DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SCIENCE

Undergraduate Department of Social Science

COLLEGE OF SOCIAL SCIENCES & PUBLIC POLICY

Director: Lisa Turner de Vera, 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 the social sciences. Students learn to integrate those disciplinary perspectives as they seek an understanding of complex social issues, problems, and events. The program is flexible so that students may pursue their own individual specialized and pre-professional interests. Students may design their major to focus around disciplinary orientations to the social science, or special interdisciplinary concentrations in urban studies, inequality and society, public policy, public service, law and society, social entrepreneurship and innovation, and environmental studies are offered.

Digital Literacy Requirement

Students must complete at least one course designated as meeting the Digital Literacy Requirement with a grade of “C–” or higher. Courses fulfilling the Digital Literacy Requirement must accomplish at least three of the following outcomes:

Evaluate and interpret the accuracy, credibility, and relevance of digital information
Evaluate and interpret digital data and their implications
Discuss the ways in which society and/or culture interact with digital technology
Discuss digital technology trends and their professional implications
Demonstrate the ability to use digital technology effectively
Demonstrate the knowledge to use digital technology safely and ethically

Each academic major has determined the courses that fulfill the Digital Literacy requirement for that major. Students should contact their major department(s) to determine which courses will fulfill their Digital Literacy requirement.

Undergraduate majors in the interdisciplinary program in social science satisfy this requirement by earning a grade of “C–” or higher in CGS 2060 or CGS 2100.

State of Florida Common Program Prerequisites for Social Science

The Florida Virtual Campus (FLVC) houses the statewide, internet-based catalog of distance learning courses, degree programs, and resources offered by Florida's public colleges and universities, and they have developed operational procedures and technical guidelines for the catalog that all institutions must follow. The statute governing this policy can be reviewed by visiting https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2021/1006.73.

FLVC has identified common program prerequisites for the degree program in Social Science. To obtain the most up-to-date, state-approved prerequisites for this degree, visit: https://cpm.flvc.org/programs/35/196.

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.

Internet Supported Distance Learning

A bachelor's degree program is available that enables students with an AA degree to earn an FSU degree without moving to Tallahassee. To be admitted, students are strongly recommended to have completed the University's oral communication competency requirement and the computer skills competency requirement. Due to limited course availability, it is strongly suggested that students contact the distance learning advisor to review course planning options, prior to admission. For more information, visit https://distance.fsu.edu/support or contact the program advisor.

Requirements

Major Program of Studies at FSU: 43 Credit Hours

A major in the interdisciplinary program requires forty-three semester hours. For the general option, work must be taken in at least three departments within the program. Participating departments include: anthropology, economics, geography, history, political science, public administration, sociology, and urban and regional planning. Up to nine of the required forty-three hours may also apply to General Education. Twenty-one hours must be taken in courses numbered above 2999. A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 on all coursework applied to the major must be maintained. All coursework within the major must be passed with a grade of “D” or higher.

Required Coursework

Students must complete the required course, ISS 3923 Interdisciplinary Forum, with a grade of “S”.

Students must also complete the required course, ISS 4304 Contemporary Social Problems and Policy Solutions with a grade of “C” or higher. This course is applicable to any departmental concentration area within the structure of the major.

Interdisciplinary Social Science General Option (43 Credit Hours)

Students must have:

Satisfactory completion of the one-hour forum
A primary concentration of eighteen hours in one participating department
A secondary concentration of twelve hours in a second participating department and
The remaining twelve hours distributed among any of the remaining participating departments that are not being used for the primary or secondary concentrations

Interdisciplinary Social Science Specialization Option (43 Credit Hours)

Alternatively, students may complete the requirements of interdisciplinary specializations in law and society, public policy, public service, urban studies, inequality and society, social innovation and social entrepreneurship, or environmental studies. For further details, speak with an advisor.

