1. The Social Sciences
Danette Griffith & Mark Schoenherr
CAS Undergraduate Advising
siue.edu

2. Majors
• Anthropology
• Criminal Justice Studies
• Economics
 Geography
 History
 Political Science
• Social Work
• Sociology
 Teacher Certification Program option
includes Social Sciences Education minor
All Social Sciences majors
complete a Senior Assignment
or Senior Internship
siue.edu

3. Degree Paths
• Bachelor of Arts
• Bachelor of Science
• Bachelor of Social Work
―I don’t sing because I’m happy;
I’m happy because I sing.‖
— William James
siue.edu

4. The Magic Number
• Earning a Bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences requires
124* credit hours of course work
• Most Social Sciences majors require a minor
• All Social Science majors* can incorporate a second
major in place of the minor
*excluding Teacher Education option
siue.edu
―If the only tool you have is a hammer,
you tend to see every problem as a nail.‖
— Abraham Maslow

5. Anthropology
the study of human biology and culture, past and present
• Majors study
Biological, Cultural, Linguistic
and Archaeology
Anthropology
• Recommended first-year
courses:
– ANTH 111A – Human
Ancestry & Adaptations
– ANTH 111B – Human
Culture & Communication
―The purpose of anthropology
is to make the world safe for
human differences.‖
— Ruth Benedict
siue.edu

6. Criminal Justice
the study of crime and punishment
• Competitive admission program
– Enter Pre-CJ Program
– Complete Pre-CJ courses with
grades of C or higher
– Earn a GPA of 2.75 or higher
• Recommended first year courses
– CJ 111 – Intro to Criminal Justice
– SOC 111 – Intro to Sociology
– POLS 112 – American National
Government
• Majors complete an internship in CJ
Police Chief
August Vollmer
Chief Justice
Earl Warren
siue.edu

7. Economics
the study of how we produce, distribute, and consume goods and services
• Majors complete course work in
common with Economics and
Finance major through School of
Business
• Recommended first-year courses
– ECON 111 – Principles of
Macroeconomics
– MATH 120 – College Algebra
siue.edu

8. Geography
the study of the relationship between humans and the environment
• All majors study Cartography; and
Human, Physical, and Regional Geography
– Additional Areas of Specialization include:
• Biogeography
• Climatology/Meteorology
• Cultural Geography
• Developmental Studies
• Urban Studies
• Recommended first-year courses
– GEOG 201 - World Regions
– GEOG 205 - Human Geography
– GEOG 210 - Physical Geography
– MATH 120 - College Algebra
– STAT 107 - Concepts of Statistics
―Everything is related to
everything else, but near
things are more related to
each other.‖
– Waldo Tobler
siue.edu

9. History
the study of the human past
• Department suggests concentrated study of a
foreign language, i.e. a second
major, minor, or focus
• Recommended first-year courses
– Europe/World History
• HIST 111A – Intro to History of Western Civilization: 1500–1815
• HIST 111B – Intro to History of Western Civilization: 1815–Present
• HIST 112A – World History: to 1500
• HIST 112B – World History: 1500–Present
– United States History
• HIST 130 – History of Black America
• HIST 200 – U.S. History & Constitution: to 1877
• HIST 201 – U.S. History & Constitution: 1877–Present
―Those who cannot
remember the past are
condemned to repeat it.‖
— George Santayana
siue.edu

10. Political Science
the study of the relationships underlying political events and conditions
• Subfields include
– American Government & Politics
– Comparative Politics
– International Relations
– Political Theory
– Public Administration
– Public Law
• Recommended first-year courses
– POLS 111 – Intro to Political Science
– POLS 112 – American National Government
Hans Morgenthau (1904 –1980)
a leading 20th-century figure in
the study of international politics.
siue.edu

11. Social Work
the study of helping those in need of help or welfare improve the quality of life
• Highly structured program
• Recommended first-year courses
– ANTH 111B – Human Culture & Communication
– BIOL 111 – Contemporary Biology
– ECON 111 – Principles of Macroeconomics
– PSYC 111 – Foundations of Psychology
– SPC 103 – Interpersonal Communication
– STAT 107 – Concepts of Statistics
• Students earning BSW in Social Work at
SIUE can earn a MSW at SIUE in 1 year
• No Social Work minor is available
Jane Addams
siue.edu

12. Sociology
the study of human social activity
• Two types of Sociology degrees:
– General Sociology
– Specialization in Employment Relations
• Recommended first-year courses
– SOC 111 – Intro to Sociology
―The cost of liberty is less
than the price of repression.‖
– W.E.B. DuBois
―Despite long-standing claims by elites that Blacks, women, Latinos, and other similarly
derogated groups in the United States remain incapable of producing the type of
interpretive, analytical thought that is labeled theory in the West, powerful knowledge of
resistance that toppled former social structures of social inequality repudiate this view.
Members of these groups do in fact theorize, and our critical social theory has been central
to our political empowerment and search for justice.‖
– Patricia Hill Collins
siue.edu

13. With all these
exciting social
science
majors, how can I
possibly choose
just one?
Rodin’s Thinking Man
siue.edu

14. Resources
• CAS Undergraduate Advisors
– Danette Griffith: dagriff@siue.edu
– Mark Schoenherr: maschoe@siue.edu
• Curriculum Guide
– Declaration requirements
– Departmental contact information
– Sequences within program
• CougarNet
– Course descriptions
– Prerequisites
• Department websites
―Well done is
better than well said.‖
– Benjamin Franklin
College of Arts & Sciences
Undergraduate Advising
Peck Hall 1315
(618) 650-5525
casadvising@siue.edu
siue.edu/artsandsciences/advisement
siue.edu