MS in Social Sciences

Candidates combine research in a core social science concentration with related course work in a second social and behavioral science discipline, including Anthropology, Communication, Communicative Disorders and Sciences, Criminology, Economics, Geography, Linguistics, Political Science and/or Psychology.

The specific program of study for each student is determined in consultation with the Director and faculty adviser.  Students are required to complete 33 credit hours of graduate level work consisting of:

• 15 credit hours in an area of concentration selected from Social Sciences department, including at least one graduate course in research methods or statistics.
• 15 credit hours in courses in a second area of Social Sciences.  With prior approval up to six of these credit hours may be in an area of the Humanities, Natural Sciences or a Professional School.
• 3 credit hours of project guidance.

Generally, a maximum of six credit hours of course work offered in Humanities or Natural Sciences, or through the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, the School of Public Health and Health Professions, and the School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences may be applied to this program.

The final project – a research project and written report – offers students an opportunity to demonstrate how their primary discipline was enriched by multiple perspectives. The research project must be written under the supervision of the student’s faculty advisor and approved by one other faculty member with expertise in the area of the candidate’s work.