The Master of Arts in Social Science

Course Requirements for the Master’s Degree: 30 units

Continuous enrollment is required. A maximum of 9 semester units of transfer credit may be applied toward the degree.
Graduate Time Limit: All requirements for the degree are to be completed within five years of the end of the semester of enrollment in the oldest course applied toward the degree. See “Graduate Education” in The University Catalog for complete details on general degree requirements.

Students select either the Option in General Social Science or the Option in Social Science Education within the MA in Social Science.

The Option in General Social Science is designed for professionals having unique curricular needs within the behavioral and social sciences. It offers optimal flexibility in designing an individualized program specializing in an area related to behavioral and social sciences. The student can pursue a specific interdisciplinary theme, topic, or problem. The student is responsible for designing the course of study in conjunction with the graduate advisory committee and subject to the approval of the Graduate Coordinator.

The Option in Social Science Education is primarily designed to serve teachers in elementary and secondary education by expanding their knowledge of history, social science, and international studies subject matter and to broaden their teaching methodology.

Prerequisites for Admission to Conditionally Classified Status:

1. Satisfactory grade point average as specified in “Admission to Master’s Degree Programs” in The University Catalog.

2. Approval by the department and the Office of Graduate Programs.

3. An acceptable baccalaureate from an accredited institution, or an equivalent approved by the Office of Graduate Programs. If the applicant’s previous work is deficient in the social sceinces, the applicant may be required to take some prerequisite courses as appropriate to the program of study.

Prerequisites for Admission to Classified Status:

In addition to any requirements listed above:

1. Completion of at least one of the following:
(a) A grade point average of 3.25 or better in the last 60 units of course work taken.
(b) A cumulative undergraduate grade point average of at least 3.0.
(c) A Miller Analogies Test raw score of 50 or more.
(d) A minimum combined score of 800 on the verbal and quantitative portions of the Graduate Record Examination.

2. Recent completion of a research methods course appropriate to the program of study (consult Graduate Coordinator) with a grade of B or better. For the Option in Social Science Education, completion of SOSC 351 or HIST 393, with a grade of B or better, is required.

3. Formation of the graduate advisory committee, composed of at least two faculty from at least two appropriate departments, in consultation with the Graduate Coordinator.

4. Development of an approved program in consultation with the graduate advisory committee and the Graduate Coordinator, including a statement describing the student’s interest in the special program being proposed, previous academic training, other relevant experience, and a description of the particular theme, topic, or problem the student proposes to study. For the Option in General Social Science, the Graduate Coordinators from the departments involved in the program must also sign the program concept. If the relevant departments do not have graduate programs, the Department Chairs must sign the program concept.

Advancement to Candidacy:

In addition to any requirements listed above:

The student must have classified graduate standing and must have completed at least 9 units of the proposed program at the university.

Requirements for the MA in Social Science:

Completion of all requirements as established by the Social Science graduate committee, the graduate advisory committee, and the Office of Graduate Programs, to include:

1. Completion of an approved program consisting of 30 units of 200/300-level courses as follows:

For the Option in General Social Science:

3 units selected from:

ANTH    283    Field Methods in Ethnography    3.0    FA

Prerequisites: ANTH 103.

ANTH    284    Archaeological Site Surveying    3.0    F2

ANTH    285    Formal Methods for Anthropology    3.0    SP

HIST    292    Archival Research Seminar    3.0    FS

POLS    331    Seminar: Research Methods    3.0    SP

PSY    300    Research and Evaluation Methods    3.0    FS

Prerequisites: PSY 107 or equivalent; faculty permission.

SOCI    225A    App Res Methods: Qualitative    3.0    FA

Prerequisites: SOCI 165 or SOCI 165M, and SOCI 166 (or other statistics course by permission of instructor).

SOCI    225B    App Research Meth: Quantitative    3.0    SP

Prerequisites: SOCI 165 or SOCI 165M; SOCI 166 or other statistics course by permission of instructor. CMST majors: COM 202.

The student is responsible for designing the rest of the course of study in conjunction with the graduate advisory committee and subject to the approval of the Graduate Coordinator. A minimum of 18 units must be taken in the social sciences, including course work from at least two disciplines. The program of study must reflect a specific interdisciplinary theme, topic, or problem.

For the Option in Social Science Education:

6 units required:

EDCI    336E    Curr Dev & Instr: Social Studies    3.0    Inq

EDMA    335A    Intro to Inquiry in Education    3.0    FS

Prerequisites: CSCI 010 or experience using computers; faculty permission.

3 units selected from:

ANTH    283    Field Methods in Ethnography    3.0    FA

Prerequisites: ANTH 103.

ANTH    284    Archaeological Site Surveying    3.0    F2

ANTH    285    Formal Methods for Anthropology    3.0    SP

EDMA    335B    Research Seminar in Education    3.0    FS

Prerequisites: EDMA 335A; faculty permission.

HIST    292    Archival Research Seminar    3.0    FS

POLS    331    Seminar: Research Methods    3.0    SP

PSY    300    Research and Evaluation Methods    3.0    FS

Prerequisites: PSY 107 or equivalent; faculty permission.

