Office:
Craven Hall, Sixth Floor

Telephone:
(760) 750-4117

Social Sciences Coordinator:
Donald C. Barrett, Ph.D.

Social Sciences Committee Disciplinary Co-coordinators:

Communication

G.H. (Bud) Morris, Ph.D.

Economics

Ranjeeta Ghiara, Ph.D.

History

Alyssa Sepinwall, Ph.D.

Political Science

M. Kent Bolton, Ph.D.

Psychology

Sharon Hamill, Ph.D.

Sociology

Donald C. Barrett, Ph.D.

Programs Offered:

• Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences
• Single-Subject Preparation Program in the Social Sciences
• Minor in Social Sciences

The Social Sciences Major is a multidisciplinary program which aims to provide students with a broad understanding and appreci­ation of the social sciences. By fol­lowing a major in which a num­ber of social sciences disci­plines are studied, students will appreciate the varied approaches and methodo­logies of these fields, as well as the interrelatedness of the social sciences disciplines.

The Social Sciences Major is appropriate for students with career interests in human services and social work, education, counseling, busi­ness, and government. Students may choose to fulfill the requirements of the major though a Multidisciplinary Track or through the Social Science Single-Subject Preparation Track.

The Multidisciplinary Track is for the student with an interest in investigating the perspectives offered by multiple social sciences.  In the Multidisciplinary form, the student chooses a primary field and two secondary fields.  The primary field is chosen from six disciplines: communication, economics, history, political science, psychology, and sociology.  Secondary fields are chosen from these six disciplines and from other specified social science courses.  Students following the ultidisciplinary form may also participate in the Program for Adult Education (PACE), a program that assists students who are working full-time.

The Social Science Single-Subject Preparation Track prepares qualified students for teaching the social sciences in secondary schools in California.  The Social Science Single-Subject Preparation Track follows a pre-defined curriculum that prepares students for entry to a Single-Subject Credential track.

Students interested in the Social Science Major are encouraged to discuss their education and career objectives with a Social Science Coordinator.

 

BACHELOR OF ARTS IN SOCIAL SCIENCES              

Multidisciplinary Track

Units
General Education*51
Preparation for the Major3
Primary Field  Requirements*21
Secondary Field Requirements*24
Students must take a sufficientnumber of
elective units to bring the total number of
units to a minimum of120

 

Requirements for the Major

The Social Sciences Major requires forty-eight (48) units completed as follows:

• Twenty-one (21) units in
  one primary field21
• Twelve (12) units in each
  of two secondary fields
  (different from the primary field)24
• Three (3) units of               
  elementary statistics3

Total Units48

 

Currently, there are six options for primary fields: communication, economics, history, political science, psycho­logy, or sociology. There are seven options for secondary fields: communication, economics, history, political science, psychology, sociology, and individualized secondary field.

Specific course descriptions can be found within the course section of this catalog.

*Several lower-division courses in the different primary and secondary fields also fulfill General Education  requirements.

Preparation for the Major

Introductory Statistics (3 units)
Choose from:
PSYC 220 (must be taken if primary field is psychology)
or
SOC 201
(Other introductory statistics courses may be accepted upon approval of the Social Sciences Coordinator.)

 

Primary Field Requirements

Students must complete all the requirements for ONE Primary Field.

Communication

A primary field in Communication shall be distributed as follows:

Lower-division (3 units)

Units

COMM 1003

Upper-division (18 units)
Two of the following courses:6

COMM 300COMM 330
COMM 360

Twelve (12) units of upper-division communication
electives12

Total Units21

 

Economics

A primary field in Economics shall be
distributed as follows:

Lower-division (6 units)             

Units

ECON 2013
ECON 202*3

Upper-division (15 units)
One of the following courses: 3
ECON 301ECON 331
ECON 302ECON 431
ECON 303ECON 441

Twelve (12) units of upper-division

Economics electives12

Total Units 21

 

History

A primary field in history shall be distributed as follows and must include work in two world areas, and must include three (3) units of study in history of women, gender, or U.S. ethnic (minority) studies.

Lower-division (6 units)

Units
A sequential two-semester
survey course in history6

Upper-division (15 units)
HIST 3013
Two 300-level courses in history6
One 400-level course in history3
Three (3) units of upper-division
History electives3

Total Units 21

 

Political Science

A primary field in Political Science shall be distributed as follows:

Lower-division (3 units)

PSCI 100* or equivalent3
(Students who enrolled at CSU
San Marcos prior to 1995 may take PSCI 300.)

