Boise State University’s online Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Professional Studies program enabled one student to complete not one, but two degrees, alongside four professional certificates, culminating in a newfound perspective on life and learning.
Rob Libby, a 58-year-old senior systems analyst within Boise State’s extended studies program, initially viewed the program as a pragmatic solution. “It seemed to be that catch-all degree – just to get it done,” Libby said. However, the program’s flexibility and interdisciplinary nature quickly broadened his academic horizons. He focused on innovation and design, but also explored interests in health and wellness, design thinking, artificial intelligence, and political science.
Libby’s return to higher education was decades in the making. He initially attended the College of Southern Idaho in 1991 after serving eleven years in the United States Army, having joined shortly after his 17th birthday and leaving before the Gulf War. Financial constraints and the demands of raising five children with his wife, Catherine, forced him to position his education on hold. He earned a GED while in the military and completed some coursework, but was short of completing an associate degree. “I transferred in all of my first two years of core classes,” Libby explained. “Once they all launched, I decided, ‘I’m at Boise State. I should have a degree.’”
The online format proved crucial to Libby’s success. He created distinct work and study spaces within his home, physically separating his professional and academic lives. “I have two offices at home,” he said. “I was in my downstairs office for work. I would leave at 5 o’clock and go upstairs to my school office. It worked out well. It was really manageable once I discovered I needed to switch physical locations at home.” This separation helped him maintain focus and avoid burnout.
During his time at Boise State, Libby consistently pursued and earned certificates, averaging nearly one per semester. These included credentials in Design Thinking for Professional Purpose and Personal Fulfillment, Applied Emotional Intelligence and Well-Being, and AI for All, in addition to a certification in innovation and design. The IPS program, as described on Coursicle, is designed for students like Libby, offering a non-traditional path for those returning to education or seeking to integrate life experience with academic study.
Libby found the core courses particularly impactful. “Anything related to emotional intelligence, wellness, design thinking…was all eye-opening at 58 years old,” he said. “It gave me the language to understand what had been happening in the past.” He emphasized that the value of these concepts deepened with age and life experience, something he believes would have been lost on a younger student.
This recent perspective has already begun to influence Libby’s professional approach. He noted a shift towards more deliberate and reflective practices. “Taking the time to stop and grab a look at what you’re doing and why you’re doing it was a bigger takeaway for me than for most people,” he said. He described a newfound appreciation for the process of thinking itself, even when the task at hand seemed mundane.
Libby’s academic journey has also inspired his family. He noted that two of his daughters have already earned master’s degrees, and one is currently pursuing a second. “I thought, ‘You realize what? I need to show my grandkids that this is doable,’” he said.
Having completed his bachelor’s degree without incurring student loan debt – a benefit of his employment at Boise State – Libby is already considering his next academic step: a master’s degree in educational technology, with plans to begin in the summer or fall.
Libby encourages others to explore the interdisciplinary professional studies program, emphasizing the importance of reflection and utilizing the guidance of academic advisors. “Definitely meet with those advisors and listen to them,” he said. “The interdisciplinary studies program is 100% valuable.”
