Online Master in
Interdisciplinary Studies
What We Offer
- Same tuition for in-state and out-of-state students
- One of the most affordable degrees in the country
- Tuition 33% lower than the national average
- Finish in as few as 12 Months
Give us a call: 435-865-8665
Online Programs are Starting Soon!
Apply By: 1/1/25
Apply By: 5/5/25
Program Overview
The online Master of Interdisciplinary Studies (MIS) allows you to create a master's degree that matches your unique needs. Designed for flexibility, this program allows you to select three distinct areas of study that match your personal passions and career objectives.
Built for those with busy schedules, the MIS offers multiple start dates and 7-week* courses to help you earn your degree in as few as 12 months.
*7-week courses not available in all learning blocks.
With the ability to choose from 19 learning blocks, you can create a degree that will help you stand out. Our introductory and capstone courses will prepare you to market yourself and the unique skills your MIS degree can bring to professional opportunities. If you've earned previous graduate credit at another accredited institution, you may be able to transfer credits into the MIS degree through the General Studies learning block with the approval of the MIS Program Director. Explore our program concentrations below.
Job Outlook
Concentration Blocks
How it Works:
Concentration Block #1 + Concentration Block #2 + Concentration Block #3 =
Arts Administration
Develop the skills needed to advocate for art with civic, business, state, and federal agencies and learn what it means to be a leader in an arts organization.
Students must first meet with the Arts Administration Program Director for permission to take this learning block. Students can study up to 12 credits (the fourth course will count toward the General Studies Learning Block). AA courses are offered online and face-to-face and are full semester in length.
- AA 6010 - Principles of Arts Administration 3 Credit(s)
- AA 6040 - Arts Advocacy and Cultural Policy 3 Credit(s)
- AA 6070 - Leadership Development in the Arts 3 Credit(s)
- AA 6110 - Legal Issues in the Arts 3 Credit(s)
- AA 6210 - Grant Writing 3 Credit(s)
- AA 6920 - Special Projects in Arts Administration 1 Credit(s)
Business Administration
Advance your leadership skills, plus learn how to approach and solve business problems in our AACSB accredited business courses.
Students must first complete BA 6000 before they take any other business administration course. In some cases, and by permission from the School of Business, BA 6000 may be waived if a student studied business as an undergraduate from an AACSB-accredited institution and substituted with one of the other Business Administration Learning Block courses. Business courses are online and face-to-face and are 7 weeks in length.
- BA 6000 - Business Foundations 3 Credit(s)
Select Two of the Following
- ACCT 6100 - Advanced Managerial Accounting 3 Credit(s)
- ECON 6200 - Managerial Economics 3 Credit(s)
- FIN 6100 - Managerial Finance 3 Credit(s)
- MGMT 6100 - Managing People and Organizations 3 Credit(s)
- MGMT 6140 - Operations and Supply Chain Management 3 Credit(s)
- MGMT 6150 - Leadership 3 Credit(s)
- MKTG 6200 - Marketing 3 Credit(s)
Contemporary Animal Services Leadership (CASL)
Learn how to fundraise, manage, and lead in an animal services organization.
Students may select 9 credits (one learning block) or 18 credits (two learning blocks) from the following courses. Students must take INDS 6414 - Foundations of Contemporary Animal Services Leadership (CASL) before they take any CASL electives. Students must first take BA 6000 before FIN 6100 or MGMT 6100. For Best Friends Animal Society Executive Leadership Certification (ELC) program graduates, select 9 credits from the following courses. CASL courses are online and face-to-face and are 7 weeks in length.
CASL Electives
Select 6 or 15 credits from the following:
- BA 6000 - Business Foundations 3 Credit(s)
- COMM 6210 - Advertising and Public Relations Strategies 3 Credit(s)
- COMM 6230 - Professional Social Media 3 Credit(s)
- FIN 6100 - Managerial Finance 3 Credit(s)
- INDS 6211 - Crisis Communication Management 3 Credit(s)
- INDS 6410 - Personnel Management 3 Credit(s)
- INDS 6411 - Non-Profit Management 3 Credit(s)
- INDS 6412 - Foundations of Grant Writing 3 Credit(s)
- INDS 6413 - Foundations of Fundraising 3 Credit(s)
- MGMT 6100 - Managing People and Organizations 3 Credit(s)
- PRDV 5000 - Professional Development 1 Credit(s) (TOPIC: Best Friends National Conference)
Creative Writing
ENGL courses are offered online and are full semester in length.
- ENGL 6010 - Foundations of Creative Writing 3 Credit(s)
- ENGL 6011 - Poetry Writing and Literature 3 Credit(s)
- ENGL 6012 - Fiction Writing and Literature 3 Credit(s)
Cybersecurity and Information Assurance
Gain an understanding of the foundation of Cybersecurity & Information Assurance.