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 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 coursework in interdisciplinary social science participating departments, which include interdisciplinary social science, anthropology, economics, geography, history, political science, public administration, sociology, and urban and regional planning.

Undergraduate Certificate in Public Policy

The Public Policy Certificate allows students to develop their abilities as policy advocates and policy analysts by focusing attention on areas of public policy that are of contemporary importance to Florida and to the nation.

By the end of the certificate students will be able to:

Apply key interdisciplinary social science concepts and methods useful in studying public policy.
Interpret information about public problems and think critically about alternative methods of resolving these problems.
Integrate disciplinary perspectives to more holistically understand a policy problem within their chosen policy area.
Create a high-quality policy report that highlights the interdisciplinary nature of a chosen policy problem in Florida and demonstrates knowledge gained through the certificate work.

*This certificate is available to face to face and distance learners. However, not every course from the list below is offered online so students are encouraged to consider course availability before selecting their policy area.

Admission Prerequisites

To apply for admission to the Public Policy Certificate program, students must the following requirements:

Minimum of 3.0 cumulative GPA
Successful completion of the application

Program Administrators

     Dr. Alexandra Cockerham
     Director, Undergraduate Certificate in Public Policy
      alexandrcockerham9@fsu.edu

     Melanie Presnell
     Undergraduate Academic Program Specialist
     mpresnell@fsu.edu

Application Procedure

To apply to complete the Undergraduate Certificate in Public Policy, students must meet the prerequisite noted above and:

Email completed application form, personal statement, and faculty recommendation letter to ISS-PublicPolicy@fsu.edu prior to completing 6 credit hours towards the Public Policy Certificate. If you have completed more than 6 credit hours towards the Public Policy Certificate, your application may not be processed.
Admission is limited to 20 students per academic year. Applications will be considered in the order in which they were received.

Certificate Requirements

1. Three general policy courses (9 credit hours)

a. ISS4014 Evidence Based Public Policy

b. ISS3330 Interdisciplinary Research Methods

c. One course from the following list

i. ISS4304 Contemporary Social Problems and Integrative Solutions

ii. ISS4164 Policy

iii. PUP3002 Introduction to Public Policy

2. Two courses from ONE policy area (6 credit hours). These courses must come from TWO different disciplines within the policy area. See the policy areas and associated course lists below.

a. Environmental Policy

b. Government Regulation

c. Health and Aging

d. Poverty and Inequality

e. Risk Management

f. Education & Family

g. Criminal Justice

3. One Capstone project course (1 credit hour)

This course is not offered over the summer session.

The capstone highlights the interdisciplinary nature of public policy and combines student’s knowledge gained through the certificate work to be prepared at the culmination of the program of study. Students will complete this project in a 1-credit hour DIS during their final semester of undergraduate work.

When students are approaching their final semester, reach out to Certificate Director for enrollment in this course.

Award for Public Policy Certificate

In the semester you are planning to complete all requirements for the Public Policy Certificate, you must:

Email ISS-PublicPolicy@fsu.edu a completed copy of your Public Policy Certificate Completion Form

If you do not submit a filled Public Policy Certificate Completion Form prior to your graduation from FSU, the Public Policy certificate may not be awarded. The filled Public Policy Certificate Completion Form must be submitted prior to grades posting in the semester in which you will complete all requirements for the Public Policy certificate.

Contact Information: Questions and submissions can be sent via email to ISS-PublicPolicy@fsu.edu

Certificate with Honors

Completing an undergraduate certificate with honors is open to all students including honors and non-honors students. For more information on the Certificate with Honors program, please visit the Division of Undergraduate Studies website.

