One question, many lenses: Our liberal arts approach lets you take courses among multiple fields, design your own path of study, and apply your learning through real-world, cross-disciplinary experiences.
What does ‘interdisciplinary experiential learning’ mean?
- Interdisciplinary means combining two or more academic disciplines—history and data science, music and cultural studies, policy and environment, and many more.
- Experiential learning means learning by doing through research, internships, community projects, performances, labs, fieldwork, and additional experiences.Interdisciplinary experiential learning lets you apply theory to real problems using tools from multiple fields of study.
Why it matters
You’ll learn to think more flexibly, viewing challenges from different perspectives and connecting theory to practice through real-world experiences with communities and organizations. Along the way, you’ll develop transferable skills—like communication, critical thinking, and collaboration—that will serve you in any career.
You’ll learn to innovate by combining ideas from different fields, build resilience by navigating complex, real-life situations, and strengthen your professional identity as you discover which combinations of disciplines best fit your goals and interests.
Academic pathways that cross boundaries
Design your own degree
Individualized majors allow you to blend your academic interests into a unique degree, supported by faculty guidance. Integrated into the curriculum:
- Interdisciplinary and cross-disciplinary curriculum requirement
- Cross-listed courses and multi-field capstones
- Faculty mentorship across programs
- Call-out: The Cross-Disciplinary Science Institute (X-SIG) at Gettysburg College offers funded summer research across STEM fields.
Research and experiential opportunities that bridge disciplines
Civil War Institute (CWI)
Battlefield-based learning, internships, and fellowships in public history
Eisenhower Institute (EI)
Policy engagement, travel programs, and applied research for all majors
Garthwait Leadership Center (GLC)
Leadership Certificate and group facilitation training opportunities
Center for Public Service (CPS)
Service-learning, community-based research, and immersion projects
Sunderman Conservatory of Music
Double majors, interdisciplinary courses, and global residencies
Cross-Disciplinary Science Institute (X-SIG) at Gettysburg
Summer research and mentorship across biology, chemistry, physics, computer science, mathematics, and psychology
The Ann McIlhenny Harward Interdisciplinary Program for Culture and Music
Created in 2023 with support from the Endeavor Foundation, this program honors the legacy of Ann McIlhenny Harward. Inspired by the vision of Donald W. Harward, the program focuses on the humanities and the connections between culture and music. It promotes a broad, well-rounded approach to learning that brings together cross-disciplinary fields of study. Each year, the program offers hands-on experiences for Gettysburg students and events that involve the campus and Gettysburg community.