Icp

Inter-College Program

Self-designed Degree

Are you a motivated learner?

An inquisitive idea-seeker?

A curious mind looking for an innovative and comprehensive undergraduate degree that is as unique as you are?

Biology and creative writing. Health studies and communication. Journalism, business, and psychology. If you are interested in a cross-collegiate course of study, the Inter-College Program (ICP) can help you tailor a degree path that fits your diverse interests and career aspirations.

Offered through the College of Continuing Education, the ICP provides students a way to access courses from the Universitys more than 100 disciplines and through many of the Us colleges, including liberal arts, biological sciences, education and human development, Carlson School of Management, among others.

Your degree program will be designed by you and your advisers to match your academic interests and career goals. If you are interested in a degree that will help you prepare for future success, the University of Minnesotas Inter-College Program can help you get there.

The University of Minnesotas liberal education core, theme, and writing requirements

Oral communication

Preparatory course work specific to the students areas of concentration

Upper-division course work taken in multiple areas of concentration of the students choosing

Upper-division supporting course work as appropriate

Students earn either a B.A. or a B.S. degree. B.A. students have a second- language requirement.

Program at a Glance

Degree: Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts degree

Admission is based on an individual review of the students application for program match. The review includes key factors such as grade point average, grade trends, performance in course work relevant to the proposed areas of study, and the students demonstrated ability to meet both the curricular and developmental expectations of individualized undergraduate education.

Preferred Admission Benchmarks: 50 credits completed at an accredited college or university; 2.5 GPA

Financial Aid: Scholarships, grants, and other financial aid resources are available for admitted students and students preparing for admission.

Get started: Attend an information session:

Inter-College Program Information Sessions Dates, times, and locations available at: www.cce.umn.edu/icpinfo.

College of Continuing Education Information Sessions Dates, times, and locations available at: www.cce.umn.edu/icpinfo.

The ICP degree is composed of:

ICP Degree Structure

When Jacqueline Stevens started at the U in 2002, she was considering a major in business or retail management. Ive been involved in retail since I was a teenager, so that area came very naturally to me and I wanted to focus on the management and sales operations portion of business.

However, after her second year, life intervened, and she ended up taking some time off from school. I came back after six years, and taking that first step was hard. But then, I got in to the ICP, and eased back into my courses, and it was like riding a bike being a student comes back quickly. And my adviser was super helpful. The U can be overwhelming, and [some people] may think designing your own degree and writing the proposal is so, as well, but she provided a great sense of direction and kept me appraised of all my options.

I was able to customize these broad spectrums of knowledge into a degree just for meits like a fingerprint, and very unique. I think it will also serve me well in the job market. It definitely sets me apart as someone who knows what they want and who has put time into considering each and every course. My degree fits me better than any other degree because I know why each class was selected and how it will benefit me in the future.

Student Voice: Jacqueline StevensDegree Concentrations: Fashion Studies, Carlson School of Management

Jacqueline Stevens

After spending three years as a computer engineering major, Tomas Gutierrez decided to look for a major that better encompassed his goals and passions. Ever since he was a small child, Gutierrez was interested in technology and computers however, he was also a small business owner, having started a tech support firm during his sophomore year of college.

By my junior year, Gutierrez says, it would have been too late for me to switch majors and still graduate on time. But I knew I needed to better match my degree to my future goals.

A conversation with a friend led him to the ICP, where he created a major combining his course work in engineering with classes from the Carlson School of Management. By designing a degree through the ICP, I was able to create a major that encompassed the areas I cared about and allowed me to graduate in an acceptable time frame. My degree is in something I not only enjoy, but also is marketable. Since joining the workforce [Gutierrez currently works for Accenture], Ive found the combination of technology and business to be highly valued and coveted by companies.

Alumni Voice: Tomas GutierrezDegree Concentrations: Carlson School of Management, Computer Science

Tomas Gutierrez

For the first two years of her college career, Zer Xiong couldnt decide on a major. I was passionate about the social sciences, she says, but the health sciences field also appealed to me.

Xiong knew she wanted an interdisciplinary major, because she had an interdisciplinary career path ahead of her. Says Xiong, Many ethnic and minority groups are underrepresented when it comes to health awareness, care, and education. I want to work toward helping these people live healthier lives through culturally sensitive advocacy and education.

Xiong chose to combine sociology, family social science, and public health for her ICP degree. My goal is to help people improve their lives combining these three areas will put me on the path to the education that I will need to accomplish that goal.

Xiong plans to do advocacy and field work within the community, focusing on health improvement and education programs. She also plans to attend graduate school to pursue a masters degree in public health, or a dual masters in public health and social work.