Upper-division (18 units)
Six (6) units chosen from: 6
PSCI 331PSCI 370
PSCI 350

Twelve (12) units of upper-
division Political Science
courses   12

Total Units 21

 

Psychology

A primary field in psychology shall be distributed as follows:

Lower-division (6 units) 

Units
PSYC 100*3
PSYC 230 3
NOTE: The elementary statistics requirement for all social sciences majors must be fulfilled by PSYC 220 if the primary field is Psychology.

Upper-division (15 units)
One of the following courses: 3
PSYC 390PSYC 394
PSYC 391PSYC 395
PSYC 392PSYC 396
PSYC 393

One of the following 3
PSYC 330PSYC 360
PSYC 332PSYC 362

Nine (9) units of upper-
division Psychology electives9

 

Total Units 21

 

Sociology

A primary field in Sociology shall be distributed as follows:

Lower-division (3 units)

Units
SOC 101* 3

Upper-division (18-19 units)
One of the following courses:3-4
SOC 320SOC 360

One of the following courses:3
SOC 311 SOC 411

Twelve (12) units of upper-
division Sociology electives12

Total Units21-22

*Also satisfies a lower-division General Education requirement.

Secondary Field Requirements

Students must complete the require­ments for TWO Secondary Fields.

Communication

A secondary field in Communication shall be distributed as follows:

Lower-division (3 units)

Units

COMM 1003

Upper-division (9 units) Three (3)
upper-division Communication
courses:9

Total Units12

 

Economics

A secondary field in Economics shall be distributed as follows:

Lower-division (6 units)

Units
ECON 2013
ECON 202*3

Upper-division (6 units)
Economics courses:6

Total Units12

 

History

A secondary field in History shall be distributed as follows and must include three (3) units of study in history on women, gender, or U.S. ethnic (minority) studies within the twelve (12) units in this secondary field.

Lower-division (3 units)

Units
One lower-division course 3

Upper-division (9 units) History courses
from two world areas9

Total Units12

 

Political Science

A secondary field in Political Science shall be distributed as follows:

Lower-division (3 units)

Units
One lower-division Political
Science course:3

Upper-division (9 units) Three (3) political
science courses in at least two fields9

Total Units12

 

Psychology

A secondary field in Psychology shall be distributed as follows:

Lower-division (3 units)

Units

PSYC 100*3

Upper-division (9 units)
Three (3) units chosen from:3
PSYC 330PSYC 360
PSYC 332PSYC 362

Six (6) units of upper-division
Psychology courses6

Total Units12

 

Sociology

A secondary field in Sociology shall be
distributed as follows:

Lower-division (3 units)

Units

SOC 101* 3

Upper-division (9 units)
Three (3) units chosen from:3
SOC 311
SOC 411

Six (6) units of upper-division Sociology
courses6

Total Units12

*Also satisfies a lower-division General Education requirement.

Individualized Secondary Field

The Individualized Secondary Field allows for a customized exploration of the theoretical and methodological approaches from several social science disciplines. Students may select courses from anthropology, communication, economics, geography, history, linguistics, political science, psychology, or sociology. Courses from other areas that are certified as meeting upper-division General Education social science (DD) requirements may also be selected, although courses selected for this secondary may not be counted toward both the major and General Education requirements.

The courses must be taken from at least three different disciplines. Courses selected for the Individualized secondary field may not be from the same disciplines as those used in the primary and other secondary field.

The courses taken in an Individualized secondary field must form a coherent unit. The courses must be approved in writing by the Social Science Coordinator before the start of the last semester in which one of these courses is taken.

Upper-division (12 units)

Units
Courses from at least three different
disciplines, approved by Social Sciences
Program Director12

Total Units12

Single-Subject Preparation in the Social Sciences Track

Single-Subject Preparation in the Social Sciences Track

The Single-Subject Preparation in the Social Sciences Track is for students planning to teach  Social Science in secondary schools in California.  Successful completion of the track prepares the student for entry into a Single Subject Credential Program in the Social Sciences as described by the State of California.  Upon successful completion, the student may be considered to have fulfilled the subject matter competency requirements for Social Science that are required by the State of California, and the student may be waived from taking two tests required for entry into a Single Subject Credential Program (the Praxis and the SSAT.) Completion of the program leads to a Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences with a Single-Subject Preparation in the Social Sciences.