Students may take three CSIA courses from the courses offered to MIS students. They must first take CSIA 6000 - Foundations of Cyber Security & Information Assurance before they take any other CSIA course unless they have permission from the CSIA program director. CSIA courses are available online and are full semester in length.
Select Two of the Following
- CSIA 6040 - IT Project Management 3 Credit(s)
- CSIA 6060 - IT Risk Management 3 Credit(s)
- CSIA 6300 - Cyber Law and Investigations 3 Credit(s)
- CSIA 6310 - Compliance and Cybersecurity 3 Credit(s)
- CSIA 6330 - Information Systems Auditing 3 Credit(s)
Education
Gain a deep understanding of what it means to be creative in education, how to meet the needs of culturally diverse school populations, and how to apply technology in education.
Students may select 9 credits (one learning block) or 18 credits (two learning blocks) from the following courses. Five of the eight EDUC courses are only offered summer semester. EDUC courses are offered online and are full semester in length.
- EDUC 6020 - Information and Technology in Education 3 Credit(s)
- EDUC 6440 - Creativity in Education 3 Credit(s)
- EDUC 6600 - Sociology of Education 3 Credit(s)
- EDUC 6610 - Educational Policy and Politics 3 Credit(s)
- EDUC 6620 - Critical Pedagogy 3 Credit(s)
- EDUC 6630 - Democracy and Education 3 Credit(s)
- EDUC 6640 - Comparative Education 3 Credit(s)
- EESL 5360 - Multicultural Education 3 Credit(s)
General Studies
This learning block is specifically designed for those transferring in an academic discipline that SUU’s MIS degree does not include. There is no curriculum attached to this course. It is solely for the purpose of course substitutions for transfer courses. Alternatively, students may create their own 6- or 9-credit learning block. These courses are offered online and are 7-weeks or full semester in length.
- INDS 6200 - General Studies Special Topics 1 Credit(s) (1-9 Credits)
Human Values
- HU 6100 - Introduction to Human Values 3 Credit(s)
- INDS 6510 - Leadership Essentials 3 Credit(s)
- PADM 6000 - Program Overview and Theory of Public Administration 3 Credit(s)
Education
Gain a deep understanding of what it means to be creative in education, how to meet the needs of culturally diverse school populations, and how to apply technology in education.
Students may select 9 credits (one learning block) or 18 credits (two learning blocks) from the following courses. Five of the eight EDUC courses are only offered summer semester. EDUC courses are offered online and are full semester in length.
- EDUC 6020 - Information and Technology in Education 3 Credit(s)
- EDUC 6440 - Creativity in Education 3 Credit(s)
- EDUC 6600 - Sociology of Education 3 Credit(s)
- EDUC 6610 - Educational Policy and Politics 3 Credit(s)
- EDUC 6620 - Critical Pedagogy 3 Credit(s)
- EDUC 6630 - Democracy and Education 3 Credit(s)
- EDUC 6640 - Comparative Education 3 Credit(s)
- EESL 5360 - Multicultural Education 3 Credit(s)
Leadership Studies
Discover what it means to be a leader and develop your personal leadership style.
Select 9 credits from this learning block. These courses are online and are 7 weeks in length.
- INDS 6510 - Leadership Essentials 3 Credit(s)
- INDS 6511 - Strategic Leadership 3 Credit(s)
- INDS 6512 - Leadership Coaching Strategies 3 Credit(s)
- INDS 6920 - Systems Workshops 3 Credit(s)
- INDS 6922 - Systems Study Abroad 3 Credit(s)
Music Technology
Develop a deep understanding of the technology and hardware behind audio recording, notation, and music promotion.
Students must first take MUSC 6103 before any other MUSC course. Courses are online and are 7 weeks in length.
- MUSC 6103 - Introduction to Music Graduate Study 3 Credit(s)
Select Two of the Following
- MUSC 6323 - Audio Recording I 3 Credit(s)
- MUSC 6353 - Music Business and Brand Promotion 3 Credit(s)
- MUSC 6553 - Digital Music Notation 3 Credit(s)
National Parks and Public Lands
The purpose of the this Learning Block is to provide students who have an interest in parks and public lands a foundation in history, stewardship (through archaeological stewardship), and current interdisciplinary practices, policies, and issues. This block serves as a foundation for an MIS degree focusing on public land leadership in which students will gain an understanding of National Park history, the importance of archeological stewardship, and an introduction to the interdisciplinary management of parks and public lands. This is a hybrid learning block (i.e., one week of the semester will be dedicated to master naturalist, site steward, and interpretive training. For this portion of the course, students would be housed at the SUU Mountain Center. All remaining coursework will be online and are full semester in length.).
