Integrative Studies allows students to weave together different academic disciplines to develop a broad understanding and address complex issues. The author's three areas of concentration are Exercise and Sports Science, Communication Studies, and Organizational Leadership. These areas will prepare her for a career as a personal fitness/life coach by providing expertise in health, communication skills, and leadership abilities. However, globalization may pose a complex problem if it reduces the importance of health. Studying human behavior could help find solutions by understanding how to influence lifestyle changes. The author's degree will enable her to successfully pursue her goal of helping others adopt healthier habits through motivation, education, and organization.

1. What is Integrative Studies 1
Kacee Evans
Texas Tech University
July 10, 2012
Integrative Studies

2. What is Integrative Studies 2
Definition
Integrative Studies is a field that helps uncover and weave together the common threads
of your life, educationally, professionally, and experientially. (Tanner, Pg. 9) Integrative Studies
is helpful to me, because it is a broad spectrum of areas within one-degree plan. I have chose to
go in the direction of this degree plan and career path because it is a broad degree and or
someone that does not yet know what specific career they are targeting, it works well. Integrative
Studies is not just focused on one area of concentration so it enables you to be broader when
looking for a career path. Integrative Studies has been defined as providing for a synthesis of
study and life . . . furthermore, Integrative Studies provides for a common body of knowledge,
recognizing various disciplinary perspectives, thus empowering people to address meaningful
and complex issues in new and unique ways. (Hughes, Munoz, & tanner, 2015, Pg. 9) Integrative
Studies is beneficial because it brings together diverse disciplines in a comprehensive manner,
enabling students to develop a meaningful understanding of the complex associations and
influences within the broad topic. Integrative Studies enables individuals to create a degree that
best fits their educational and professional goals.
Education
My three areas of concentration include: Exercise and Sports Science, Communication Studies,
and Organizational Leadership. My first area of concentration is Exercise and Sports Science
which is the study of Kinesiology that prepares me for career paths in physical activity and
fitness/wellness such as organizing, directing or managing physical fitness programs. This also
includes personal training, fitness instructor, coaching an organization, etc. My next area of
concentration is Communication Studies, which trains me in dealing with the processes of human

3. What is Integrative Studies 3
communication. This area of concentration provides theory, tools, and techniques for analyzing,
managing and improving communication in every arena of professional and personal interaction.
My third area of concentration in my degree plan is Organizational Leadership, which prepares
me to be business, and program leaders who are skilled in handling the human aspect of business
management. This area of concentration trains me to understand what it takes to be an effective
manager or leader, how to motivate others, and how to successfully implement change that is
needed. I decided on my three areas of concentration by taking the one that I was most interested
in and building around that. I am a huge health guru and so naturally I am interesting in helping
people become healthier. Exercise and Sports Science was the one that caught my attention
seeing that I want to pursue a career as a personal fitness / life coach. Becoming a personal
fitness / life coach, what makes this position difficult is understanding how people work and
what is the best type of communication to use when trying to change their whole life.
Communication can either break or make a person when changing their life. As the one they look
up to for help, I need to understand that best way to communicate to the individual and this is
why I chose Communication Studies as my next area of concentration. I will rely on my
communication to be strong and forceful but in a respectful and understanding way. Within
becoming a personal fitness / life coach one must have leadership, I want to be someone that
everyone can look up to and respect as their trainer. My next area of concentration plays a huge
role in my career path. Organizational leadership will help when taking on my career in every
way. When instructing someone to change their life choices to become a healthier individual one
must have leadership skills. I must know how to motivate, and how to correctly implement
change into the individual’s life. My degree plan weaves together by allowing me to be a
successful personal fitness / life coach in all areas including: motivational, educated on health,

4. What is Integrative Studies 4
organized, leadership, and how to properly communicate with my clients.
Complex Problem
A complex problem that could arise is globalization within my areas of concentration.
With a world that is constantly changing, and health becoming not as important, a complex
problem arises in my degree plan. Health is becoming less and less important in today’s world.
This could cause a huge problem within the career path I have chosen to take. With health
seemingly less important that means that my clientele will be lower. Health has become less
important because as a world we have globalized cheaper, faster, and easier is the best way to go,
especially when one has a busy schedule. Things are made easy and in the case of health, easy
and fast is not healthy. Studying outside of my three areas of concentration in order to find a
solution to the problem I believe studying in an area of concentration within Human Behavior
might be beneficial. Learning how the mind thinks and how to influence people in making a
healthy life change. I believe understanding how human’s behave would give me a better
understanding and a better chance of finding a solution to the problem.
Connection
My personal career goals for after I graduate is to become a personal fitness / life coach. I
want to better people by teaching them a healthier lifestyle. My areas of concentration play a
huge role when pursuing my career. I need to be educated in the area of health, and the science
of exercise and sports. In order to be respected in my field of study I need to be highly
knowledgeable on kinesiology, also I need to understand how to get the individual to become
healthier. The Next area of concentration that is need within my career choosing is
communication. I can be the most knowledgeable person on the subject of health, but if I do not

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know how to speak to the person in a way that motivates them it will end up going nowhere. The
last area of concentration that I believe to be very important is Leadership Organization. I believe
that one must know how to be a leader. A leader is someone that individuals seek for help, or
knowledge in order to better themselves either in health, education, life problems, etc. All my
areas of concentration link together in order to help me be successful in becoming a personal
fitness / life coach.

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Work Cited
Mahuron, S. (n.d.). What Jobs Can You Get With an Organizational Leadership Degree?
Retrieved July 10, 2015, from http://work.chron.com/jobs-can-organizational-leadership-degree-
6405.html
Major in Communication Studies. (n.d.). Retrieved July 10, 2015, from
https://www.communication.northwestern.edu/programs/major_communication_studies
Newell, W. (2010, October 4). Educating for a Complex World: Integrative Learning and
Interdisciplinary Studies. Retrieved from https://www.aacu.org/publications-
research/periodicals/educating-complex-world-integrative-learning-and-interdisciplinary
Tanner, M. (2015). Introduction to integrative studies. S.l.: Kendall Hunt.

7. What is Integrative Studies 7
What is Integrative Studies? Grading Rubric
Criteria
Points
Possible
Points
Earned
General
Paper adheres to APA formatting (title page, citations, references
page, etc.). This rubric pasted at the end of the assignment.
15
Writing is clear with appropriate grammar, spelling, and
punctuation. Headings are appropriately labeled
10
Definition (250 words)
Defines Integrative Studies in a personal way. Definition is clearly
derived from course definition.
10
Student discusses how Integrative Studies is beneficial. 10
Education (500 words)
Discusses 3 areas of concentration and connections. Also discusses
the specialized nature of degree program.
20
Complex Problem (250 words)
Identifies a complex problem and perspectives (outside 3 areas) that
might be used to research problem.
20
Connection (250 words)
Discusses future plans/next steps. 15
Total 100
Instructor Comments: