Interdisciplinary Studies

Is your research seeking to accomplish a range of objectives or answer a series of complex questions?

Interdisciplinary Studies at the University of Alberta reinforces the value of broadening skills and experience beyond the boundaries of a single concentration. And as industry and professions continue to evolve, so does the need to conduct research that finds solutions to a variety of knowledge and process gaps, from scientific to humanistic.

The Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies acknowledges a number of interdisciplinary graduate programs that involves the combining of two or more academic disciplines into one activity, such as Humanities Computing, Health Sciences Education, Internetworking, and Neuroscience (see below).

Individualized Interdisciplinary Study

When a student's knowledge base crosses over two or more disciplines and cannot be accommodated by an existing U of A graduate program, an Individualized Interdisciplinary program may be proposed. Applicants should have a superior academic record with substantial background in at least one of the proposed disciplines.

Students considering an individualized program should first contact U of A departments offering areas of research in which they're interested. The Individualized Interdisciplinary Proposal form must be completed by the student and the participating departments, then submitted to the Dean, Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies.

Interdisciplinary Programs

Digital Humanities Program

The Digital Humanities Program, established in 2001, is currently one of the top graduate programs in the field of Digital Humanities in Canada. The program integrates computational methods and theories with research and teaching in the Arts and Humanities. It addresses the demand for Arts graduates to be able to work either in the realm of arts and humanities research and teaching or in the emerging job markets of information management and content delivery over the internet.

Health Sciences Education

The Master of Education in Health Sciences Education (MEd in HSE) program extends the knowledge and skills of health sciences educators in the areas of educational pedagogy, educational research, and inter-professional leadership within the collaborative context of communities of practice of professional educators. Learn more.

Internetworking

The MSc in Internetworking (MINT) program offers a theoretical and practical grounding in the principles of data communications and Internetworking, and to develop their ability to manage technical projects and / or companies operating in this area. It is jointly offered by the Department of Computing Science in the Faculty of Science, and the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering in the Faculty of Engineering.

Neuroscience

The Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute at the University of Alberta is a group of more than 90 neuroscientists from 24 departments across five Faculties. The NMHI offers a graduate program that is designed for students who desire a broad training in various experimental and theoretical aspects of neuroscience while maintaining a research program that may be more specialized. This can be achieved by drawing on the expertise of specialists (members of the NMHI) from various departments throughout the University who have research interests in neuroscience. The graduate program in Neuroscience offers both degrees of PhD and MSc through thesis research.