College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences > Academics > Interdisciplinary Self-Designed Program > Student Resources > Course Selection, Registration & Transfers FAQ > Course Selection FAQ

Course Selection FAQ

From which divisions of the university may I take courses?

ISD Students may take courses from virtually all departments of the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences (graduate and upper-level undergraduate), the College of Education (graduate), the School of Computer Science, Telecommunications and Information Systems, and the College of Commerce, including the Kellstadt Graduate School of Business.

As a new student, how will I go about constructing my program?

The application process asks that you submit a Statement of Academic Purpose and a List of Courses and a list of courses from DePaul’s offerings which will help you realize those goals. If you are not certain about selecting your courses, the ISD Director or Associate Director will assist you. As you move through the program you have the flexibility to alter your original list of courses while adhering to your original areas of interest. If your interests change significantly, you need to renegotiate your program with the Director or Associate Director.

How am I limited in course selection?

You may take courses from any number of divisions in the university, as long as no more than six are from any single department of the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, or any professional school. For example, you can take no more than six courses from a department in LAS such as history, no more than six from public service, no more than six from the College of Education, or from computer science, telecommunications and information science. Please note that no more than FIVE courses may be taken from the Kellstadt Graduate School of Business. This includes the Thesis or Culminating Project, if it is in a traditional business subject rather than an interdisciplinary subject. Although the professional schools have their own internal departments, for the purposes of the Interdisciplinary Studies Program the entire school is considered a department. If you find that your educational needs require more than six courses from a department or professional school, you should apply to that program rather than to ISD.

From which divisions of the university may I not take courses?

ISD Students may not take courses in the College of Law, or certain performance-based courses in the School of Music and the performance programs in the Theatre School. (These programs are restricted to students enrolled in those schools.)

Generally speaking, what kinds of courses are restricted?

In some cases, you may not be able to take courses that are in the core requirements of certain graduate programs, courses that have prerequisites, or courses that are integrated into larger professional programs (for example, clinical psychology). As you search on Campus Connect, you will be able to tell which courses are restricted for which people.

What are some of these restricted courses?

In the International Studies Graduate Program, the following should be noted:

  1. Restricted: INT 401, this course is designed for International Studies graduate students to begin work on their MA theses in the department.
  2. Restricted: INT 405, this course may be taken by IDS students, but it has two prerequisites: Introduction to Micro-economics and Introduction to Macro-economics.
  3. Open: Other courses in the MA in International Studies, including INT 402, 403, 404 and 406.

In the School of Communication certain core courses in the graduate program are usually closed to students outside those programs. Most courses in the program in Public Relations and Advertising are closed to students outside those programs.

May I take courses with prerequisties?

There are two kinds of courses with prerequisites, those with notifications and those with blocks. This means that when you attempt to register online, you will receive a notification that the course has certain prerequisites or you will actually be blocked from registering. Depending on the school and the department, you may be able to request the professor to override a block. Be prepared to make a case that you have the knowledge provided by the prerequisite course. In some cases that prerequisite situation is beyond the control of the individual professor. If you are uncertain about a particular course, consult with the ISD Program Director.

Is it possible to take a course that is closed?

As with courses restricted because of prerequisites, you may request the professor’s permission.