Social Science
Kenneth B. Muir, Master of Arts in Social Science Program Director and
Assistant Professor
Ph.D., Virginia Tech
Organizations, Media Sociology, Theory
The Master of Arts in Social Science, Education (Major Code: 282*) is a
multidisciplinary graduate program with concentrations leading to secondary
school licensure at the Advanced level or leading to teaching in the community
college. The following concentrations are offered:
(1) Community College/Criminal Justice (Code: 282Y)
(2) Community College/Geography (Code: 282N)
(3) Community College/History (Code: 282O)
(4) Community College/Political Science (Code: 282P)
(5) Community College/Psychology (Code: 282X)
(6) Community College/Sociology (Code: 282Q)
(7) Secondary School (Advanced Licensure)/Anthropology (Code: 282R)
(8) Secondary School (Advanced Licensure)/Economics (Code: 282S)
(9) Secondary School (Advanced Licensure)/Geography (Code: 282T)
(10) Secondary School (Advanced Licensure)/History (Code: 282U)
(11) Secondary School (Advanced Licensure)/Political Science
(Code: 282V)
(12) Secondary School (Advanced Licensure)/Sociology (Code: 282W)
All courses offered through this program are coordinated with appropriate
departments in the Colleges of Arts and Sciences, Business, and Education.
Chairs of these departments, or their designated representatives, serve on the
Social Science Education Program Advisory Committee.
MASTER OF ARTS IN SOCIAL SCIENCE, EDUCATION+
Major Code: 282*
Concentrations: Secondary School (Advanced Licensure)/Anthropology
(Code: 282R)
Secondary School (Advanced Licensure)/Economics (Code: 282S)
Secondary School (Advanced Licensure)/Geography (Code: 282T)
Secondary School (Advanced Licensure)/History (Code: 282U)
Secondary School (Advanced Licensure)/Political Science
(Code: 282V)
Secondary School (Advanced Licensure)/Sociology (Code: 282W)
The Master of Arts degree with a multidisciplinary major in Social Science,
Education for secondary school teaching at the Advanced licensure level will
allow an individual to teach in any or all of the social studies areas
(anthropology, economics, geography, history, political science, and
sociology).
Prerequisites:
Baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university.
For Secondary School concentration only
North Carolina "A" license or the equivalent from another state.
Undergraduate major in a social science discipline at the middle-school or
secondary-school level
One year of teaching experience
Basic Criteria:
Undergraduate GPA in the major: 3.0 or higher
GRE Quantitative score: 450 or higher
GRE Writing score: 4.0 or higher
Other Criteria for All Applicants:
3 recommendations
Deadline:
1 July for Fall/ 1 November for Spring/ 1 April for Summer
Hours: 39 semester hours
+Requirements for this degree were designed, and have been approved by the
appropriate bodies at the state level, to meet the advanced competencies as
mandated in the North Carolina Excellent Schools Act for Master-level teacher
education programs.
A. Requirements:
Social Science Required Hours.............................21
Social Science Elective Hours............................. 6
Social Science Required Hours:
Geography (6 hours):
GHY 5110 Special Topics in Regional Analysis............3
OR
GHY 5301 Regional Geography.............................3
OR
GHY 5100 Special Topics in Physical Environmental
Analysis.......................................3
OR
GHY 5130 Special Topics in Cultural Environmental
Analysis.......................................3
(Economic Geography Emphasis)
History (6 hours):
HIS 5106 Studies in European History....................3
HIS 5206 Studies in American History....................3
Political Science (3 hours):
P S 5030 Seminar in American Government and Politics....3
Sociology (3 hours):
SOC 5025 Advanced General Sociology.....................3
Geography, History, Political Science, Sociology (3 hours):
CJ/GHY/HIS/PS/SOC 5850 Social Science Seminar...........3
SUBTOTAL HOURS........................................21
Social Science Elective Hours (6 hours from the following):
Anthropology:
ANT 5120 Appalachian Culture and Social Organization....3
OR
ANT 5200 Sustainable Development: Theory,
Method and Case..............................3
Economics:
MBA 5250 Macroeconomics for Business....................3
Political Science:
P S 5040 Pro-Seminar in Comparative Politics............3
SUBTOTAL HOURS.........................................6
B. Professional Education Requirements:
CI/FDN/RE/SPE 5040 Teacher as Researcher................3
CI/SPE 5045 Advanced Topics in Diversity................3
C I 5055 Connecting Learners and Subject Matter......3
CI/LHE 5585 Teacher Leadership and School Improvement...3
SUBTOTAL HOURS.....................................12
TOTAL HOURS........................................39
Thesis: None required
Language Proficiency: None required
Comprehensive: An oral comprehensive exam and a defense of the Product
of Learning Portfolio will be administered by the student's advisory committee.
The portfolio will be developed over the course of the entire curriculum.
Product of Learning: See Comprehensive above.
