Interdisciplinary studies (IDS) courses at Rocky Mountain College provide students with the opportunity to cross disciplinary boundaries and acquire skills and knowledge that will prepare them for academic and professional success.

IDS 111 – College Success and Self Leadership

Semester: Fall and Spring
Semester hours: 2

There are four essential elements of college student success: academic, financial, degree and social. This course will explore these interconnected topics and help students discover their strengths, interests, values and habits. This course is intended to help students discover new ideas, strategies, and resources to empower them to be successful, both academically and personally.

IDS 115 – Indispensable Qualities of Leadership

Semester: Fall
Semester hours: 3

This course is the study of the art of leadership and how leadership skills can be developed. We will study leaders throughout history, from Sun Tzu (of over 2,000 years ago) to the latest leadership examples. This course will utilize reading, classroom discussions, group participation efforts, and two films in the attempt to dissect the idea of leadership. This course will also look at “personal leadership” characteristics that will enable the student to achieve success at Rocky Mountain College and in society.

IDS 120 – College Study Skills/Developmental Reading

Semester: Fall and Spring
Semester hours: 2

Sponsored by Services for Academic Success (SAS), this course introduces major learning strategies that lead to academic success. Key topics include note-taking systems, scheduling methods, memory principles, academic resources, and test-taking strategies. Students are provided with class-related assignments that encourage study skills mastery. In addition, students are provided individualized reading programs based on their present reading skills.

IDS 160 – Discovering Careers in Health Sciences

Semester: Offered at discretion of biology department
Semester hours: 1

This seminar course is designed to expose new students to the breadth of health-related careers available to them with a degree from RMC, with plenty of time to tailor their undergraduate education to their chosen career path. Guest speakers with various backgrounds (MD, PT, PA, DMV, etc.) will speak each week, answer any questions students may have, and provide valuable networking contacts. This is the first of three courses in the “Medical Careers Pipeline.”

Prerequisite: freshman standing

IDS 260 – Investigating Careers in Health Sciences

Semester: Offered at discretion of biology department
Semester hours: 1

Investigating Careers in Health Science guides students through a health science shadowing experience (20 hours) and a volunteer experience (20 hours). Students will attend a volunteering fair, keep journals and present their experiences orally to the class at the end of the semester. At the end of this course, students will have made valuable contacts in their field of choice and laid the groundwork for a successful application to a graduate program in the health sciences (MD, PA, DMV, PT, etc.). This is the second of three courses in the “Medical Careers Pipeline.”

Prerequisite: None; IDS160 is suggested

IDS 360 – Preparing for a Health Science Career

Semester: Offered at discretion of biology department
Semester hours: 1

This course is designed to give students pursuing health careers guidance in preparing their applications. Students will develop their cover letters, résumés, personal essays and other application materials, as well as participate in mock interviews. This is the final course in the three-course “Medical Careers Pipeline.”

Prerequisite: None; IDS160 and IDS 260 are suggested

IDS 483 – Organizational Leadership

Semester: Spring; Even years
Semester hours: 3

This course operates on a format of open discussion, risk-taking, initiative, honest self-assessment, experiential exercises, and observation of real-life leadership practice. It will challenge students to craft their own perspectives strengthened through critical examination of case studies, workshops, readings, and local public leaders who will share their own leadership perspectives.

Prerequisite: IDS 115 and junior or senior standing

IDS 485 – Experiential Leadership

Semester: Offered at discretion of department
Semester hours: 1

This capstone course gives the student hands-on experience outside of the classroom. In consultation with an advisor in the Organizational Leadership minor and under the direction of a coach, advisor, or mentor, as appropriate, the student will participate in leadership activities to strengthen their leadership skills and then create a capstone project or paper that assesses their own leadership effectiveness. Options for the leadership experience include participation in an internship, in a job shadow experience, on an athletic team, in an extracurricular activity, as a resident advisor, or other activities as approved by the advisor.

Prerequisite: IDS 115, COM course in the Organizational Leadership minor, junior or senior standing