The Interdisciplinary Science Program aims to democratize science with a planetary health framework that addresses health, environment, and equity.
The curriculum emphasizes scientific and quantitative thinking to tackle contemporary challenges including access to clean water, climate change, biodiversity, ethics of emerging technologies, and mathematical modelling of social phenomena.
Our courses, co-curricular experiences, public programming, and pedagogies make strong connections between science and social justice, helping students navigate through microscopic and macroscopic scales.
Majors & Minors
The Natural Sciences and Mathematics department offers a BA degree in Interdisciplinary Science as well as a Minor in Interdisciplinary Science. Students can also study Interdisciplinary Science as part of a self-designed major.
The Interdisciplinary Science Major prepares students for careers that depend on strong scientific and quantitative reasoning, and an understanding of how natural sciences and mathematics relate to social sciences, humanities, and art. The curriculum achieves this interdisciplinary understanding by connecting science and math to issues of social interest such as health disparity, resource management, urbanization, global development, and responsible health and environmental communication and education. Students also have access to a unique set of University Minors that cater to interests in technology, design, data visualization, journalism + design, anthropology, and communication.
For more information about our curriculum visit the Lang website.
Pedagogies
We use innovative student-centered pedagogies and connections to the arts and social sciences to make science and math relevant, tangible, and meaningful to students from all backgrounds who are interested in promoting social reflection and social change. Students learn basic concepts, principles and methods, and then apply this knowledge to develop effective and appropriate scientific, health, and environmental practices and policies. The curriculum merges theory and practice with sequenced courses providing depth and breadth, and experiential experiences such as internships that address real world problems. Classroom learning is student centered, seminar-based, and integrative. Courses are rigorous, emphasizing deep understanding of key scientific concepts and methodologies as well as applications of these concepts so that students are able to appreciate the importance of a scientific approach in investigating problems. Introductory courses impart scientific and mathematical principles, theory, and methodology, and provide opportunities to develop problem-solving and laboratory skills. Intermediate and advanced level courses build on foundational knowledge and emphasize application of scientific and mathematical principles. In all courses, students are encouraged to move away from passive learning and memorization and toward fundamental understanding and applications of scientific and mathematical principles.
Graduate Level Courses
Students who are in the junior and senior year may complement their undergraduate study with graduate courses focused on health, culture, and gender offered by the NSSR Psychology and Anthropology Departments. Those interested in environmental sustainability, advocacy and policy may complete graduate courses in the Milano School of International Affairs, Management and Urban Policy, and the Parsons programs in Communication Design, Environmental Policy & Sustainability, Transdisciplinary Design, and Design & Technology. Those interested in communication can consider the combined Masters program in Creative Publishing & Critical Journalism.
Extracurricular Learning
Students can build on their coursework by participating in campus programs such as the Science and Math Fellows, the Tishman Alaska Environmental Scholars Program (contact Alan McGowan, Professor of Environmental Studies for more information) and The Civic Engagement and Social Justice Summer Fellows Program, as well as various student organizations.
We also provide students with close mentoring and support through the Mohn Family Science and Social Justice Fellows Program, which can cover living expenses for students who have secured internships or research positions in non-profits, government agencies, or other public serving organizations in the area of health and the environment.
Many internships, research experiences, fellowships, and study abroad programs are available for our students.
Additionally, students can complete certificate programs that are complementary to the Interdisciplinary Science curriculum, such as the online Healthy Materials and Sustainable Buildings
Post-Graduate Options
Graduates from the Interdisciplinary Science degree program are prepared to conduct research in health and environmental policy, advocacy, management, public health, and education. Students are also prepared to enter interdisciplinary graduate programs in science communication, public health/epidemiology, health and medical geography, environmental policy, medical anthropology, journalism, history and philosophy of science, health and environmental economics, design, science education, science communication, or professional graduate programs such as law, genetic counseling, and business. Most graduates have chosen career paths and graduate programs that rely on strong scientific and quantitative understanding. The strong liberal arts emphasis at Lang ensures that students can undertake any career path for which a liberal arts degree provides a solid foundation. Students will also be poised to work for institutes focused on policy-making and ethics, or work for NGOS/NPOs interested in promoting healthy people and environments. Though students can pursue careers in medicine and nursing, which primarily address individuals managing illness or disability, our Lang curriculum uses a social justice lens geared towards global environmental change and its relationship to public health and sustainability. Because our courses are not traditional (we do not offer Bio101, Chem101, nor a specific disciplinary major such as biology or chemistry) students who plan to pursue training for professional careers such as medicine, nursing, or genetic counseling, must complete traditional courses in the natural sciences and math at other institutions or apply to unique programs designed to attract students with strengths in interdisciplinary learning.
For those interested in majoring or minoring in Interdisciplinary Science, check out this US Census interactive Data Vis graphic that demonstrates the degree of diversity in terms of career paths for our graduates.
Or check out a list of Alumni Biographies to see what career paths past students have taken.
Social Justice
The New School is committed to the promotion of practices and policies that support social justice. A University Wide Committee comprised of student, staff, and faculty as well as many students organizations seek to achieve this goal through programming, curriculum, and community action on and off campus. Social justice informs how we recruit, retain, recognize and protect diverse member of our community. See this blog post by Joe Graves published in 2016, and more recently a call to action from STEM in response to BLM as seen in The Scientist, and Minority Science Organizations (scroll to see full list) . We also help students make the transition to graduate school, and point to resources specific for their journey, including those for under-represented minorities (women and POC) such as Black in Grad School, and which hosts a summit each May to help in the transition, and SACNAS (Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and of Native American Scientists) and WomenofColorSpace (WOCSpace founded by Tiara Moore- see recent talk by her who also has a BIMBites series see). We also encourage our students and alumni to follow social media feeds that support diversity in science communication such as NY Times science writer Apoorva Mandavilli @Culture Dish, an organization dedicated to enhancing diversity in science journalism, and #DiversifyEEB. Given our focus on health and environmental justice, we also point you to Black Climate Scientists making a difference in food, nutrition, toxic pollution and more. We aim to be inclusive in multiple ways. In addition, the Interdisciplinary Science Program seeks to support scientific innovation through responsible and ethical practices. The following organizations reflect our philosophy and mission and stay current on the contemporary challenges facing scientists and the public, and publish blogs and online journals dedicated to this interface.
The Center for Genetics and Society
SciDev.net
Sustainable South Bronx
WeAct for Environmental Justice
Center for Health, Environment, and Justice
RNA Lab (Race, Neighborhoods, & African American Health)
Teaching Tolerance (Science Specific story)
500 Queer Scientists
Alloy
BlackScientistsMatter
500WomenScientists NYC Pod
Trans Scientists
For New School specific Social Justice initiatives, see these links:
ELOA: Eugene Lang Opportunity Awards
Eugene Lang College CESJ: Civic Engagement & Social Justice
The New School EISJ: Office of Equity Inclusion & Social Justice
The New School HEOP: Higher Education Opportunity Program