The INTD program allows you to chart your own course of study, but for this reason, requires you to be an organized and self-directed student.

At Naropa, pursuing multiple areas of study can be accomplished in several ways: double majoring, combining major(s) and minor(s), or by majoring in Interdisciplinary Studies. Double majoring, for example, can enable students to deeply explore two distinct disciplines on their own terms. One advantage of INTD is that in “Gateway to Design Thinking” (INTD 301), you identify and articulate your own values and educational vision, deepening your understanding of interdisciplinary changemakers in the arts, education, healthcare, social justice, and ecological sustainability. You examine and experiment with integrative mindsets, models, and practices in the context of a vibrant learning community—working alone and together to connect your prior learning and future selves. Joining contemplative and creative practices with scholarship and action, you research, write, and design your own website, providing a compass for your interdisciplinary studies at Naropa and beyond.

Some students enter the INTD driven by a complex real-world problem, research question, or focused area of interest, for example, food justice, restorative justice, the arts and trauma healing, or socially conscious travel. Faculty and academic advisors work with these students to design a course of study to gain a deeper understanding of their unique areas of inquiry. On the other hand, some students enter INTD with the desire to explore broadly. We mentor these students to provide as much breadth as possible before committing to a focused area of inquiry in their capstone projects.

If you are interested in an approach to learning that values contemplative inquiry and artistic expression as well as scholarship, community, and social action, then Interdisciplinary Studies might be right for you!