2009-2010 FSU Undergraduate Bulletin
Interdisciplinary Program in Social Science
College of Social Sciences and Public Policy
Director: Robert E. Crew, Jr., Office of the Dean, College of Social Sciences and Public Policy
The Interdisciplinary Program in Social Science (ISS) provides a multidisciplinary view of contemporary social issues and problems. The program offers students an opportunity to draw on the several disciplines of social science as they seek an understanding of public affairs and answers to questions about society. The departments whose courses may be utilized in the program are anthropology, economics, geography, history, political science, sociology, and urban and regional planning, along with the School of Public Administration and Policy.
The program will be particularly appealing to students who have wide-ranging interests in social issues. Its flexibility permits students to pursue specialized and pre-professional interests and to expose themselves to the variety of perspectives of the social sciences.
Computer Skills Competency
All undergraduates at Florida State University must demonstrate basic computer skills competency prior to graduation. As necessary computer competency skills vary from discipline to discipline, each major determines the courses needed to satisfy this requirement. Undergraduate majors in the interdisciplinary program in social science satisfy this requirement by earning a grade of "C–" or higher in CGS 2060, CGS 2064, or CGS 2100.
State of Florida Common Program Prerequisites
The State of Florida has identified common program prerequisites for this University degree program. Specific prerequisites are required for admission into the upper-division program and must be completed by the student at either a community college or a state university prior to being admitted to this program. Students may be admitted into the University without completing the prerequisites, but may not be admitted into the program.
At the time this document was published, some common program prerequisites were undergoing revision. Please visit http://facts23.facts.org/navigation/detail_ext/cpp_intro.do?pageId=060304 for a current list of state-approved prerequisites.
The following lists the common program prerequisites or their substitutions necessary for admission into this upper-division degree program:
- XXX XXXX: two (2) introductory courses for six (6) credit hours in a social science discipline
Note: General requirements for all social sciences: the State University System and the Community Colleges advise students to:
- Complete General Education 36 hours;
- Complete Foreign Language requirement;
- Complete Gordon Rule requirement of 24,000 words;
- Complete Gordon Rule requirement in math by taking 2 courses, one of which must be pure math.
Requirements
A major in the interdisciplinary program requires forty-two semester hours, including nine semester hours in courses taken to satisfy liberal studies requirements. For the usual major, work must be taken in at least three departments within the program. There must be a primary concentration of eighteen semester hours in one department, a second concentration of twelve semester hours in another department, while the remaining twelve semester hours may be distributed among any of the remaining social science departments. Students must complete a total of twenty semester hours in courses numbered above 2999. A minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 on all course work applied to the major must be maintained.
Students may also, rather than selecting courses in the manner identified above, seek an interdisciplinary concentration in four topical areas of study. These are environmental affairs, law and society, urban studies, and public service. Each of these concentrations are multicourse programs focusing on the named topics. For details about these concentrations, see the program director.
Majors must complete the basic university computer competency requirement. CGS 2060 with a grade of "C–" or better will satisfy this requirement.
In addition to a 2.0 overall GPA, all students must meet "mapping" requirements. See http://academic-guide.fsu.edu/ for more information.
Degrees
The courses of study offered by the interdisciplinary program in social science lead to the Bachelor of Arts (BA) and Bachelor of Science (BS) degrees.
Requirements for a Minor in Social Sciences for Psychology or Criminology Majors at the Panama City Campus
A minor in the interdisciplinary program in social sciences is available for psychology students at the Panama City campus. Students may obtain the minor by successfully completing a total of fifteen semester hours of course work in interdisciplinary social science participating departments, which include interdisciplinary social science, anthropology, economics, geography, history, political science, sociology, and urban and regional planning.
Honors in the Major
The ISS program participates in the upper-division honors in the major. For requirements and other information, see the "University Honors Office and Honor Societies" chapter of this General Bulletin.
Definition of Prefixes
CPS—Comparative Policy Studies
ISS—Interdisciplinary Social Sciences
Undergraduate Courses
CPS 4321. Comparative Policy Studies: Contemporary Southeast Europe (3). Contemporary problems and prospects for Southeast Europe.
CPS 4905r. Directed Individual Study (3). May be repeated to a maximum of nine (9) semester hours.
ISS 4905r. Directed Individual Study (1–3). May be repeated to a maximum of six (6) semester hours.
ISS 4906r. Directed Individual Study (3). May be repeated to a maximum of six (6) semester hours.
ISS 4907r. Honors Work (1–6). May be repeated to a maximum of nine (9) semester hours.
ISS 4931r. Special Topics (1–3). May be repeated with permission of the director of the interdisciplinary program in social science to a maximum of eighteen (18) semester hours.
ISS 4944r. Internship (3–6). Students are placed in a variety of employment situations related to their academic interest and conduct, under faculty supervision, research related to a problem or issue facing the sponsor of the internship. May be repeated to a maximum of six (6) semester hours.
Graduate Courses
CPS 5424. Research Seminar in Comparative Political and Administrative Organization (3).
CPS 5906r. Directed Individual Study (3). (S/U grade only.)
CPS 5911r. Supervised Research (1–5). (S/U grade only.)
ISS 5125. Introduction to Economics for Executives (3).
ISS 5326. Marketing in the Public and Nonprofit Sector (1–3).
ISS 5386. Information and Communication Management (3).
ISS 5905. Direct Individual Study (3).
ISS 5930r. Special Topics in Social Science (1–3).
ISS 5945. Internship (3–6).
ISS 5942r. Supervised Teaching (1–3). (S/U grade only.)
ISS 5951r. Problem Analysis Project (3).
For listings relating to graduate course work for thesis, dissertation, and master's and doctoral examinations and defense, consult the Graduate Bulletin.