The School of Interdisciplinary Science offers a variety of courses with a strong focus on interdisciplinary content and active learning so that learning occurs by doing. The School of Interdisciplinary Science offers a variety of courses with a strong focus on interdisciplinary content and active learning so that learning occurs by doing. Special activities are designed to give students the ability to see and simplify relationships in complex systems and find applications through relating theory with real-world experience. Students gain practical, hands-on experience in varied subjects and gain course credit at the same time.

Through our pass or fail EXPLORE courses, students gain practical skills and hands-on experiences while earning course credit. The purpose of such courses is to encourage students to take part in a unique learning experience in a small-sized setting (roughly 10-20 students) that is outside of their core area of study so that they may develop additional skills and take intellectual risks keeping in mind that a pass or fail assessment will not have an impact on a cumulative GPA. 

The EXPLORE courses are open to students in the faculty of science, arts & science, social sciences, and humanities, and can vary in the number of unit offerings from one-to-three units. A one-unit course credit translates to roughly 12 hours of time in the classroom or in the field, although the total time may vary between courses. The shorter timeline for most EXPLORE courses is to allow students to learn about a different topic of study but without the commitment of a semester-long 3-unit course.  

Given their small-sized setting, EXPLORE courses can help students build meaningful connections with course instructors and with their peers, and assist in the development of personal, professional, and academic goals.