Social Science

About this Composite Major

The Social Science curriculum encompasses a wide range of areas: geography, political science, economics, sociology and history; all explore the ways that human beings, as societies or cultures, relate to each other and their environments and how they establish structured systems to effectively govern and administer their activities. Each of the areas has a knowledge base and a point of view that is distinctly its own, but together they form a cohesive grouping of studies designed to train students to deal with people in a wide variety of settings and to manage the problems of society. The wide variety of subject matter is designed to produce generalists who may either value their education as an end in itself, use the Social Science degree as a springboard to career placement in related fields, or who elect to pursue graduate work in a more specialized context.

Meet a Student

VCUS alumni Kylie Johnson stands in the Student Center.

My time at VCSU was filled with a lot of exciting experiences. I was able to explore my passion in history by being given an opportunity to present a paper on Native American Education. I also was able to participate in several clubs, one being History Club/Phi Alpha Theta. Valley City gave me multiple opportunities to pursue my passion to become a teacher. VCSU did not only help me grow in my education, I was also able to grow as a person. - Kylie Johnson '20, West Fargo, ND

Career Opportunities

A photo of a globe sitting on a table at the Allen Memorial Library at Valley City State University

Career opportunities for individuals with a Social Science degree include

Law
Government service
Museum work
Archivist
Broadcasting
Campaign worker
Consultant
Editor
Foreign service officer
Intelligence agent
Journalist
Researcher

Explore Social Science

There are multiple places to find career and volunteer opportunities related to social sciences. Explore some of those opportunities here:

Get Involved in your Major

VCSU history students gather together during the annual Marketplace event in the fall semester.

VCSU has an active Phi Alpha Theta/History Club, allowing students to develop leadership skills and promote history across campus. Students have opportunities to present their research at the Dakota History Conference and the Northern Great Plains History Conference, in regional, professional history settings. The Social Science Department also periodically organizes overseas travel opportunities for VCSU students.

Practical Experience

You are encouraged to earn credits by extending your learning beyond the classroom. The Barnes County Historical Museum gives students the opportunities for practical, hands-on experience, archives for research, and community involvement. Both behavioral science and business internships are available if you lack previous employment experience. You may earn credit in an internship program that provides supervised training in regional areas.

