IDEAS students select two areas of study, one in liberal arts and one in engineering. They can be two discipline-specific areas, selected from most of the curricula in the two colleges or interdisciplinary program(see examples below). It is also possible to for students to design their own interdisciplinary curriculum with permission from the co-directors. Please contact the co-directors for detailed information concerning concentration selection and advising.
Interdisciplinary Programs that exist at present or are currently being developed include the following:
Legal Studies with Product Liability & Reliability:Legal Studies is specifically geared toward students interested in product liability, law and technology, intellectual property, environmental/urban planning/construction, legislation, forensics, the security industry, energy analysis and discovery, and general litigation. Engineering courses are selected from sub-themes of product liability & reliability or environmental issues.
CSI-Lehigh: Forensics:Forensics is an interdisciplinary study area involving biology, chemistry, psychology, and different aspects of technology such as computer science, chemical engineering, and material science. Forensics can be also combined with other fields such as behavioral sciences
Leadership:Leadership in a modern organizations requires a balanced understanding of social, economical, as well as technological issues. Curriculum in Leadership will include courses selected from the Engineering Leadership minor program, complemented by courses in the liberal arts.
Mathematics and Operations Research: A combination of Mathematical Theory with courses from Industrial Engineering focusing on the mathematical methods of operations research.
Science, Technology and Society (STS): A focus on the interplay between science, technology, and their impact to society. Courses selected from the STS program.
Education: For students who are interested in pursuing a career in secondary school teaching and education; Ideas can be combined with the existing joint 5-year program with the graduate College of Education, but may require graduate work beyond the 4 year.
Business: Two minor programs in the College of Business and Economics are available to IDEAS students. Students interested in these programs should consult with the co-directors.
