Social Science

Undergraduate Information

OFFICE: Nasatir Hall 122
TELEPHONE: 619-594-4289
E-MAIL: socsciad@sdsu.edu
WEBSITE: https://socialscience.sdsu.edu/

Faculty

Program Director and Undergraduate Adviser: Adams, Brian E., Professor of Political Science (B.A., University of Southern California; M.A., Ph.D., University of California, Irvine)

Tenured and Tenure-Track Faculty:

Castañeda, Donna M., Professor of Psychology, SDSU Imperial Valley (B.A., University of Washington; M.A., Ph.D., University of California, Davis)

Boime, Eric I., Associate Professor of History, SDSU Imperial Valley (B.A., University of California, Santa Barbara; M.A., Ph.D., University of California, San Diego)

Cordero, Elizabeth D., Associate Professor of Psychology, SDSU Imperial Valley (B.A., University of California, Los Angeles; M.A., Ph.D., University of California, Santa Barbara)

Herrera, Carlos R., Interim Associate Dean, Academic Affairs, SDSU Imperial Valley, Associate Professor of History (B.A., M.A., University of San Diego; Ph.D., University of New Mexico

Lecturer:

Fuentes, Suzanna, M.A., Social Science

Committee:

Domínguez, Michael C., Assistant Professor of Chicana and Chicano Studies (B.A., College of William and Mary; M.A., University of Nevada, Las Vegas; Ph.D., University of Colorado)

McCall, Michael, Associate Professor of Sociology (B.S., M.A., University of Akron; Ph.D., Washington University in St. Louis)

Putman, John, Associate Dean, College of Arts and Letters; Professor of History (B.A. San Diego State University; M.A., Ph.D., University of California, San Diego)

Wiese, Andrew, Professor of History (B.A., University of Iowa; M.A., Ph.D., Columbia University)

Undergraduate Information

The Major

Courses in the social science major are taught by faculty in the following departments: Africana Studies, American Indian Studies, Anthropology, Asian Studies, Chicano and Chicana Studies, Economics, Geography, History, Linguistics, Political Science, Psychology, Department for the Study of Religion, Sociology, and Women’s Studies.

Social science research attempts to understand how society works through behavioral or social explanations. Social science students learn to analyze and critically examine cultural, economic, political, and social phenomena by studying human behavior and social processes.

The social science major has three tracks:

General interdisciplinary major. This track provides students with a broad understanding of social science and an appreciation of the interrelatedness of its disciplines. The general social science major is not vocational training, and thus there is no specific career path. This program is appropriate for students who desire a liberal arts education and seek to develop analytical, critical thinking, and writing skills that can be applied to a wide range of occupations and professions. Because of the flexibility of the major, students can take courses that are relevant to their career interests.

The social science major in preparation for the single subject teaching credential. This track is designed for students who want to pursue a career teaching economics, geography, government, or history in middle and high schools. Students take core courses in each of the four areas to provide a breadth of knowledge, as well as electives to build depth. The major also includes the required early field experience necessary to enter SDSU’s teaching credential program. Students who choose this major will acquire the content knowledge necessary to successfully complete a teaching credential program and then be able to teach in California middle and high schools.

The Integrated Teacher Education Program (ITEP). This track allows students to earn both a bachelor’s degree and a credential to teach social science in four years. It is the single-subject major with the addition of credential courses that provide students with both the content knowledge and teaching skills to earn a credential and be a successful teacher. The ITEP consists of 134 units, and thus does require most students to take some courses over the summer.

Advising

All College of Arts and Letters majors are urged to consult with their department adviser as soon as possible; they are required to meet with their department adviser in order to declare or change the major.