Social Sciences (SSc)
The intent of this requirement is for students to develop a foundational understanding of the social sciences. Courses meeting this requirement introduce students to the theories, methodologies, and methods employed by social scientists and/or the topics, issues, and content knowledge with which they commonly engage. Social Sciences (SSc)-designated courses may be rooted in a range of fields and disciplines.
Specific learning outcomes for any given SSc course may vary, but it is expected that upon successful completion of any SSc course students will be better able to:
- Recognize how social science inquiry is focused on, for example, people as individuals or groups, behavior, cultures, communities, politics, histories, economies, social structures and systems, and institutions; and understand and describe the questions that can and cannot be answered through such inquiry.
and/or
- Engage with research in the social sciences, either through learning about the methods commonly employed by social scientists, or by conducting original research in a course-based setting. Research in this context includes qualitative, quantitative, or mixed approaches, and may consist of observation, interviews, surveys, document analysis, or secondary data analysis.
and/or
- Think critically about the social sciences by analyzing information, evaluating arguments, making informed judgments, solving problems, thinking creatively, considering multiple perspectives and/or reflecting on their own thinking.