How do Columbia and WashU support interdisciplinary study across majors?

For an undergraduate who wants to formally combine computer science, economics, and public policy, Washington University in St. Louis offers the more explicit built-in pathway through its Beyond Boundaries Program. It is designed for students whose interests cross WashU’s undergraduate schools and lets them construct an individualized interdisciplinary course of study with faculty advising. WashU also makes second majors, minors, and cross-school coursework relatively central to its undergraduate model.

Beyond Boundaries is especially relevant when the combination does not fit neatly into one department: a student might connect technical coursework in McKelvey Engineering with economics in Arts  Sciences and policy-oriented work in areas such as political science, social policy, or environmental studies. Students can also pursue research through faculty labs and university-wide institutes, rather than treating each field as entirely separate.

Columbia provides exceptional opportunities to connect these fields, but its structure is more school-based. Columbia College students can major in economics or computer science while using electives, concentrations, research, and courses across the university to add policy perspectives; the Core Curriculum also creates a common liberal-arts foundation. Columbia’s location and programs connected to the Data Science Institute, political science, economics, and public-policy-oriented graduate schools can make interdisciplinary research and policy exposure particularly compelling.

The practical distinction is that Columbia students need to plan cross-school access and degree requirements carefully, especially if they are considering engineering alongside Columbia College coursework. WashU’s Beyond Boundaries option is more purpose-built for designing a single academic identity across departments, while Columbia is particularly attractive for a student who wants to anchor in one undergraduate school and draw on New York-based research, policy, and professional opportunities.