Program: Social Science, B.A. - San Diego State University

Jun 11, 2025

2025-2026 University Catalog

(Major Code: 22011) (Academic Plan Code: 116701BALS) (Academic Plan Code: 116701BALI - SDSU Imperial Valley)

Social Science, B.A. (2025-2026) - Roadmap

Also Offered at SDSU Imperial Valley

All candidates for a Bachelor of Arts degree must complete the graduation requirements listed in the section of this catalog on “Graduation Requirements .”

A minor is not required with this major.

Impacted Program

To complete the major, students must fulfill the degree requirements for the major described in the catalog in effect at the time they are accepted into the premajor at SDSU (assuming continuous enrollment).

The social science major is an impacted program. To be admitted to the social science major, students must meet the following criteria:

A. Complete preparation for the major;

B. Complete a minimum of 60 transferable semester units;

C. Have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0.

Preparation for the Major

(18 units)

Complete 15 Units

(15 units)

15 units selected from at least three different departments to include

AFRAS 101 - Introduction to Africana Studies: Social and Behavioral Sciences Units: 3
ANTH 102 - Introduction to Socio-Cultural Anthropology Units: 3
ASIAN 100 - State and Society in the Asia Pacific Units: 3
ECON 101 - Principles of Economics Units: 3
ECON 102 - Principles of Economics Units: 3
GEOG 102 - People, Places, and Environments Units: 3
GEOG 106 - World Regional Geography Units: 3
GEOG 170 - Sustainable Places and Practices Units: 3
HIST 109 - American History to Reconstruction Units: 3
HIST 110 - American History Since the Civil War Units: 3
LATAM 101 - Introduction to Latin American Studies Units: 3
LING 101 - Introduction to Language Units: 3
POL S 101 - Introduction to American Politics in Global Perspective Units: 3
POL S 102 - Introduction to American and California Government and Politics Units: 3
POL S 103 - Introduction to Comparative Politics Units: 3
POL S 104 - Introduction to Global Politics Units: 3
PSY 101 - Introductory Psychology Units: 3
SOC 101 - Introductory Sociology: The Study of Society Units: 3
SOC 102 - Introduction to Social Problems Units: 3
WMNST 103 - Women and Global Justice Units: 3

Lower Division Methods

(3 units)

Three units selected from

ECON 201 - Statistical Methods Units: 3
GEOG 104 - Geographic Information Science and Spatial Reasoning Units: 3
LING 270 - Elementary Statistics for Language Studies Units: 3
POL S 201 - Statistics and Politics Units: 3
SOC 201 - Elementary Social Statistics Units: 3
STAT 119 - Elementary Statistics for Business Units: 3
or
A three unit elementary statistics course

Language Requirement

Competency (successfully completing the third college semester or fifth college quarter) is required in one language other than English to fulfill the graduation requirement. Refer to section of catalog on “Graduation Requirements .” Spanish is recommended for those planning to work in this part of the United States.

Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement

Complete one of the approved upper division writing courses (W) with a grade of C (2.0) or better. See “Graduation Requirements ” section for a complete listing of requirements.

Major

A minimum of 33 upper division units to include at least one course from five different departments.

Required Course

(3 units)

SOCSI 300 - Social Science Approaches and Concepts Units: 3

Social Science Theory

(3 units)

Three units selected from

AFRAS 322 - African American Political Thought Units: 3
AFRAS 327 - Critical Theories in Africana Studies Units: 3
ANTH 303 - Principles of Socio-Cultural Anthropology Units: 3
ECON 311 - History of Economic Thought Units: 3
ECON 320 - Intermediate Macroeconomic Theory Units: 3
ECON 321 - Intermediate Microeconomic Theory Units: 3
GEOG 348 - Environment and Development Units: 3
POL S 301A - Ancient Political Thought Units: 3
POL S 301B - Early Modern Political Thought Units: 3
POL S 302 - Modern Political Thought Units: 3
POL S 305 - American Political Thought Units: 3
POL S 406 - Democracy and Mass Society Units: 3
SOC 401 - Classical Social Theory Units: 3
SOC 403 - Contemporary Social Theory Units: 3
SOC 410 - Social Psychology: Mind, Self, and Society Units: 3

Upper-division Methods

(3 units)

Three units selected from

ANTH 520 - Ethnographic Field Methods Units: 3
ANTH 531 - Methods in Applied Anthropology Units: 3
CCS 402 - Humanizing and Decolonizing Approaches to Theory and Research Methods Units: 3
ECON 301 - Introduction to Applied Econometrics Units: 3
ECON 441 - Introduction to Econometrics Units: 3
GEOG 380 - Map Investigation Units: 3
GEOG 381 - Computerized Map Design Units: 3
GEOG 385 - Spatial Data Analysis Units: 3
GEOG 586 - Qualitative Methods in Geographic Research Units: 3
SOC 301 - Social Research Methods Units: 3
SOC 406 - Intermediate Social Statistics Units: 3
SOC 407 - Survey and Experimental Research Methods Units: 3
SOC 408 - Qualitative Research Methods Units: 3

Clusters

(18 units)

Choose two clusters selected from the list below and complete three courses from each selected cluster. Students may create their own cluster with the consent of the major advisor. Social Science 499 may be used in a cluster with the consent of the major advisor.

