S/Social Sciences:

This requirement is fulfilled through courses in social science designed to increase the student's understanding of the human condition and of human institutions.  Eligible courses in this category emphasize the empirical and comparative study of behavior and/or of social institutions and systems with the goal of producing generalizations about humans and their social, cultural, political, and economic institutions.  Eligible courses also introduce students to the idea that knowledge is produced by and for human beings.  The phenomena we choose to study and the ways we choose to study them are profoundly shaped by our social, economic, political, and moral values.

Courses in this category must include as part of the evaluation process written work of at least 1500 words, at least half of which must be prepared outside of class.

The Departments of Anthropology, Communication, Geography, History, Political Science, Psychology, and Sociology, together with the School of Business (Economics) are responsible for course offerings in this area.  Any department may submit courses which it feels satisfy these criteria.

Learning Outcomes:

Students will demonstrate:

• understanding of social scientific methods of hypothesis development;
• understanding of social scientific methods of document analysis, observation, or experiment;
• understanding of social scientific methods of measurement and data collection;
• understanding of social scientific methods of statistical or interpretive analysis;
• knowledge of some major social science concepts;
• knowledge of some major social science models;
• knowledge of some major social science concerns;
• knowledge of some social issues of concern to social scientists;
• knowledge of some political issues of concern to social scientists;
• knowledge of some economic issues of concern to social scientists;
• knowledge of some moral issues of concern to social scientists.