Approved Course Lists for Public Policy Areas

Policy Area: Environmental Policy

Economics:
ECP 3302 Economics of Natural Resources, Energy, and The Environment

ECP 4312 Economics of Energy, Environment, and Sustainability

Political Science:
PUP 4203 Environmental Politics and Policy

Urban and Regional Planning:
URP 4022 Collective Decision Making
URP 4402 Sustainable Development Planning in the Americas

Sociology:

SYD 3020 Population and Society

SYD 4510 Environmental Sociology

Policy Area: Government Regulation

Economics:
ECO 4504 Public Sector Economics
ECP 3451 Economics and the Law
ECP 3617 Land Use, Housing, and Government Regulation
ECP 4413 Government Regulation of Business

ECO 3223 Financial Markets, the Banking System, and Monetary Policy

Political Science:
CPO 3743 States and Markets

PUP 4744 Public Policy and Business

PUP 4034 Organizations and Public Policy

PUP 4024 Interest Groups, Social Movements, and Public Policy

Public Administration:
PAD 3003 Public Administration in Society
PAD 4120 Managing Florida’s Government and Its Key Policy Issues

Policy Area: Health and Aging

Political Science:
PUP 4604 Health Services Organizations and Policy

Economics:
ECP 4530 Economics of Health

Geography:
GEO 4450 Medical Geography
GIS 4421 GIS and Health

Public Administration:
PAD 4844 Public Health and Emergency

Sociology:
SYA 3741 Sociology of Death and Dying
SYO 4402 Medical Sociology

History:

HIS 3491 Medicine & Society

HIS 2496 Pandemics and People

Policy Area: Poverty

Economics:
ECO 4132 Economics of Compassion

Interdisciplinary Social Science:
ISS 4164 Policy

Sociology:
SYA 3741 Sociology of Death and Dying
SYO 3530 Social Class
SYO 4250 Sociology of Education

Political Science:
POS 4624 Supreme Court, Civil Liberties, and Civil Rights

Public Administration
PAD 4382 Disaster Recovery and Mitigation
PAD 4301 Disaster Management Planning for Urban Poor Communities

Urban and Regional Planning:
URP 4811 Multicultural Urbanism
URP 5540 State and Local Economic Development
URP 4936 Hope & Resilience w/Climate Change

Policy Area: Education & Family

Education:
EDF 2085 Teaching Diverse Populations
EDF 4210 Educational Psychology Developing Learners
SOW 4633 The Social Worker in the Public School System

Sociology:
SYO 4250 Sociology of Education
IFS 3016 Examining the Educational Achievement Gap
SYO 3100 Family Problems and Social Change

Family and Child Sciences:
CHD 3472 Child Guidance
CHD 4615 Public Policy: Child and Family Issues
CHD 4630 Methods of Studying Families and Children
FAD 4455 Family Life Education
CHD 2220 Child Growth and Development
FAD 2230 Family Relationships: A Life Span Development Approach

Policy Area: Criminology and Criminal Justice

Criminology and Criminal Justice:
CCJ 3644 White Collar Crime
CCJ 3666 Victimology
CCJ 3677 Crimes against Humanity
CCJ 4004 Comparative Criminology and Criminal Justice
CCJ 4036 Communities and Crime
CCJ 4497 Criminal Justice and Public Policy
CCJ 4344 Punishment and Punitiveness
CCJ 4623 Violence in America
CCJ 4507 Networks and Crime: Peers, Groups, and Gangs
CCJ 4505 Juvenile Delinquency
CCJ 4663 Crime and Justice
CCJ 4667 Crime Victimization and Victim Services
CCJ 4684 Family Violence
CCJ 4687 Evaluation and Assessment of Victim Services

Sociology:
SYP 4550 Alcohol and Drug Problems
SYP 4570 Deviance and Social Control
SYP 3540 Sociology of Law

Political Science:
POS 4624 The Supreme Court, Civil Liberties, and Civil Rights
POS 3691 Law and Society

History:
AMH 3320 Mass Incarceration
AMH 3470 Organized Crime

Policy Area: Risk Management

Economics:
ECP 3302 Natural Resources, Energy and the Environment

Political Science:
PUP 4203 Environmental Politics and Policy

Sociology:
SYP 3000 Social Psychology of Groups
SYP 4570 Deviance and Social Control

