Bachelor of Integrative Studies

The Bachelor of Integrative Studies (BIS) degree is designed as a bachelor’s completion degree that is particularly appropriate for students who have earned an associate degree or have completed other college-level work and desire to obtain a four-year degree.

Integrative learning is a process by which students connect knowledge and skills from multiple sources and experiences, apply knowledge and skills in varied settings, analyze diverse points of view, and understand issues contextually. With a variety of unique concentrations, the Bachelor of Integrative Studies (BIS) degree meets the challenges of a 21st century education, while maintaining the Miami tradition of academic excellence.

What classes would I take?

See the degree requirements for the core program requirements for this degree.

What can I do with this major?

Students in Integrative Studies build a Bachelor's degree that works best for them, by making connections among fields of study that fit their educational, career, and personal goals. Unlike a general studies degree, the BIS incorporates a set of three seminars designed to help students reflect upon their educational options and purposefully design a degree that can work for them now and in the future.

Local Job Statistics

According to the National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES), the employment rate for 20- to 24-year-olds with a bachelor’s degree or higher were 22 percent higher than the rate than those with high school completion (67 vs. 89 percent) in 2015. A similar pattern of higher employment rates positively correlating with higher educational attainment was found for 25- to 64-year-olds.

According to the University System of Ohio within the Ohio Department of Higher Education, Spring 2013 Ohio graduates with a Bachelor’s degree obtained an average full-time salary of $38,446, which is over $5,000 more than the average salary for those who completed less than an Associate’s degree.

Graduates with this degree are qualified for:

  • Positions requiring a Bachelor’s degree
  • Careers capitalizing skills acquired in self-designed coursework and liberal arts education
  • Careers related to undergraduate extracurricular experiences (work, internships, practicums, services activities, organizational involvement, etc.)
  • Graduate Degree pursuit in areas of interest

Miami Regionals graduates with this degree obtained careers in fields such as:

  • Sales
  • Insurance
  • Non-Profit Organizations
  • Small Businesses and Entrepreneurship
  • Fundraising
  • Higher Education
  • Television Studios
  • Banking
  • Hospitality
  • Management
  • Community Organizations

Miami Regionals graduates with this degree pursued graduate degrees in fields such as:

  • Media Studies
  • Communication
  • Higher Education and Student Affairs
  • Family Studies
  • Creative Writing
  • Special Education

Top NACE* Employability Skills of focus in this degree program

  • Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
  • Oral and Written Communication
  • Teamwork and Collaboration
  • Leadership
  • Professionalism and Work Ethic
  • Career Management

How do I get started?