The Multidisciplinary Studies major may be earned as a B.S. or B.A. degree depending on the design of the program of study. Students with a GPA of at least 2.5 who wish to pursue in depth a particular topic or area of study not available in an established major may choose the Multidisciplinary Studies (MDS) major. MDS allows students to combine course work in two or three disciplines to create their own major, in consultation with a faculty advisor and the Director of Multidisciplinary Studies. Considerable latitude is allowed in the design of the program of study, and of course work, studios and laboratories from any of the colleges may be included, as long as one of the Core disciplines is in Arts and Sciences. Examples of topics or themes chosen by MDS majors are: Communications/Photography, Environmental Studies, Society and Aging, Sociobiology.<br> <br>Multidisciplinary studies is intended as an option for students who have some familiarity with college-level study. Thus it is available only to students who have completed at least one semester of college work, and not to entering freshmen. The major is not immediately available to transfer students, although they may apply after completing 15 credits at UMass Dartmouth. The earlier a program of study is designed, the greater the flexibility in scheduling the required courses. As with most other changes of major, requests from seniors can rarely be accommodated. Students may not double-major with MDS.