Contact: Rebecca L. Jayne
Courses
INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES 101. (3) INTRODUCTION TO LEADERSHIP. This course provides an introduction to leadership through a study of history, theory, and current events. Through case and biographical studies students will explore historical leaders and examine how their lessons in leadership may or may not be applicable to current leadership issues. This study will help students gain an understanding of the leadership process required to meet personal, professional, and civic challenges today. Prerequisite: none. Offered: fall semester.
INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES 109. (1) MAKING PROTOTYPES. This one-credit class encourages students to explore and practice the “build-measure-learn” loop by making things. Students will identify a need, create a series of prototypes of physical things that meets that need, assess how well the prototype product meets that need, and reflect on the overall process. Students will transform raw ideas into functional products through prototyping. Prerequisite: none.
INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES 210. (1) INTRODUCTION TO RACE AND ETHNICITY STUDIES. This interdisciplinary one-hour course introduces students to foundational theories and concepts for understanding the role of race and ethnicity as a category of analysis in a variety of disciplinary contexts, including but not limited to history, literature, religion, psychology, culture, political science, science and technology, and economics. The course will be taught by professors from across departments, each bringing a different set of analytical tools to the study of race and ethnicity. The course is required for students who plan to complete the Race and Ethnicity Studies minor but is open to all students. Offered: spring semester.
INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES 215. (3) ENTREPRENEURIAL AND BUSINESS PITCHES. This course introduces students to the entrepreneurial mindset through a hands-on exploration of startup fundamentals, pitch development, and real-world business communication. Students examine the characteristics of successful entrepreneurs, analyze startup successes and failures, and engage with experiential activities that build resilience, creativity, and strategic thinking. Through case studies, simulations, guest speakers, and guided practice, students learn the essential skills needed to craft, refine, and deliver compelling entrepreneurial and business pitches. The course emphasizes practical application: students identify entrepreneurial opportunities, research pitch competitions, tailor pitches to specific audiences, and develop confident presentation skills through structured feedback and iterative practice. Additional experiences include podcast and case study analyses, engagement with community resources such as the SBDC and SEED Innovation Hub, networking with alumni innovators, and participation in a semester-long Entrepreneurial Field Consultancy project. The course culminates in a Demo Day–style pitch presentation, offering students authentic exposure to entrepreneurial evaluation and performance. Overall, the course equips emerging innovators with the tools to communicate effectively, navigate entrepreneurial challenges, and present ideas with clarity, influence, and professional confidence
INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES 219. (3) ENTREPRENEURIAL DIPLOMACY. This course examines the emerging field of entrepreneurial diplomacy, where innovation, creativity, and cross-cultural understanding intersect to address global challenges. Students learn how entrepreneurial thinking can be combined with diplomatic skills to build relationships, negotiate diverse perspectives, and design impactful solutions in complex social, political, and economic systems. Emphasizing creativity, intercultural communication, and systems thinking, the course prepares students to act as global changemakers capable of fostering collaboration, driving social innovation, and advancing responsible global citizenship. Through case studies, experiential activities, and projectbased learning, students develop the mindset and tools needed to create value across cultural and international contexts.
INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES 250. (1) CULTURAL ENGAGEMENT IN STUDY ABROAD (EL-OFF). This course is designed to enhance the study abroad experience by encouraging students to deepen their understanding of the culture in which they will be living during their time abroad. There will be activities to be completed prior to travel, while in the host country, and after students return. This course counts for a Compass (EL-OFF) experiential learning credit, which means that the College wants students to learn as much as they can by reflecting on what it means to be immersed in another culture, rather than being an observant tourist. Students will set goals for themselves which they will evaluate periodically to make decisions about what has helped or hindered their progress in achieving those goals.
INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES 255. (1) SUMMER RESEARCH SKILLS (EL-ON). This course is designed to help summer research students think about how to engage in independent scholarly work by exploring, reflecting on, and formulating responses to questions about general and disciplinespecific research skills. Students will learn to identify resources and contexts in their research field, situate their projects within a larger scholarly conversation, and present their work to others outside their field. They will also consider ways in which their work has connections to other disciplines, as well as whether it has potential to contribute to helping others.
INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES 265. (1). RESEARCH APPLICATIONS TO SOCIETY (ELOFF). This companion course to the Hampden- Sydney College summer research program is designed to give students the opportunity to explore the ways in which their research work may apply to communities beyond campus. Students will work on how to describe their research and its potential benefits to a general audience, identify community stakeholders in the results of their research, and establish a dialogue with these stakeholders. Students will also present their research work offcampus in a fall semester academic or community focused conference. By taking this course, students will be able to better understand the significance of the work they are undertaking in their research and to reflect on how their work can influence stakeholders in the community. Prerequisite: INDS 255.
INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES 270. (3) EXPEDITIONARY LEADERSHIP. This course is a wilderness expedition that provides opportunities for students to practice leadership skills that are transferable beyond the backcountry. Students will spend the first few days at Hampden-Sydney College where they will learn skills necessary for wilderness travel and will be introduced to concepts useful for leading teams in austere environments. We will then travel to the Rocky Mountains (or a similar wilderness venue) for a 10-day backpacking trip. During this trip, students will rotate through three leadership roles, respond to simulated medical emergencies, and will be evaluated by the instructors and their classmates. Students will keep a reflection journal and participate in daily debrief sessions. Upon return, students will write an essay and create a video essay reflecting on their experience.
INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES 275. (3) UNITED STATES MILITARY AND AMERICAN SOCIETY: IDEALS, INSTITUTIONS, AND ISSUES. A seminar primarily for sophomores enrolled in the National Security Studies minor, but open to any interested student, the course combines lecture/ conference instruction with student oral and written reports based on research assignments on such topics as the constitutional ideals undergirding our national military establishment; the relationship between the military and key national institutions, law enforcement agencies, and the media; and historical and contemporary legal, social, political, and cultural issues that both support and complicate the military’s place in American society. Prerequisite: none. Offered: spring semester.
INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES 320. (3) PHILANTHROPY IN THEORY AND PRACTICE. Through the lenses of philosophy, classics, religion, history, and economics, students learn how western ideas about philanthropy have changed over time and how philanthropy is practiced today in an effort to improve the living conditions of people locally, nationally, and globally. The class includes a service learning component with a local non-profit organization. Prerequisite: Rhetoric 102 and junior or senior standing.
INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES 372. (3) CAPSTONE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES SENIORS. A topical capstone experience for students in the Environmental Studies Minor, designed to integrate the various courses taken by the students (or by other students who have completed an appropriate subset of the designated courses required in the Minor but not officially enrolled in the program) and to allow reflection on and engagement with significant issues that arise in the study of the environment. Students are expected to apply the concepts and materials of related courses to meta-themes discussed in the seminar. Topics may include issues in ecology, the economics of environmentalism, and bioethics, as well as other scientific, social science, and humanistic concerns. Prerequisite: at least four courses required for the Environmental Studies Minor. Offered: spring semester.
INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES 375. (3) LEADERSHIP AND PUBLIC SERVICE IN CONSTITUTIONAL CONTEXT. Beginning with an examination of the major historical developments that have shaped the place and role of administrative-class officials in the United States, this course provides students with a general introduction to significant legal and political dimensions of public-sector employment. Consideration is given to the general subject of public-service ethics, including such topics as conflict of interest regulations, and to the complexities of intergovernmental and inter-branch relations. The first segment of the course focuses on historical, ethical, and political themes, while the second part is devoted to management-related matters and legal issues. Prerequisites: junior standing and consent of the instructor. Offered: fall semester.
INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES 377-380. (1 each) PUBLIC SERVICE SEMINARS. 377 (Constitutional History/Culture) reviews the political thought of leading founders such as Washington, Madison, and Jefferson with the goal of understanding the “cultural” as well as the “governmental” dimensions of the American constitutional order. Attention also is given to the “reformist” thinking of Lincoln, Wilson, and Franklin Roosevelt. 378 (Budgeting) examines theories and practices associated with governmental budgeting with special attention given to object classification, performance, program, and zero-base budgeting. 379 (Organizational Science) examines various management theories that have been developed and applied within public-sector organizations. Assignments cover the work of Frederick Taylor, Herbert Maslow, Herbert Simon, and the New Public Administration Movement, among others. 380 (Administrative Law) introduces students to some of the major concepts and principles in the field of administrative law (e.g., sovereign immunity, “privilege” and “delegations” doctrines). Assigned readings include case material from judicial and administrative agencies, as well as commentaries by practitioners and theorists. Students enrolled in these “lab” courses are expected to attend presentations/workshops by speakers both on and off campus. Prerequisite: enrollment in the minor for Leadership in the Public Interest. Offered: one each semester.
INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES 395. (3) PUBLIC SERVICE INTERNSHIP RESEARCH PROJECT. The internship, required of students in the Public Service Program, is to be combined with a research project. The internship and research project are closely supervised by a faculty member. Internships are arranged to complement the course work in the Public Service Program. Credit is awarded only following a public defense of the completed research project. Prerequisite: Interdisciplinary Studies 375. Offered: fall semester.
INTERDISCIPLINAR STUDIES 409. (3) DESIGN THINKING: THEORY, METHODS, AND PRACTICE. This course is the capstone course for the Entrepreneurship & Innovation minor, integrating theory and practice through a human-centered design approach to real-world problem-solving. Students apply the design thinking process—empathize, define, ideate, prototype, and test—to complex, open-ended challenges through sustained, project-based work. As a culminating experience, students synthesize prior coursework by partnering with local ventures through the Flemming Center’s F.U.E.L. initiative or pursuing a faculty-approved self-directed project. Through user research, iterative prototyping, and testing, students develop solutions that demonstrate innovation, feasibility, and responsible impact. Emphasis is placed on analytical reasoning, evidencebased decision-making, collaboration, and ethical responsibility, culminating in a public presentation of their work. Prerequisite: INDS 215 and INDS 219.
INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES 410. (1) RACE AND ETHNICITY MINOR CAPSTONE. This one-hour course is a capstone experience for students in the Race and Ethnicity Studies Minor and is designed to integrate the various courses taken by the students and to allow reflection on and engagement with significant issues that arise in the study of race and ethnicity. During the semester, students use the knowledge and analytical tools acquired through the study of race and ethnicity to further develop projects based in their academic majors. The projects culminate in a public forum that presents the application of concepts and materials grounded in the study of race and ethnicity to a variety of disciplines. This class enrolls only seniors who have declared a Race and Ethnicity Studies minor. Offered: spring semester.
INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES 440. (3) LEADERSHIP AND ETHICS. An advanced seminar focused on learning and developing requisite skills and qualifications for successfully meeting senior leadership challenges in various fields of endeavor (i.e., politics and government, including the military; organized religion; non-profit agencies; academe; scientific research and development; the corporate world; the entertainment arena, etc.). Major emphasis on identifying and understanding varying leadership styles and using case studies (actual and posited) for working out and solving problems and issues of leadership. Offered: each semester.
INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES 450-453. (3 each) SEMINAR IN INTER-AMERICAN RELATIONS. This is an interdisciplinary capstone course for the Latin American Studies minor which addresses current or historical hemispheric issues from a Latin American perspective. The main purpose of the course is to prepare a team to represent a specific Latin American country at the Washington Model Organization of American States although participation in the MOAS is not mandatory, nor guaranteed. Students using this course to fulfill the requirements for the Latin American Studies minor must take it during their junior or senior year, and may take it up to two times in fulfillment of the minor. If a student chooses not to participate in the MOAS, he will instead produce a twenty page research paper, or its equivalent, in which he demonstrates an interdisciplinary grasp of a particular problem, issue, or phenomenon approached from a Latin American perspective. He will select his topic in consultation with the faculty member who is teaching the capstone and who, in turn, helps guide the student’s research. This course is open to all students; however, permission of the instructor is required for enrollment. Offered: spring semester.
INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES 465. (3) AN OVERVIEW OF U.S. NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE. This course provides a basic overview of the nature and purpose of U.S. foreign intelligence institutions and activities in support of foreign policy and national security. Central themes include the critical need for sound and timely intelligence in the formulation and conduct of U.S. foreign policy; the historical evolution of U.S. intelligence from colonial times to the present; moral and legal constraints imposed upon intelligence in an open, democratic society; and guidelines for preparing for a professional career in intelligence, with emphasis on the value of a broadly based, liberal education. Extensive use is made of the case-study approach for illustrative purposes. Each student is required to prepare and present an intelligence analysis focusing on a selected area of potential threat to U.S. foreign-policy interests. Students are chosen on the basis of class rank and at the discretion of the instructor. Offered: each semester.
INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES 470. (3) LEADING TEAMS IN COMPETITION. This course is an interdisciplinary elective that provides an opportunity for students to recruit, prepare, and lead teams in off-campus intercollege leadership competitions. Three to six senior Wilson Leadership Fellows will be selected for this course. Those “team leaders” will receive three academic credits for this course, though the students that comprise their teams will not. Upon completion of the competition, students reflect on the experience through a paper and public presentation. Prerequisite: INDS 101.
updated 7/10/2026