SOCI    225A    App Res Methods: Qualitative    3.0    FA

Prerequisites: SOCI 165 or SOCI 165M, and SOCI 166 (or other statistics course by permission of instructor).

SOCI    225B    App Research Meth: Quantitative    3.0    SP

Prerequisites: SOCI 165 or SOCI 165M; SOCI 166 or other statistics course by permission of instructor. CMST majors: COM 202.

6-12 units selected from:

SOSC    351    Topics in International Studies    3.0    FS

Prerequisites: faculty permission.

HIST    393    History Social Sci for Teachers    3.0    FA

Prerequisites: Permission of instructor.

3-6 units selected from:

SOSC    399    Master’s Study    1.0-6.0    FS

HIST    399    Master’s Study    1.0-6.0    FS

3-12 units selected from:

AAST    210    Asian Immigrtn: Wrld Sys Perspec    3.0    Inq Eth

AIST    257    American Indian/Federal Law    3.0    FA

Prerequisites: faculty permission.

This course is the same as POLS 257 which may be substituted.

ANTH    282    Laboratory Methods Archaeology    3.0    S2

ANTH    300    Core Seminar in Anthropology    3.0    FA

ANTH    302    Seminar in Archaeology    3.0    SP

ANTH    303    Seminar in Cultural Anthro    3.0    SP

CHST    257    Chicanos/Latinos: Cross-Cultural    3.0    Inq Eth

This course is the same as SOCI 257 which may be substituted.

ECON    270    International Economics    3.0    FS

Prerequisites: ECON 101.

ECON    290    Economic Education    3.0    FS

Prerequisites: ECON 001 or ECON 002.

GEOG    230    Geodemography    3.0    SP

Prerequisites: Faculty permission.

GEOG    302    Seminar in Physical Geography    3.0    Inq

Prerequisites: Faculty permission.

GEOG    303    Seminar in Human Geography    3.0    Inq

Prerequisites: Faculty permission.

HIST    320    Grad Seminar: European History    3.0    FA

HIST    330    Grad Sem: United States History    3.0    SP

HIST    360D    Grad Sem: Latin Amer History    3.0    Inq

HIST    390    Historiography    3.0    Inq

HIST    398    Independent Study    1.0-3.0    FS

POLS    301    Seminar: State and Local Govt    3.0    FA

POLS    321    Seminar: American Politics    3.0    Inq

NOTE: Or other American politics seminar.

POLS    341    Sem: International Relations    3.0    FA

This course is the same as POLS 249 which may be substituted.

POLS    371    Seminar: American National Govt    3.0    FS

Note: Or other national government seminar.

R S    232    Anthropology of Religion    3.0    Inq

Prerequisites: ANTH 103 or R S 200 or instructor’s permission.

This course is the same as ANTH 232 which may be substituted.

SOCI    241    Sociology of World Affairs    3.0    FS

Prerequisites: ENGL 001 (or its equivalent) with a grade of C- or higher and senior standing.

SOCI    256    Teaching Holocaust and Genocide    3.0    SM

This course is the same as CMST 256 and MJIS 256 which may be substituted.

SOSC    398    Independent Study    1.0-3.0    FS

For both Options:
(a) At least 18 units taken in the social sciences.
(b) At least 18 units required for the degree at the 300 level.
(c) Not more than 9 semester units of transfer and/or extension credit (correspondence courses and U.C. extension course work are not acceptable).
(d) Not more than 15 units taken before admission to classified status.
(e) At least 9 units completed after advancement to candidacy.
(f) Not more than a total of 10 units of Independent Study (398) and Master’s Thesis (399) or Master’s Project (399); not more than 6 units of either Master’s Thesis (399) or Master’s Project (399), nor more than 6 units of Independent Study (398).

2. Completion and final approval of a thesis or terminal project as specified by the student’s graduate advisory committee and the Graduate Coordinator, followed by the completion of a comprehensive examination (written or oral) in the field of study.

3. Approval by the Social Science Graduate Coordinator and the Graduate Coordinators Committee on behalf of the faculty of the university.

Graduate Literacy Requirement:

Writing proficiency is a graduation requirement.

Social Science majors will demonstrate their writing competence through submitting an acceptable statement of their interest and experience (see “Prerequisites for Admission to Classified Status” above).

Graduate Grading Requirements:

All courses in the major (with the exceptions of Independent Study-398 and Master’s Study-399) must be taken for a letter grade, except those courses specified by the department as ABC/No Credit (200-level courses), AB/No Credit (300-level courses), or Credit/No Credit grading only. A maximum of 10 units combined of ABC/No Credit, AB/No Credit, and Credit/No Credit grades may be used on the approved program (including 398, 399, and courses outside the major). While grading standards are determined by individual programs and instructors, it is also the policy of the university that unsatisfactory grades may be given when work fails to reflect achievement of the high standards, including high writing standards, expected of students pursuing graduate study.

Students must maintain a 3.0 grade point average in all course work on the approved master’s degree program as well as in all course work taken subsequent to admission to conditionally classified status.

For this program, grades lower than B-are unacceptable. For this program, Internship courses (389) will be graded Credit/No Credit only.

Graduate Advising Requirement:

Advising is mandatory each semester for all Social Science majors. Consult the Graduate Coordinator for specifics.