Students enrolled in the Single-Subject Preparation Program are strongly encouraged to discuss their future plans during their first semester of enrollment with the Social Science Coordinator, advisors within the College of Education, and advisors in the Career and Assessment Center.  Consideration of completing a supplementary authorization in an area such as mathematics, computer  science, or biology is also strongly encouraged; advising on courses required for supplementary authorizations may be obtained from the College of Education's Student Service Center.

Because of the breadth requirements and extensive lower-division unit requirements, three (3) units of this major that are taken with an upper-division General Education designator of DD may also be used to fulfill the upper-division General Education requirement in Social Science.

Requirements

Units
General Education51
Social Science Preparation60
Electives  9
Students must take a sufficient number of
elective units to bring the total number of
units to a minimum of120

Requirements for the Single-Subject Preparation Program

The Social Sciences major with Preparation Program requires sixty (60) units completed as follows:

Forty-five (45) units in the  Core
Program45
Twenty-seven (27) lower-  or upper-
division units Eighteen (18) upper-division units

Fifteen (15) upper-division 
units in the Breadth Program15

Total Units60

Courses are drawn from history, political science, economics, psy­chology, sociology, geography and women’s studies. 

All courses counted towards the Social Sciences Preparation must be completed with a grade of C (2.0) or higher.  Completion of a final portfolio with a passing grade is also a graduation requirement of the Single Subject Preparation Program.

Lower- or Upper-division CORE Requirements (27 Units)

Required Core Courses

United States History (6 units)
HIST 130* 3
HIST 131* 3

World History (6 units)
HIST 2013
HIST 2023

Psychology (3 units)
PSYC 100*3

Economics (6 units)
Option A:
ECON 2013
ECON 202*3
or
Option B:
ECON 2503
and one of the following:
ECON 3113
ECON 4113

American Government and
Politics (3 units)

Option A:
PSCI 100* 3
or
Option B:
PSCI  300 3

Sociology (3 units)
Select one course 3
SOC 101* SOC 321
SOC 300SOC 323
SOC 311SOC 413
SOC 317

*Also satisfies a lower-division General Education requirement.

Upper-division CORE Requirements (18 Units)

American History (3 units)

Units
Select one course:3
HIST 330HIST 345
HIST 339HIST 346
HIST 341HIST 432
HIST 344HIST 435

 

European History (3 units)

Select one course:3
HIST 305HIST 317
HIST 307HIST 318
HIST 310HIST 323
HIST 311HIST 324
HIST 313HIST 325
HIST 314HIST 326
HIST 315

Non-Western History (3 units)

Select one course:3
HIST 352 HIST 365
HIST 362 HIST 375
HIST 363

Geography  (3 units)

GEOG 3013

California History (3 units)

HIST 347  3

U.S. Government (3 units)
Select one course:3
PSCI 321 PSCI 412
PSCI 355 PSCI 413
PSCI 401 PSCI 414
PSCI 405 PSCI 415
PSCI 406 PSCI 416
PSCI 410PSCI 417

Upper-division Breadth Requirements (15 Units)

World Government (3 units)

Units

Select one course:3
PSCI 331PSCI 361
PSCI 335 PSCI 431
PSCI 337 PSCI 460
PSCI 338 PSCI 461
PSCI 350

Race or Ethnicity in the U.S. (3 units)

Select one course:3

HIST 334SOC 311
HIST 335SOC 313
HIST 337SOC 343
HIST 338SOC 345
PSCI 305SOC 347
PSYC 341

Gender (3 units)

Units

Select one course:3
ECON 341PSCI 472
HIST 316 PSYC 350
HIST 327 SOC 305
HIST 332 SOC 315
HIST 384 SOC 337
PSCI 391 WMST 301

Topics and Theories that Integrate the Social Sciences (3 units)

Select one course:3
ECON 305PSCI 393
HIST 301PSCI 470
HIST 389PSYC 354
or PSCI 363SOC 311
PSCI 370SOC 401
PSCI 372SOC 441
PSCI 373

Ethics or Religion (3 units)

Select one course:3
ECON 306PSCI 394
HIST 301 PSCI 471
HIST 343 SOC 351
PSCI 392 SOC 360

 

MINOR IN SOCIAL SCIENCES

The minor in social sciences can be completed by fulfilling the require­ments for two secondary fields as defined in the Multidisciplinary track. Students may select from any secondary field, except the Individualized secondary field. Students intending to minor in social sciences should consult with the Social Sciences Coordinator.

Requirements

Units
First Secondary Field12
Second Secondary Field12

Total Units 24