Electives

(6 units)

Six units selected from

AFRAS 321 - Black Political Participation in America Units: 3
AFRAS 341 - Cultural Patterns and African American Identity Units: 3
AFRAS 380 - African Americans and the US Justice System Units: 3
AFRAS 421 - Black Urban Experience Units: 3
AFRAS 455 - Africana Class, Gender, and Sexualities Units: 3
AFRAS 473 - Women in Africa Units: 3
AMIND 380 - Re-Indigenizing Cultural Heritage/Cultural Resources Management Units: 3
AMIND 451 - American Indian Identity Units: 3
AMIND 460 - American Indian Languages Units: 3
ANTH 333 - Race, Ethnicity, and Identity in the Americas Units: 3
ANTH 348 - Historical Archaeology Units: 3
ANTH 350 - Exploring Cultural Diversity Around the World Units: 3
ANTH 353 - Sustainability and Culture Units: 3
ANTH 404 - Evolution of Human Behavior Units: 3
ANTH 410 - Culture and Communicative Pathways Units: 3
ANTH 439 - Cultural Comparisons Through Film Units: 3
ANTH 440 - Mesoamerican Civilization Before the Europeans Units: 3
ANTH 442 - Cultures of South America Units: 3
ANTH 451 - American Indian Identity Units: 3
ANTH 460 - American Indian Languages Units: 3
ASIAN 300 - Asia’s Global Future Units: 3
ASIAN 320 - Asian Environmental Issues Units: 3
ASIAN 353 - Language and Social Interaction in China Units: 3
AAS 460 - Contemporary Issues in Filipino-American Communities Units: 3
CCS 303 - Chicana and Chicano Community Studies Units: 3
CHIN 353 - Language and Social Interaction in China Units: 3
ECON 464 - Economic Problems of Latin America Units: 3
FILIP 460 - Contemporary Issues in Filipino-American Communities Units: 3
GEOG 312 - Culture Worlds Units: 3
GEOG 321 - United States Units: 3
GEOG 324 - Latin America Units: 3
GEOG 336 - Europe Units: 3
GEOG 341 - Feeding the World Units: 3
GEOG 342 - Food, Place, and Culture Units: 3
GEOG 354 - Geography of Cities Units: 3
GEOG 370 - Conservation Science and Policy Units: 3
HIST 404 - History of Human Rights Units: 3
ISCOR 310 - Our Global Future: Environment, Climate, and the Prospects of Survival Units: 3
LATAM 333 - Race, Ethnicity, and Identity in the Americas Units: 3
LGBT 321 - LGBT Identities in the Modern World Units: 3
LING 350 - Language and Politics Units: 3
LING 354 - Language and Computers Units: 3
LING 420 - Linguistics and English Units: 3
LING 452 - Language Acquisition Units: 3
LING 460 - American Indian Languages Units: 3
POL S 320 - The U.S. Constitution Units: 3
POL S 334 - Politics of the Environment Units: 3
POL S 336 - Gender and Public Policy Units: 3
POL S 345 - U.S. Constitutional Law: Powers and Constraints Units: 3
POL S 347 - U.S. Constitutional Law: Rights and Liberties Units: 3
POL S 353 - Islam and Politics Units: 3
POL S 356 - European Politics Units: 3
POL S 359 - Government and Politics in Russia and Eurasia Units: 3
POL S 361 - Governments and Politics of the Developing Areas Units: 3
POL S 362 - Governments and Politics of East Asia Units: 3
POL S 363 - Governments and Politics of the Middle East Units: 3
POL S 365 - Chinese Politics Units: 3
POL S 422 - Urban Politics Units: 3
PSY 340 - Social Psychology Units: 3
PSY 351 - Psychology of Personality Units: 3
REL S 343 - Sociology of Religion (C) Units: 3
REL S 390A - Religion and Revolution (D) Units: 3
REL S 390B - Religion and Revolution (D) Units: 3
SOC 320 - Sex and Gender in Contemporary Society Units: 3
SOC 338 - Sociology of Religion Units: 3
SOC 350 - Population and Contemporary Issues Units: 3
SOC 352 - Global Social Problems Units: 3
SOC 355 - Sociology of Race and Ethnicity Units: 3
SOC 430 - Social Organization Units: 3
SOC 450 - Social Change Units: 3
SOC 460 - Technology and Society Units: 3
SOCSI 499 - Special Study Units: 1-3
SPAN 462 - Language Variation in the Spanish-Speaking World Units: 3
SUSTN 334 - Politics of the Environment Units: 3
SUSTN 353 - Sustainability and Culture Units: 3
WMNST 310 - Global Cultures and Women’s Lives Units: 3
WMNST 325 - Psychology of Women Units: 3
WMNST 341A - Gender and US History Units: 3
WMNST 341B - Gender and US History Units: 3
WMNST 370 - Women, Law, and Policy Units: 3
WMNST 375 - Sex, Power, and Politics Units: 3
WMNST 385 - Women’s Work: Invisibility and Empowerment Units: 3

Social Science, B.A.

Impacted Program

A. Complete preparation for the major;

B. Complete a minimum of 60 transferable semester units;

C. Have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0.

Preparation for the Major

Complete 15 Units

Lower Division Methods

Language Requirement

Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement

Major

Required Course

Social Science Theory

Upper-division Methods

Clusters

California

Political Economy

Social Movements

Teaching and Learning

Violence and Society

War and Society

Leisure and Entertainment as Social Phenomena

Health and Well-being

Families, Children and Society

Immigration

Electives