Non-Profit Management
Learn how to manage, fundraise, and grant write for a non-profit.
Courses are online and are 7 weeks in length.
- INDS 6411 - Non-Profit Management 3 Credit(s)
- INDS 6412 - Foundations of Grant Writing 3 Credit(s)
- INDS 6413 - Foundations of Fundraising 3 Credit(s)
Online Teaching and Course Design
Learn the guiding principles behind online course development, design, and assessment.
For this Learning Block, students must take the INDS courses in numeric order. Courses are online and are 7 weeks in length.
- INDS 6050 - Online Teaching for Educators 3 Credit(s)
- INDS 6051 - Instructional Design for E-Learning 3 Credit(s)
- INDS 6055 - Assessment in E-Learning 3 Credit(s)
- PRDV 5000 - Professional Development 1 Credit(s) (TOPIC: Online and Remote Teaching Foundations)
Public Administration
Learn the fundamentals of administrative law, public sector economics, and public human resources management.
Students must first take PADM 6000 before they take any other PADM course. Courses are online and face-to-face and are full semester in length.
Select Two of the Following
- PADM 6200 - Public Sector Economics 3 Credit(s)
- PADM 6300 - Administrative Law 3 Credit(s)
- PADM 6500 - Public Human Resources Management 3 Credit(s)
School Library
Develop key skills needed for library media teachers.
Students may select either 9 or 18 credits from the following courses. Students who complete all 18 credits will not need to complete another learning block and will also be eligible to receive a Utah School Library endorsement. Students must take LM 6100 either concurrently with or before other LM courses. Courses are online and full semester and are 7 weeks in length.
- LM 6100 - School Library Media Foundations 1 Credit(s)
- LM 6160 - Library Computer and Reference Skills 3 Credit(s)
- LM 6170 - Technology for the Library Media Teacher 3 Credit(s)
- LM 6180 - Utilization of Literature in the Classroom 3 Credit(s)
- LM 6190 - Managing a Media Center 3 Credit(s)
- LM 6200 - Library Technical Services 3 Credit(s)
- LM 6890 - Practicum 1 Credit(s) (must complete 2 credits) 2 Credit(s)
Social Media and Public Relations
Learn how to strategically use major social media platforms and how to communicate in a crisis.
COMM 6210 and 6230 are online and face-to-face and are 7 weeks in length. INDS 6211 is online and is 7 weeks in length.
- COMM 6210 - Advertising and Public Relations Strategies 3 Credit(s)
- COMM 6230 - Professional Social Media 3 Credit(s)
- INDS 6211 - Crisis Communication Management 3 Credit(s)
Special Education
Students may select 9 credits (one learning block) or 18 credits (two learning blocks) from the following courses. Students must first complete SPED 6100 before any other SPED course. Courses are online and face-to-face and are full semester in length.
Note: Students do not receive a SPED endorsement from this Learning Block.
- SPED 5100 - Programming and Management 3 Credit(s)
Select Two of the Following (6 Credits)
- SPED 6110 - History and Law 3 Credit(s)
- SPED 6120 - Creating and Managing a Learning Environment 3 Credit(s)
- SPED 6130 - Curriculum Strategies 3 Credit(s)
- SPED 6145 - Transition and Collaboration 3 Credit(s)
- SPED 6160 - Assessment for Learning and Data Driven Decisions 3 Credit(s)
Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages
Students must first complete TESL 6010 and 6030 before taking TESL 6890. Courses are online and face-to-face and are 7 weeks and full semester in length.
Note: Students do not receive a TESOL endorsement from this Learning Block.
- TESL 6010 - Principles of Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages 3 Credit(s)
- TESL 6030 - Linguistics for Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages 3 Credit(s)
- TESL 6890 - Practicum in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages 1 Credit(s) (must complete 3 credits) 3 Credit(s)
Writing and Rhetoric
ENGL courses are offered online and are full semester in length.
- ENGL 6020 - Foundations in Rhetoric and Argumentation 3 Credit(s)
- ENGL 6021 - Composition Theory 3 Credit(s)
- ENGL 6022 - Writing for Publication 3 Credit(s)
Start Your Application Today!
Let's GO Master's Degree Scholarship
The cost of a master's degree at Southern Utah University is already 33% less than the national average.
It's about to get even more affordable.
SUU has created the Let's GO Scholarship to help students begin their master's education. This one-time scholarship provides assistance for Fall 2024 and Spring 2025. It covers up to $1000 per semester for a maximum of 2 semesters when you start Fall 2024. SUU Online anticipates high demand for this scholarship. Funds are limited, apply as soon as possible. Submitting the scholarship application does not guarantee an award.