Alumni Voice: Zer XiongDegree Concentrations: Family Social Science, Public Health, Sociology

Zer Xiong

After working in a grocery store in high school, Anthony Osifuye knew he wanted a health and nutrition focus to his college studies and eventual career. I saw customers who would come through with mostly processed convenience food items, as opposed to some of the healthier items. I noticed a pattern over time of individuals who were on food stamps and aid making these choices.

It spurred an interest in health disparities across socioeconomic groups.

For Osifuye, the Health and Wellness thematic option of the ICP was perfect,

This way, I could look at the health and nutrition idea from different angles, from all across the U. From social science to physical and biological sciencesit allowed me to develop a very comprehensive picture.

My career goal is to go into the medical field, ideally working in an underserved population with a diverse community. My ICP degree gives me broader background that will help me do that kind of community work and be a stakeholder in the community.

His unique degree path will also be an advantage when the time comes to apply to med school, Osifuye belives. Graduate schools look at what you choose to do, and they see a lot of the biology and other hard sciences. I think an individualized degree, with a variety of courses, it makes me stand out a bit. It isnt a typical program.

Student Voice: Anthony OsifuyeDegree Concentration: Health and Wellness Thematic

Anthony Osifuye

After a long search throughout the major offerings at the U, Jennifer Hall found the ICPand was immediately drawn to it because of its tailored nature.

I am very passionate about two different areas, and the ICP allowed me to focus on both of them. Ojibwe is a beautiful languagebut endangered. Whole Systems Healing has a lot to teach us about solving systemic problems instead of reacting to the symptoms of a broken society.

Hall, who has a natural affinity for languagesand Ojibwe ancestry, decided she could use her degree to be a part of a group of people working to revitalize and reclaim the language. She used principles of whole systems healing to learn to evaluate the myriad factors that have contributed to loss of Ojibwe language and respond to them in a way that would hopefully have a lot of leverage in support of revitalization.

Its a unique combination, but one she feels will be immediately

applicable to her career goals. I hope to work in the language revitalization field, perhaps developing materials for immersion programs, teaching, or helping adult students learn their heritage languages. I see my degree preparing me by giving me a foundation in Ojibweand for providing me the tools to think critically and work within a wider frame of reference when dealing with the issues facing language learners.

Student Voice: Jennifer HallDegree Concentrations: American Indian Studies, Whole Systems Healing

Jennifer Hall

Although at first he didnt know what he wanted to study at the U, Eric Sannerud quickly honed in on sustainabilityparticularly food sustainability. Choosing a major that would allow him to develop his focus, however, wasnt as immediate. My initial major was environmental science and policy management, he says. But it was a fairly narrow, prescribed path, and there really wasnt room for the electives I wanted to take. I wanted a degree where

I could explore each of the three legs of the sustainability triangle: economic, social, and environmental elements.

He found that in the ICP, which would allow him to combine his interests to make a degree with real-world applications. I think food systems and sustainability is

going to be a huge issue as we go forward, but I couldnt find another college here that offered a major in it. In the ICP, Im able to take control of my degree plan and make good use of my credits and select courses and directed study that will apply to my future goals.

He continues, If you know what you want, and want to create your own path; if you are driven or have a passion you want to pursue, this program is the place to go.

Student Voice: Eric SannerudDegree concentrations: Sustainability Studies, Applied Business, Higher Education Consortium for Urban Affairs

Eric Sannerud

Just the FAQs

Ready to Get Started?If youd like more information on how the College of Continuing Educationcan help you earn a degree that is suited to your unique goals and careeraspirations, call 612-624-4000 to register for an ICP information session,or visit www.cce.umn.edu/icpinfo.

Can I pick any courses or areas of concentration I want?

The ICP degree is very flexible. You are free to combine courses and concentrations from across the Universitys colleges and departments, provided they meet the following criteria:

You select upper-division courses (3000- to 5000-level)

You have faculty and departmental adviser approval

You follow departmental guidelines and complete course prerequisites as appropriate

Will my diploma look different from other U of M diplomas?

No. Diplomas conferred through the ICP contain information standard for any University of Minnesota graduate, including the Universitys name, the degree awarded, and any formal honors youve earned.

What about my transcript?

Your transcript will list your degree, date conferred, the College of Continuing Education, the Inter-College Program, your areas of concentration or thematic title, graduation GPA, and any formal honors youve earned.

How do employers react to this degree?

Most are impressed with the initiative and creativity it takes to create a personalized degree. Students with individualized majors often interview well because the proposal development process helps them understand the reasons behind their course work choices, and employers recognize this ability as valuable.

The University of Minnesota shall provide equal access to and opportunity in its programs, facilities, and employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, gender, age, marital status, disability, public assistance status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.

2012 Regents of the University of Minnesota. All rights reserved.

ICPB DCP-0485-02/10.12