THINK DIFFERENTLY!

The IdEA Program,
an institutional graduation  requirement,
demands that you-and also the
experts guiding you-
step back from your
disciplinary emphasis and
look at the
world a bit differently. 

Why? Because in real life you won't be just a chemist or an artist or a political scientist interacting with only chemists or artists or political scientists.  As a citizen and within your chosen profession, you'll be faced with questions and challenges that require alternative points of view and different ways of thinking in the quest for answers.

The world is interdisciplinary. Employers, graduate, and professional schools are seeking students with the skills you learn from being interdisciplinary--and the IdEA Program prepares you for that.  Barry Vickrey, Dean of The University of South Dakota School of Law, says, "The IdEA Program is an excellent preparation for law school.  The combination of in-depth analysis of a specific topic and related Action mirrors what lawyers do.  The interdisciplinary character of IdEA is also beneficial for future law students, because law touches on all aspects of human endeavor." 

The skills IdEA provides you will help whether you become a lawyer, a teacher, a scientist, or simply an active citizen.  It will help you use a new lens to examine some of society's most complex problems and fulfill the liberal arts mission of The University of South Dakota.

 
IdEA IS A SIGNATURE PROGRAM OF
THE UNIVERSITY OF
SOUTH DAKOTA