Contact Information

Department Chair

Dr. Emily Fenster, emily.fenster@vcsu.edu, (701) 845-7313

Faculty Contact

Dr. Steven King, steven.king@vcsu.edu, (701) 845-7108

Department Location

McFarland Hall 315, (701) 845-7301

General Education Requirements

Course List
Code	Title	Credits
English Composition
Select one of the following:		6
ENGL 110	College Composition I
ENGL 120	College Composition II
or ENGL 125	Introduction to Professional Writing
or
ENGL 120	College Composition II
or ENGL 125	Introduction to Professional Writing
ENGL 210	College Composition III: Persuasive Writing
Speech Communication
Select one of the following:		3
COMM 110	Fundamentals of Public Speaking
COMM 212	Interpersonal Communication
COMM 216	Intercultural Communication
Mathematics
Select one of the following:		3
MATH 103	College Algebra
MATH 104	Finite Mathematics
MATH 107	Precalculus
MATH 110	Mathematics in Society
MATH 165	Calculus I
MATH 210	Elementary Statistics
Lab Science
Select two of the following, one must come from the Natural and Physical Sciences category		8
Natural and Physical Sciences (ND:LABSC)
BIOL 111	Concepts of Biology
BIOL 150	General Biology I
BIOL 151	General Biology II
BIOL 170	General Zoology
CHEM 115	Introductory Chemistry
CHEM 116	Introduction to Organic and Biochemistry
CHEM 121	General Chemistry I
CHEM 122	General Chemistry II
GEOL 100	Introduction to Earth Science
GEOL 106	The Earth Through Time
PHYS 100	Concepts of Physics
PHYS 110	Introductory Astronomy
PHYS 211	College Physics I
PHYS 212	College Physics II
PHYS 251	University Physics I
PHYS 252	University Physics II
Additional Sciences (ND:SCI)
PSYC 240	Cognition and Brain Science
TECH 161	Technology, Engineering, and Design
TECH 165	Technology Solutions for Society
Wellness
Select one of the following:		2
HPER 100	Concepts of Fitness and Wellness
HPER 212	Introduction to Stress Management
Computer Science and Literacy
Select one of the following:		3
CIS 147	Principles of Information Security
CIS 170	Introduction to Computer Information Systems ¹
CSCI 120	Introduction to Programming
CSCI 127	Introduction to Programming in Java
CSCI 160	Introduction to Structured Programming I
CSCI 289	Social Implications of Computer Technology ¹
SE 110	Discovering Computing
Humanities
Literacies
Select one of the following:		3
ASL 101	American Sign Language I
ASL 102	American Sign Language II
COMM 211	Oral Interpretation
ENGL 220	Introduction to Literature
ENGL 225	Introduction to Film
ENGL 231	Bible as Literature
ENGL 232	Mythology
ENGL 236	Women and Literature
ENGL 241	World Literature I
ENGL 242	World Literature II
ENGL 261	American Literature I
ENGL 262	American Literature II
HUM 201	Civilization, Thought, and Literary Heritage
PSYC 200	Ethics and Philosophy of Science
SPAN 101	1st Year Spanish I
SPAN 102	1st Year Spanish II
SPAN 201	2nd Year Spanish I
SPAN 202	2nd Year Spanish II
THEA 110	Introduction to Theatre Arts
Art and Music
Select one of the following:		3
ART 110	Introduction to the Visual Arts
ART 115	Introduction to Digital Media
ART 210	Art History I
ART 211	Art History II
ART 233	History of Craft
HUM 202	Fine Arts and Aesthetics
MUS 100	Music Appreciation
MUS 101	Music Fundamentals
MUS 201	World Music
MUS 207	History of Popular/Rock Music
Social Science
Select 6 credits from the following:		6
COMM 112	Understanding Media and Social Change
COMM 114	Human Communication
ECON 201	Principles of Microeconomics
ECON 202	Principles of Macroeconomics
GEOG 151	Human Geography
HIST 103	United States to 1877
HIST 104	United States to Present
HIST 211	World Civilizations to 1500
HIST 212	World Civilizations since 1500
HIST 267	Environmental History
HIST 270	Native American Studies
POLS 115	American National Government
POLS 116	State and Local Government
PSYC 111	Introduction to Psychology
SOC 110	Introduction to Sociology
SOC 111	Introduction to Anthropology
Additional Humanities or Social Science
Select one additional course from Humanities or Social Science or select from the following:		2
ART 122	Two-Dimensional Design
ART 130	Drawing I
ART 150	Ceramics I
ART 180	Photography I
GEOG 111	Survey of Geography
MUS 104	Group Piano for Non-Majors
MUS 105	Group Piano for Non-Majors
MUS 130	Valkyries
MUS 131	Concert Choir
MUS 140	Athletic Band
MUS 141	Concert Band
PHYS 275	Planetarium Science
THEA 201	Theatre Practicum
Total Credits		39

¹: Course satisfies the Digital Literacy graduation requirement.

