Students' Attitudes at King Abdul-Aziz University towards Interdisciplinary Programs

Abstract

The world has abandoned the era of specialized closure. The universities of the developed world have taken the lead in developing and modernizing the fields of study and creating links between the academic fields and their diversity in response to the needs of the community. King Abdul-Aziz University has followed this trend by developing future development plans in all fields and specialized trends that enable it to compete with other universities, whether at the local, regional or international level, and to increase community participation and to emphasize the quality of education outcomes. The study aimed to monitor the students' views on the interdisciplinary programs at King Abdul Aziz University as it enhances the skills of students in new fields of knowledge due to the overlap of several academic fields imposed by the nature of the requirements of community development. By reviewing the opinions of a sample of 564 respondents representing students from the fifth level and above in a number of faculties of King Abdul-Aziz University it was found that (55.4%) of male and female students felt the urgent need for interdisciplinary programs. it was also found that (57.7%) of them believe that interdisciplinary programs provide job opportunities for graduates. 52.5% of students wish to enroll in interdisciplinary programs if they have the opportunity. The most important faculties have felt the urgent need for interdisciplinary programs and the belief that the interdisciplinary programs provide job opportunities for graduates. The most important of them who have the desire to join interdisciplinary programs are the two faculties of medicine and home economics. We also show that the student's belief in his ability to compete in the labor market is linked to his vision of the interdisciplinary programs as it upgrades his scientific level and his knowledge background. And interdisciplinary programs should therefore include the practical side to increase the professional skills of graduates with the need to consider the actual needs of the labor market and the skills required by the students of these programs. Therefore, we believe that the development of interdisciplinary programs will enhance the scientific level and new knowledge skills imposed by the requirements of development. The gap between the existing academic programs and the needs of the labor market will be reduced and the role of higher education institutions in the sustainable development of the country will be strengthened.

Keywords: Interdisciplinary programs, Labor market, Students, Sustainable development, Community participation