Interdisciplinary studies involve the combination of two or more academic disciplines into one activity, such as a research project. It draws knowledge from several fields and is about creating understanding by thinking across boundaries.

The term interdisciplinary is applied within education and training pedagogies to describe studies that use methods and insights of several established disciplines or traditional fields of study.

An interdisciplinary study is a program (academic) or process seeking to synthesize broad perspectives, knowledge, skills, interconnections, and epistemology in an educational setting. Interdisciplinary programs may be founded to facilitate the study of subjects which have some coherence, but which cannot be adequately understood from a single disciplinary perspective.

Since its founding in 1965, York University has established itself as “a leading interdisciplinary research and teaching university in Canada.” Established in 1972, the Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies is one of the first formalized graduate programs in Canada and one of the University’s oldest, most successful and unique graduate programs hosted by the Faculty of Graduate Studies.