Expectations of the Social Science Scholar

The Social Science Department offers coursework in diverse programs. However, the Department considers certain goals and objectives common to all majors offered in Social Science.

The Department’s mission is to provide an opportunity for students to learn about the historical development of economic, social, political and cultural institutions and gain insight into the underlying assumptions, conflicts and political strategies involved in changing those structures. Students pursuing a degree in the Social Sciences will understand the influence of and the intersection among various social realms, such as politics, science, religion and technology. They are challenged to a critical reflection on the local and global structuring of relationships with respect to race, class, gender, and other social categories.

All Social Science majors are expected to gain experience in the formulation of hypotheses and models to explore social, economic, political and cultural relationships and change. Further, they should gain skills in using and evaluating diverse research methods, including sampling procedures and statistical analysis; census and survey data analysis; questionnaire development and interviewing; field work and participant observation; as well as the use of written documents, research monographs and secondary sources.

With these common goals in mind, all students with majors in Criminal Justice, Economics, International Relations, Political Science and Sociology are required to complete the following interdisciplinary sequence of courses.

Program Requirements

Departmental Policies

Students majoring in the Social Science Department must maintain a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 in courses in their respective major. If a student receives more than one grade below a “CD” in major courses, he/she must repeat one of these courses or an approved equivalent and receive a grade of “CD” or above in order to successfully complete the major.

Courses required for the majors may not be taken Pass/Fail. Twelve credits of the major must be earned at Edgewood College: at least four of those credits must be in the major discipline. Majors should consult with their advisor about appropriate courses to fulfill their Math (M) and Information and Technological Literacy (I) requirements. A minimum of four credits of a minor in the department of Social Science must be completed at Edgewood College.