MASTER OF ARTS IN SOCIAL SCIENCE, EDUCATION
Major Code: 282*
Concentrations: Community College/Criminal Justice (Code: 282Y)
Community College/Geography (Code: 282N)
Community College/History (Code: 282O)
Community College/Political Science (Code: 282P)
Community College/Psychology (Code: 282X)
Community College/Sociology (Code: 282Q)
The Master of Arts degree with a multidisciplinary major in Social Science,
Education for community college teaching requires two eighteen-hour
disciplinary concentrations from the areas listed below, as well as one class
in Leadership and Higher Education to meet the professional education
requirement.
Prerequisite: A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or
university with a major in a social science discipline or permission of the
Program Director.
Hours: 39 semester hours
Required Courses:
A. Social Science Concentrations:
Social Science Disciplinary Concentration #1......................18
Social Science Disciplinary Concentration #2......................18
SUBTOTAL HOURS.................................................36
The following courses are available for this degree:
Criminal Justice
Required core courses............................................12
CJ 5000 (or OTHER Social Science Research Methods..........3
CJ/GHY/HIS/PS/SOC 5850: Social Science Seminar.............3
Students must take two of the following if they have taken CJ 5000;
must take three of the following if they have taken other Social Science
Research Methods.
C J 5050 Seminar in Public Law and Judicial Behavior.......3
C J 5060 Administration of Justice.........................3
C J 5150 The American Justice System.......................3
C J 5620 Contemporary Police Issues........................3
C J 5660 Crime, Theory and Policy..........................3
Choose Uthree criminal justice electives among the following
for a total of 9 hours (unless 5850 was taken under CJ). If
a student has taken CJ 5850, choose Utwo criminal justice
electives for a total of 6 hours:
C J 5180 Public Policy Analysis and Program Evaluation.....3
C J 5500 Independent Study.................................3
C J 5530-5549 Selected Topics..............................3
C J 5580 Private Security..................................3
C J 5661 Court Administration..............................3
C J 5670 Crime Analysis and Criminal Justice Planning......3
C J 5680 Organized Crime...................................3
C J 5800 Decision Making in Criminal Justice...............3
Geography:
Required core courses:............................................12
GHY 5000 Research Themes and Methods........................3
GHY 5100 Special Topics in Physical Environmental Analysis..3
GHY 5110 Special Topics in Regional Analysis................3
GHY 5130 Special Topics in Cultural Environmental Analysis..3
Additional approved electives above 5000....................6
History:
Required core courses:
HIS 5206 Studies in American History...............................9
Additional hours chosen from among the following:..................9
HIS 5104 Philosophy of History..............................2
HIS 5106 Studies in European History......................2-9
HIS 5204 Interpreting American History......................3
HIS 5406 Studies in Asian History...........................3
HIS 5450 History and Social Studies Education...............3
HIS 5530-5549
Selected Topics..................................1-4
HIS 5550 Tsarist Russia.....................................3
HIS 5552 The Soviet Union and Russia........................3
HIS 5564 History of Canada..................................3
Political Science:
Required core courses:............................................12
P S 5000 Research Methods...................................3
P S 5030 Seminar in American Government and Politics........3
P S 5020 Pro-Seminar in International Relations.............3
OR
P S 5120 Readings and Research in International Relations...3
AND
P S 5040 Pro-Seminar in Comparative Politics................3
Additional hours chosen from among the following:..................6
C J 5150 The American Justice System........................3
AND
P S 5050 Seminar in Public Law and Judicial Behavior........3
P S 5060 Seminar in Public Administration...................3
P S 5130 Appalachian Political Perspectives.................3
P S 5330 Problems in State and Local Government.............3
P S 5530-5549 Selected Topics.............................1-4
Psychology:
Required concentration hours......................................18
including:
PSY 5655 Advanced General Psychology........................3
and excluding Therapy, Assessment, and Practicum courses:
(PSY 5700, 5701, 5710, 5901 and 5902)
This concentration is to be planned in consultation with an advisor in
the Department of Psychology. The ability of Social Science, Education
students to pursue this concentration will be contingent upon the
approval of a Psychology Department committee and upon submission of
evidence that the student has passed a research methods course in
Psychology.
Sociology:
Required core courses:.............................................9
SOC 5025 Advanced General Sociology.........................3
SOC 5200 Contemporary Sociological Theory...................3
SOC 5350 Contemporary Social Issues.........................3
Additional approved electives......................................9
B. Required Social Science Course:
The following course must be taken after candidacy acceptance within one of
the chosen discipline concentrations, and will count toward that
discipline's 18 hour requirement.
C J/GHY/HIS/P S/SOC 5850 Social Science Seminar....................3
C. Professional Education Requirements:
One course should be selected from the following with the approval
of the Program Director:
LHE 5420 Community, Junior, and Technical Colleges.................3
OR
LHE 5440 Instruction in Postsecondary Institutions.................3
OR
LHE 5630 The Adult Learner.........................................3
SUBTOTAL HOURS..................................................3
TOTAL HOURS....................................................39
Thesis: None required
Language Proficiency: None required
Comprehensive: A written comprehensive exam will be administered by the
student's program advisory committee.
Product of Learning: None required