Social Science

Bachelor of Arts 

The Social Science Program addresses the interests of students who are drawn to the social science area of the Liberal Arts curriculum. These students wish to combine exploration of the breadth of the subject area with not only sufficient depth of inquiry, but also with the structure for systematic study provided by a major.

This choice of approach to learning may emerge from one, or more, objectives. A student may have identified the desired area of study, but would like to have more knowledge of the range of social science, before making a choice of a single discipline for concentration later in graduate school. Another student may be preparing to teach and would find it valuable to be able to bring knowledge of perspectives, methods, and concepts of a variety of social science disciplines into schools at various levels, therefore being a more attractive candidate for a position, and, subsequently, a more effective teacher in the classroom. This background would also be seen as valuable for students contemplating other professions, as well: social work, community service, law, city, and regional planning, medicine, and business, to name but a few. Thus, the Social Science major might be chosen as a single field for focus in an undergraduate education; or, may be combined with another major or minor.   

The Major in Social Science

The major in Social Science leads to the degree of Bachelor of Arts. The program is interdisciplinary in character and, thus, offers students the opportunity to invest initiative and creativity in a combination of social science disciplines - three in number. These disciplines include anthropology, economics, history, political science, psychology, and sociology. From among these disciplines, three must be selected for emphasis. Students plan their course of study, with the Director of the Program, to meet their interests and fulfill the requirements of the major. Together they seek a combination of depth and breadth, in part by using a suggested model of a minimum of two courses in two of the selected disciplines and three in the third, distributed across the major required courses/electives as appropriate.

Required Courses

The major requires a minimum of ten courses chosen from among the social science disciplines; and requires maintenance of a minimum GPA of 2.0.

These 10 courses must include:

A Research Methods Course either:

• APG 249 Ethnographic Research Methods
   ,

• APG 360 Prehistoric Archaeology
   ,

• ECN 214 Introduction to Econometrics with Computing Lab
   ,

• HIS 100 Thinking and Writing about History
   ,

• PSC 302 Research Methods
   ,

• PSY 260 and 260L Methods and Statistics in Psychology
   ,  

• SOC 209 Social Research Methods
   ,

A Theory Course either:

• APG 401 Theory in Anthropology
   ,

• ECN 309 Development of Economic Thought
   ,

• PSC 342 Modern Political Theory
   ,

• PSC 344 Democratic Theory
   ,

• PSC 348 American Political Theory
   ,

• PSY 264 Child and Adolescent Development
   , 

• PSY 267 Social Psychology
   ,

• PSY 323 Personality
   ,

• PSY 486 Theories of Psychotherapy
   ,

• SOC 403 History of Social Thought
   ,

• SOC 417 Contemporary Sociological Theory
   ,

And the Social Science Capstone Seminar Course:

• SSC 480 Social Science Capstone Seminar
   .

Please Note: At least six courses must be at the upper-division level, designated in the Social Science Program as offered at the 300-400 level.

Fulfillment of Major Requirements:

• Research methods course
• Theory course
• Social Science Capstone Seminar (SSC 480)
• Seven electives (may only be fulfilled with courses from the student’s 3 areas of emphasis)

Calculation of Major GPA:

• Research methods course
• Theory course
• Social Science Capstone Seminar (SSC 480)
• Seven electives (may only be fulfilled with courses from the student’s 3 areas of emphasis)
• Plus any additional courses taken from these three disciplines