Interdisciplinarity and the University: The Dream and the Reality

In proposing interdisciplinary programs to deal with the problems caused by specialization, it is important to understand the development of the modern university between the middle of the nineteenth century and the present. The current organization of knowledge is the result of several changes in the university. These include increasing secularization and diversification of the curriculum and the rise of the contemporary discipline as a new social institution. A variety of existing programs, including those at Pennsylvania State University, demonstrate the interdisciplinary interactions that can take place among students, faculty, and researchers.