The Center for Interdisciplinary Studies (CIS) offers capable and highly motivated students the opportunity to design their own interdisciplinary majors. Students with a passion for studying a topic, issue, scientific problem, region, historical era, or genre from various disciplinary perspectives are ideally suited to major in the CIS.

Unlike other majors at Davidson, students must apply to become a Center major. Prospective Center majors propose their interdisciplinary major in the winter or spring of the second year (final deadline is the second Friday in March), and their proposed course of study must be approved by their major advisors, the Center director, and the CIS Faculty Advisory Committee. All CIS majors write substantial major theses in the senior year, under the direction of two or sometimes three faculty members from different departments.

Some recent examples of CIS majors include: Neuroscience, Film Studies, Poverty and Development, International Relations, Medical Humanities, Environmental Policy, Genomics, Comparative Religion, East Asian Studies, Cultural Studies, and Health Care Ethics.

Center majors must demonstrate above-average intellectual maturity, independence, and initiative. CIS majors find their interdisciplinary curriculum combines the best of a liberal arts education with the challenges and rewards of an individualized course of study