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• >Bachelor of Integrative Studies and Innovation

Bachelor of Integrative Studies and Innovation

University Advisement and Enrichment Center, Suite 180
MSC06 3680
1 University of New Mexico
Albuquerque, NM 87131-0001
(505) 277-0122

Degree Offered

• Bachelor of Integrative Studies and Innovation (B.I.S.I.)
  Concentration: Global and National Security.

The faculty of The University of New Mexico offers the degree of Bachelor of Integrative Studies and Innovation (B.I.S.I.). This program, approved in 2013, is administered through University College.

The focused nature of the B.I.S.I. degree specifically engages students who have a particular creative solution they are seeking within a degree plan not offered by any singular discipline. Students are encouraged to design an individualized program that will prepare them for unique or advanced learning experiences with international, cooperative or professional schools. The B.I.S.I. may be used as part of a dual degree program or as a second degree. Students will be required to select areas of study under three disciplines, and also have the option to complete a departmental minor.

Strict compliance with B.I.S.I. requirements is mandatory for admission to and continuation in the program. Changes to approved Plans of Study may be made only in consultation with a program advisor. Students in the program must meet the general academic regulations of the University for admission, academic standing, and graduation found under the University Catalog headings of Admissions and Undergraduate Programs. Students who have not been continuously enrolled for three consecutive terms must follow the program requirements of the current UNM Catalog upon readmission.

Questions regarding any aspect of the program should be addressed to an advisor in the Liberal Arts and Integrative Studies office.

Courses for Which Degree Credit Is and Is Not Given

Credit toward a degree is given for:

1. Up to 4 credit hours of physical education (PENP, PHED); and up to 4 credit hours of music ensemble.
2. Up to 30 credit hours of correspondence coursework.
3. Any approved coursework from an accepted Baccalaureate degree program.

Credit toward a degree is not given for:

1. Any course numbered below 101.
2. Any credit hours in a course that exceed the maximum number of credit hours the originating department stipulates for that course in this Catalog.

Grade Point Average

The B.I.S.I. grade point average is based on all attempted University of New Mexico courses that are acceptable to the program, as defined above.

Admission Requirements

Admission to the program for the current term must take place before the end of the third week of classes. After that deadline, admission is for the following term (Fall, Spring or Summer). See a program advisor for more information on admission requirements.

Minimum requirements to transfer into the B.I.S.I. program are as follows:

1. Completion of General Education Curriculum: Communication.
2. A minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.50 or higher.
3. LAIS 150 Foundations of Integrative Thought
4. A minimum of 26 earned credit hours applicable to the program.

Application Process

The application process to the B.I.S.I. program includes:

1. Preliminary Advisement Meeting: Application begins with an advisement session with a program advisor. The meeting provides applicants with an opportunity to discuss ideas, goals, and requirements for the degree, and to learn about resources that will help with the rest of the admission process.
2. Statement of Purpose: This document should describe how participation in the B.I.S.I. program will help the student meet his or her educational and career goals, and must be comprised of a minimum of 250 words. 
3. Plan of Study: This comprehensive Plan of Study includes identification of three disciplines of the student's choosing for completion of the degree. The Plan of Study must list all coursework taken (including transfer work) and remaining courses that the student intends to take to complete the degree. Any additional courses necessary for advanced study preparation may be included. No more than 30 credit hours from one subject are allowed. Students must consult departmental sections of this Catalog to find courses and minors (if applicable) appropriate for the Plan of Study.

Note: Application is not accepted unless the Statement of Purpose and Plan of Study are signed by both the student and faculty mentor and submitted together.

Graduation Requirements

Students must see an advisor in the program office to apply for graduation one year prior to that in which they plan to graduate. An “apply to graduate” hold appears on students' accounts after 100 credit hours are earned as a reminder of the requirement. At that time, students and the advisor view a LoboTrax Degree Audit specifying the remaining requirements to be completed for graduation. It should be noted that students are solely responsible for knowing and completing all requirements for graduation from the B.I.S.I. program. Students must know how to run and read their LoboTrax Degree Audits in order to check progress to graduation. It is recommended that students run and save (or print) an audit each time a change is made to their schedule as audits are not saved in LoboWeb.

In addition to adherence to approved plans of study, specific graduation requirements are as follows:

1. Completion of the General Education curriculum. Refer to the Undergraduate Program section of this Catalog for information on courses that meet General Education curriculum and U.S. and Global Diversity and Inclusion requirements.
2. A minimum of 120 credit hours of earned credit acceptable to the program as defined above.
3. A minimum cumulative UNM grade point average of 2.00.
4. A minimum of 45 credit hours earned in courses at the upper-division level (courses numbered 300–499). Transfer courses in which credit hours were earned at a lower-division designation cannot be transferred as upper-division to count towards a B.I.S.I. degree.
5. A minimum grade-point average of 2.00 on all upper-division coursework completed at The University of New Mexico.
6. A minimum of 36 credit hours of academic work earned while enrolled in the B.I.S.I. program (department residency requirement). These may not include: credit by exam, transfer credit and/or concurrent enrollment, nonprofessional-physical education and/or music ensemble, or independent study/problems courses unless specifically approved by a program advisor.) They must include the final 36 credit hours of enrollment prior to graduation from the program.
7. A minimum of 9 credit hours of program core courses.
8. Completion of a capstone project (LAIS 499 Senior Seminar) approved by the faculty mentor. The capstone project proposal should identify the faculty mentor, explain the student's goals and rationale for the project, as well as a timeframe for completion, discuss the project's intellectual and problem-solving merits, and demonstrate the project's feasibility towards necessary resources and qualifications.
9. Completion of areas of study under three disciplines at UNM. A statement of how the chosen disciplines create a singular experience for the student is required.
10. Fulfillment of the University residency requirement (30 credit hours, including the "15 after 92 rule").

Major Study 

The student's approved Plan of Study as described above identifies courses taken to complete areas of study in three disciplines.

Requirements

Concentration in Global and National Security

The B.I.S.I. concentration in Global and National Security is designed for students who wish to focus on analysis of global and national security issues and to their potential solutions. An understanding of the policy and technical elements of global and national trends is essential to being able to analyze issues and threats related to global and national security. To complete this concentration, students must take: basic critical thinking and quantitative analysis courses, a foreign (non-English) language sequence, a foundational course that introduces concepts of global and national security, as well as electives in global and national security, as described below:

Minor Study

The minor in Integrative Studies and Innovation allows creative students who are not in an interdisciplinary major to broaden their academic experience while obtaining a bachelor’s degree in their chosen discipline.

Requirements

Completion of 18 credit hours in courses approved by a program advisor including:

• Statement of focus of study and rationale for course selection of the minor;
• LAIS 150 Foundations of Integrative Thought (3 credit hours);
• a minimum of 6 credit hours at the 300- or 400-level.

Departmental Honors

A separate departmental honors designation is not available for a B.I.S.I. degree. However, students who meet all requirements may receive baccalaureate honors as specified in the Undergraduate Program section of this Catalog.