The field of study is a planned academic concentration agreed upon by the student and the B.I.S. adviser. Some students build their field of study on the basis of courses required for admission to a graduate program. B.I.S. students have individually designed academic concentrations that need not follow the major requirements for traditional degrees. However designed, the field of study must include two appropriate courses in research methodology. These courses prepare the student for the culmination of the B.I.S. program, the field of studies project, a senior baccalaureate thesis required of every student.
Some students build a field of study by following the requirements of a traditional major.
This has been done in the field of criminal justice. Others design an interdisciplinary field of study. Students may also build a field that includes the courses required for admission to a masters degree program. B.I.S. students have done this in psychology, safety, and economics. The options noted above are only a few of the many possibilities.