Faculty-Initiated Interdisciplinary Courses

The Interdisciplinary Studies Committee has approved the following Faculty-Initiated Interdisciplinary Courses. Some are not offered on a regular basis and, therefore, the schedule of classes should be consulted to determine if a course is being offered. The instructor should be contacted for further information about the course.

U UNI 150 Selected Interdisciplinary Topics (1–4; as approved)
Experimental class, the subject varying with instructors and the term offered. Course is designed to present a large body of information without expecting a mastery of detail (e.g., as in a survey course) or to present general theoretical or methodological approaches (e.g., as in a foundations course). See special announcements of courses to be offered under this heading. May be repeated for credit if content varies. Topic must be approved by the Vice Provost of Undergraduate Education and the Interdisciplinary Studies Committee of the Undergraduate Academic Council. Prerequisite(s): permission of instructor.

U UNI 310 (= A BIO 311 & A GOG 310) World Food Crisis (3)
Interdisciplinary approach to understanding world food problems through analyses of social, political, economic, nutritional, agricultural, and environmental aspects of world hunger. Faculty from several departments in the sciences, humanities, and social and behavioral sciences present views from various disciplines. Only one version of U UNI 310 may be taken for credit. Prerequisite(s): junior or senior standing, or permission of instructor.

U UNI 350 Selected Interdisciplinary Topics (1–4; as approved)
Experimental class, the subject varying with instructors and the term offered. Course content should be beyond the introductory or survey level and the course should require prior academic achievement and/or experience related to the topic. See special announcements of courses to be offered under this heading. May be repeated for credit if content varies. Topic must be approved by the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education and the Interdisciplinary Studies Committee of the Undergraduate Academic Council. Prerequisite(s): permission of instructor.

U UNI 350 Topic for 2016-2017 The Threat Within (3)
A new operating reality is confronting public and private sector organizations and institutions of all shapes and sizes everywhere: the threat from within that is able to exploit and expose an organization’s greatest competitive edge – the “secret sauce.” Initially many experts thought of the insider threat challenge as a technical problem to solve. However, if there is anything that one of the largest and most damaging data breaches in U.S. Government history – Edward Snowden – has taught us, it is that this challenge is simply not one dimensional. Insider threats can surface at the strategic, operational and tactical layers of an organization, and therefore, the solution needs to be comprehensive, logical, and balanced. In this course, students from a variety of disciplines will work in teams of six to eight students with course faculty, student liaisons, and industry experts as mentors using an online/cloud communication platform. The goal of the course is to enable students to analyze realistic case scenarios and identify the depth and breadth of the cybersecurity challenge from multiple perspectives. Students will focus on the interrelated dimensions of the threat (which may include but are not limited to technical, procedural, legal, behavioral, skills/proficiencies) and the spectrum of constituent cyber domains/functional areas in which to identify solutions. Prerequisite(s): sophomore, junior, or senior standing.