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Recognizing that many of the best solutions are born out of interdisciplinary thinking, Champlain offers the Degree Design Lab (DDL) to students whose passions cross more than one academic area. The DDL is a new way of combining courses and experiences to create your own personalized education. As an Integrative Professional Studies major, you will use the Degree Design Lab to build and develop your academic experience.

Complex problems require creative problem-solving. More than ever, employers need people who can adjust to rapidly changing industries and work on a wide variety of projects. This program prepares its graduates to navigate a swiftly evolving workforce by fostering innovation, autonomy, and applied creativity.

Using real-world projects to gain practical experience throughout your studies, you'll have a portfolio that provides the tangible evidence you need to stand out from the crowd when you enter the job market.

What areas of study can I combine?

Design your own major by weaving together your chosen areas of study. Below are just a few examples of the many possible subject areas available for study.

  • Activist Marketing
  • Advocacy
  • Alternative Justice Studies
  • Business Administration
  • Communication
  • Computer Science
  • Cybersecurity
  • Data Science
  • Education
  • Environmental Studies & Conflict Management
  • Global Diversity
  • Government Studies
  • Media Production
  • Mobile Application Development
  • Professional Writing
  • Psychology
  • Software Engineering
  • Sonic Arts
  • Strategic Communication
  • Sustainability Studies
  • UI Design & Implementation

IN A NUTSHELL

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How It Works

  1. You choose two to three academic threads or minors from a selection of professionally focused programs to provide you with an impressive foundation of experience in those fields.
  2. In addition to learning your chosen subjects, you'll take Degree Design Lab courses that act as a bridge between fields and foster interdisciplinary, collaborative thinking.
  3. You'll work closely with a faculty mentor who coaches you through your studies. As an expert in interdisciplinary thinking, your mentor will help you develop as a professional and attain the competencies that employers want.
  4. Throughout your college experience, you'll tackle real-world problems in a variety of local and global settings.

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The Experience

Based on your interests, you'll be immersed in a variety of professional topics starting in your first semester. You'll engage with projects of your choosing in a collaborative setting, learn how to combine your multiple interests to create new knowledge, and see how your work fits within an increasingly complex world.

View the Curriculum

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The Places

Burlington, Vermont provides an ideal setting for diverse applied learning opportunities. Champlain has forged relationships with local businesses and nonprofit organizations that allow students to do hands-on work in industries such as environmental stewardship, social justice, and technology. We strongly encourage DDL students to gain international experience as well!

  • Our campuses in Montreal and Dublin offer wonderful opportunities for exploration of global issues and field-based internship.
  • You can take advantage of one of our global service opportunities or enroll in a faculty-led travel course.
  • We also have exchange partnerships with schools in New Zealand, Scotland, France, or the Netherlands—or you can study almost anywhere in the world through an approved third-party program.

Learn More About Global Experience

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The Future

According to a recent survey of top executives, nearly all employers give preference to graduates with skills that will enable them to contribute to innovation in the workplace. Many of the greatest innovations of the world have been novel combinations of existing tools or ideas—creating something new from the things that came before. An interdisciplinary education trains you to make these kinds of outside-the-box connections.

Learn More About Career Success

Just the Facts

THE BEST


The 2021 Fiske Guide to Colleges selected Champlain as one of the "best and most interesting schools" in the United States, Canada, and Great Britain.

THE MOST


Champlain was named a "Most Innovative School" by U.S. News & World Report in its "America's Best Colleges" 2021 ranking of universities in the North.

93%


of Champlain College graduates over the last six years were employed or continuing their education within six months after graduating.

Let us know you’re interested so we can keep in touch!

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Nice to meet you!

Thanks for getting in touch. Download your Academic Book here. Please reach out anytime if you have any questions about Champlain; you can call or text us at (802) 625-0201 or email us at admission@champlain.edu.

Check out our list of majors, come visit our beautiful campus, and explore our blog, The View, for the latest news and updates.