Major Requirements

Course List
Code	Title	Credits
Required Courses
Economics Courses
Select two of the following:		6
ECON 201	Principles of Microeconomics ¹
or ECON 202	Principles of Macroeconomics
ECON 345	International Political Economy
ECON 460	The Atlantic World
Geography Courses
Select 6 hours from the following:		6
GEOG 100	Introduction to Earth Science
GEOG 111	Survey of Geography
GEOG 151	Human Geography ¹
GEOG 300	Environmental Earth Science
GEOG 320	Applied Geography Workshop
GEOG 325	History and Geography of England and Britain
GEOG 362	Geography of North America
GEOG 394	Independent Study
GEOG 460	The Atlantic World
GEOG 492	Field Experience in Geography
History Courses
Select 6 hours from the following:		6
HIST 103	United States to 1877
HIST 104	United States to Present
HIST 211	World Civilizations to 1500
HIST 212	World Civilizations since 1500
HIST 267	Environmental History
HIST 325	History and Geography of England and Britain
HIST 458	The World Wars: 1914-1945
HIST 460	The Atlantic World
Political Science Courses
Select 6 hours from the following:		6
POLS 115	American National Government ¹
POLS 116	State and Local Government
POLS 340	Research Methods
POLS 375	U.S. Constitution: Federalism
POLS 376	U.S. Constitution: Civil Liberties
POLS 380	The American Presidency
POLS 420	Comparative Politics
POLS 425	International Relations
Psychology Courses
Select 6 hours from the following:		6
PSYC 111	Introduction to Psychology
PSYC 240	Cognition and Brain Science
PSYC 250	Developmental Psychology
PSYC 350	Social Psychology
PSYC 360	Group Dynamics
PSYC 370	Abnormal Psychology
PSYC 380	Human Sexuality
PSYC 450	Personality Theories
Sociology Courses
Select 6 hours from the following:		6
SOC 110	Introduction to Sociology ¹
SOC 111	Introduction to Anthropology
SOC 220	The Family
SOC 251	Introduction to Gerontology
SOC 300	Race, Ethnic, and Gender Relations
SOC 340	Research Methods
SOC 350	Social Psychology
SOC 390	Criminology and Delinquency
SOC 422	Social Science Theory
Concentration
Students complete 18 additional credits in one of the following areas: History, Political Science, Psychology, or Sociology.		18
HIST 491	Senior Capstone	1
Total Credits		55

¹: Required

Total General Education 39 Hrs
Total Major Requirement 55 Hrs
Total Credits Needed to Graduate 120 Hrs

For degree and graduation requirements, visit degree requirements and graduation requirements.

Plan of Study

First Year
Fall	Credits	Spring	Credits
CIS 170 (Gen Ed)	3	Concentration or Related Field or Cultural Block	3
COMM 212 (Gen Ed)	3	ENGL 120 (Gen Ed)	3
ENGL 110 (Gen Ed)	3	HIST 104 or 212 (Gen Ed)	3
MATH 210 (Gen Ed)	3	HPER 100 (Gen Ed)	2
POLS 115	3	Lab Science (Gen Ed)	4
UNIV 150	1
	16		15
Second Year
Fall	Credits	Spring	Credits
Concentration or Related Field or Cultural Block	3	Art and Music (Gen Ed)	3
Lab Science (Gen Ed)	4	Concentration or Related Field or Cultural Block	3
Literacies (Gen Ed)	3	ECON 201 or 202	3
PSYC 111 (Gen Ed)	3	GEOG 111 (Gen Ed)	3
SOC 110	3	History 300-level course	3
		PSYC 250	3
	16		18
Third Year
Fall	Credits	Spring	Credits
Concentration/Related Field or Cultural Block	3	Concentration or Related Field or Cultural Block	3
Elective	3	Concentration or Related Field or Cultural Block	3
GEOG 151	3	ECON 300-level course	3
Geog 300-level course	3	Elective	3
HIST 300-level course	3	PSYC 300-level course	3
	15		15
Fourth Year
Fall	Credits	Spring	Credits
Concentration or Related Field or Cultural Block	3	Concentration or Related Field or Cultural Block	3
Concentration or Related Field or Cultural Block	3	Concentration or Related Field or Cultural Block	3
Elective	3	Concentration or Related Field or Cultural Block	3
POLS 300-level course	3	HIST 491	1
SOC 300-level course	3	Internship	2
	15		12
Total Credits 122

Please note: This plan is intended for general information only. Students are strongly encouraged to meet with their academic advisor each semester before registration.

Learning Outcomes

Content: Students will accumulate knowledge and understanding of the necessary material to establish historical context and causality. Content will be demonstrated by thesis driven, evidence based responses to historical scenarios.
Social theory: Students will develop an understanding of the philosophies, methodologies, and theories that define, give meaning to, and shape scholarly understanding of the social sciences. Social theory will be demonstrated through thesis driven research that applies relevant theories or methodologies to historical writing.
Application: Students will demonstrate their content knowledge and understanding of social theory and use them in a manner that illustrates that they can apply it in real world experiences.