The linked major in Integrated Design, Engineering, Arts & Society (IDEAS) is the secondary major to a primary, companion major (Art Studio, Biology, Computer Science, Physics or Theater). Students cannot obtain the BA degree with IDEAS as their only major. Students must complete all the requirements for graduation from their primary major in addition to those of IDEAS as their linked major. Each student will work closely with an IDEAS advisor to develop an individual course of study, including a major capstone project, and portfolio within an established major track. Students are encouraged to declare the IDEAS linked major in the spring of their sophomore year.

The linked Major in IDEAS has 4 requirements:

1. Courses: 12 credits
   • Core (4 credits)
   • Range (4 credits)
   • IDEAS Focus (4 credits)
2. Senior Capstone Project
3. Student Website Portfolio
4. Completion of primary major

1. COURSES

Core (4 Credits)

• Engineering Foundations Lab (IDEA170 or IDEA175)
• Introductory Design Studio ( ARST190, ARST220, ARST221,  ARST235, ARST236, ARST243,  ARST270, ARST271)
• Design & Technology Seminar (ARCP275, ARCP360, CSPL235, STS311), or another IDEAS advisor approved Social Science (STS2) course
• Major Gateway (IDEA292). All students intending to major must enroll in the Interdisciplinary IDEAS Project Lab after completing a foundations lab or introductory design studio course (1 or 2 above). Completion of the gateway courses is recommended prior to completion of sophomore year, but not required.

The IDEAS Core is designed to introduce students to hands-on, project-based studio, laboratory, and critical coursework in design and engineering. There are multiple possible introductory courses to fulfill three of the four core course requirements. The fourth course within the core (IDEA292: Interdisciplinary Project Lab) acts as the gateway to the major.
 

Range (4 Credits)

• Design Studio elective 
• Engineering/Quantitative elective
• History/Theory elective
• Programming elective (COMP112, IDEA285 or approved alternate)

Building on the interdisciplinary foundation of the Core, the second set of course requirements collectively enhance students’ design and engineering range. Except where explicitly excluded by course prerequisites, the Range courses may be taken simultaneously with Core courses to increase the flexibility of student scheduling. Some of these courses may also overlap with the linked major.

IDEAS Focus (4 Credits)

These four upper-level elective courses are specific to each major track, constitute the focus area of the student’s major, and must be at the 200-level or higher. Students are strongly encouraged to select from pre-approved listings of courses for their chosen track, detailed below. At least two of these elective courses should be listed (or cross-listed) by the IDEAS program. Students may develop an alternate sequence with approval from their IDEAS advisor and program director.

2. SENIOR CAPSTONE PROJECT

Students will complete a team-based or independent original project culminating in a public presentation, exhibition, or publication. The capstone may be one to two credits, depending on scope of project. There are several ways to fulfill the capstone requirement.

The project may take the form accepted by the companion department as a senior project (e.g., senior thesis, senior essay, senior performance, senior exhibition, senior film thesis). The final project is submitted to the companion department and is not evaluated by IDEAS.

The student may register for and complete a senior thesis in the IDEAS major. The mentor can be any Wesleyan faculty member, but the topic must be approved by the student’s IDEAS advisor. The thesis material may take the form of a written publication, public presentation, or exhibition, with the form approved by the student’s IDEAS advisor and the College of Design & Engineering Studies chair.

 3. STUDENT WEBSITE PORTFOLIO

All IDEAS majors will create a website portfolio encompassing work developed within IDEAS courses. The portfolio should document the student’s work from IDEAS project-based courses, and may include appropriate work from a student’s primary major. At a minimum, a portfolio should include the best work a student has produced from at least three (3) IDEAS courses. Presented using images and text, the projects included should encompass both completed and process work. 

The design and presentation of the portfolio comprise a personal statement about its author, their training, interests, and ambitions. Students are strongly advised to add to this portfolio each semester, based on their ongoing work. The portfolio will be reviewed by the student’s advisor as one of the major requirements. Students are encouraged to create a portfolio that can be used to present their work for future employment or graduate studies.

Study abroad is encouraged for IDEAS linked major students. Students should consider programs that offer courses in the areas of design and/or engineering. Students should request approval for any courses they wish to transfer for credit prior to study abroad.

IDEAS Core courses must be taken at Wesleyan. Up to three course requirements for the IDEAS major can be fulfilled with transfer credits, subject to approval from an IDEAS advisor and program chair.

Student honors projects may be pursued with an IDEAS Core faculty member or through a project with a mentor from the student’s companion major that has prior approval from the student’s IDEAS advisor. Such honors projects would fulfill the capstone described above. Projects completed in the companion department are not evaluated by IDEAS. For Departmental Honors in IDEAS, a student must have a minimum GPA of 85.0 and complete both Stage I and Stage II general education expectations. Depending on the focus area, an IDEAS mentored thesis may be a written thesis, exhibition, or body of work, and must be evaluated by the thesis advisor and two additional faculty members to meet the standards for honors or high honors.

Students will complete a team-based or independent original project culminating in a public presentation, exhibition, or publication. The capstone may be one to two credits, depending on scope of project. There are several ways to fulfill the capstone requirement.

The project may take the form accepted by the companion department as a senior project (e.g., senior thesis, senior essay, senior performance, senior exhibition, senior film thesis). The final project is submitted to the companion department and is not evaluated by IDEAS.

The student may register for and complete a senior thesis in the IDEAS major. The mentor can be any Wesleyan faculty member, but the topic must be approved by the student’s IDEAS advisor. The thesis material may take the form of a written publication, public presentation, or exhibition, with the form approved by the student’s IDEAS advisor and the College of Design & Engineering Studies chair.