KINGSTON, R.I. – Oct. 28, 2026 – Many aspiring students envision their college experience as walking across campus taking in the open atmosphere, collaborating with fellow classmates and professors, and walking across a stage to receive the well-earned diploma that will jumpstart their careers.
In some cases, life changes those plans. Whether it’s work-related, family matters needing immediate attention, or something else, some students may need to temporarily pause their academic dreams. There are an estimated 130,000 adults in Rhode Island who have college credits they’ve earned at various institutions, but have not completed their degree programs.
To address this and to help students achieve their degrees, the University of Rhode Island launched its Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies (BIS) degree program last year. Offered through URI Online and the College of Arts and Sciences, the accelerated BIS program provides intellectual development and training to a diverse community of students seeking to reach their full potential who can benefit from the opportunity to complete an undergraduate general studies degree but also require flexible academic pathways. This program is also available to qualified students in URI’s “Finish What You Started” program.
“The Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies program is a great way for returning students to finish what they started and reach their academic goals,” said Angie Chiang, URI’s BIS program director, and associate public relations teaching professor in the Harrington School of Communication and Media. “Offering this modality gives students who had to temporarily stop their educational journey for whatever reason that opportunity to achieve that long sought-after degree.”
Students enrolled in the University’s BIS program will develop skills in writing, verbal communication, critical thinking and research across multiple disciplines, applying connections that speak to their own goals. Designed to encourage interdisciplinary exploration, the program—offered in seven-week sessions, with two sessions per term (spring, summer, fall)—challenges students to uncover connections between different fields while engaging with peers who bring expertise from different professions and learning environments.
Focus areas for students in the program may include business, communications, health studies, film/media, public relations, journalism, political science, nonprofit and psychology. Students can also apply past college credits in the liberal arts to a graduation plan for this program.
“The beauty of this program is that the coursework students have previously completed will not go to waste. If they took courses that are applicable to what the BIS program requires, they won’t have to repeat those classes,” Chiang said. “Also, there are a myriad of career opportunities and fields that students can apply this degree to, opening graduates to a world of possibilities beyond URI.”
Students must have completed at least 45 post-secondary credits to enter the BIS program at URI. The program itself requires 36 credits to complete, with 120 total credits—including credits from general education courses—to graduate.
The Introduction to Interdisciplinary Studies (BIS 199), Professional Writing (WRT 227) and an Interdisciplinary Capstone Project (BIS 399) course must be taken in the BIS program. Students can take nine additional classes in the areas of Effective Communication, Strategic Thinking, and Ethics and Leadership.
A full list of required courses can be found on the BIS degree program’s website. Prospective students have until Nov. 24 to apply for the BIS program’s spring term—which begins Jan. 5, 2027.
For more information and to inquire about URI’s Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies program, contact URI Associate Teaching Professor and BIS Program Director Angie Chiang at achiang@uri.edu.