academic career plan proposes a sequence of courses that will emphasize chosen areas of depth by selecting related upper-level courses, in a way that is relevant to professional discernment or future pursuit of employment.

For students who choose to pursue teaching as an additional area, proper selection of courses and enrollment in the Undergraduate Minor in Secondary Education (UMSE) is necessary for eventual state teaching licensure. In this case the Education minor advisor is needed as primary or secondary advisor to ensure that the student’s course selection meets the requirements for both the BS degree and the minor. In addition, students in the optional UMSE should check state requirements with their Education minor advisor to ensure they meet criteria for certification and endorsement, because State requirements can change. Typically USME students must complete five education classes along with three field experiences and one semester of student teaching in local secondary schools. These 27 credits necessary to teach on the secondary level are accredited by the New Mexico Public Education Department (NMPED). In addition, UMSE students seeking a particular endorsement from the NMPED (e.g., Science, Math, Psychology, Computer Science) should work with their advisor on a suitable course sequence. For instance, the math requirement is a minimum of 24 credits in mathematics courses with 12 of those credits at the 3000-level or above.