Public Administration:
PAD 4372 Leadership and Communication in Emergency Management
PAD 4391 Foundations in Emergency Management
PAD 4393 Emergency Management Programs, Planning and Policy

PAD 4301 Disaster Management Planning for Urban Communities

Definition of Prefixes

IDH—Interdisciplinary Honors

IDS—Interdisciplinary Studies

ISS—Interdisciplinary Social Sciences

Undergraduate Courses

IDH 4020r. Honors Formative Experience (0-3). This course meets the university Formative Experience requirement and can count toward points for completion of the honors program. Students work with honors faculty while embarking on independent experiential learning projects including internships, student leaderships (e.g., Honors Colloquium Leader, executive board service), research, or international experiences.

IDS 2472. Freshman Seminar (3). This seminar course aims to advance library research, writing skills, and critical thinking skills among lower division students. Students learn to develop and improve their capacity to communicate complex ideas about a topic of their choosing in speech and in writing through participation in the seminar and research activities.

IDS 3342. Boomers and Millennials: Changing Generations (3). In this course, students are guided through original empirical research to appreciate the sources of changes across contrasting generations, and to follow up the impact of generational change for a wide range of social, economic and political dimensions of everyday life. Research projects compare different generations at equivalent points in the life cycle.

ISS 2937r. Social Science Honors Seminar (3). May be repeated to a maximum of nine (9) credit hours; repeatable within the same term.

ISS 3241. Foundations of Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation (3). This course provides a comprehensive overview of social entrepreneurship and innovation, examining how it promotes innovative, impactful, and sustainable solutions to social problems. The course looks at: innovation and impact across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors; social enterprise within nonprofit, for-profit, and hybrid organizations; and social transformation throughout a system.

ISS 3330. Interdisciplinary Social Science Research (3). This course provides an overview of how to study the social world scientifically. Rather than simply present students with facts about social problems, students learn to ask rigorous questions and think about the social world in a more scientific manner. This course introduces students to the scientific method and how it applies across the social science disciplines.

ISS 3923. Interdisciplinary Forum (1). (S/U grade only.) Interdisciplinary Social Science Forum is an introductory course for ISS majors to explore and share advising, career, and academic experiences as members of the field of interdisciplinary studies. Students will obtain an orientation to professional and academic options for ISS students via applications-based curriculum, visiting lectures, and workshops.

ISS 4014. Evidence Based Public Policy (3). This course is an interdisciplinary public policy course that emphasizes the social science concepts which provide fundamental insights into how public policy is created through collective action and how it can succeed or fail by the actions of individuals and institutions.

ISS 4304. Contemporary Social Problems and Integrative Solutions (3). This course uses multiple and interrelated perspectives to identify and explore social issues and problems. Students are guided through the process of building interdisciplinary perspectives to maximize cognitive skills, critical thinking, and problem solving skills.

ISS 4308. Human-Centered Design for Social Innovation (3). Prerequisite: ISS 3241. This course provides an experience-based introduction to the human-centered design process applied to social innovation and impact. In partnership with a local organization, teams of students collaborate with organizational/community stakeholders to frame a design challenge for the semester; study the problem through primary and secondary research; identify and consider existing approaches/solution; and ideate innovate approaches, prototype, and test/validate those potential solutions and iterate. The teams conclude the semester by presenting the most promising ideas to the organization.

ISS 4312. Leading Social Enterprise and Innovation (3). Pre/corequisite: ISS 3241 is recommended but not required. This course provides a framework for students to apply Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship theory and methods toward a social/environmental problem they are interested in. Through the course, students: work to better understand the problem, stakeholder perspectives, and the effective and ineffective ways the problem is currently being addressed; frame a design challenge, identify existing innovative models that can inspire their own, ideate potential approaches to the problem, and develop a sustainable and scalable social impact model that systemically addresses the problem (or an aspect of it); prototype the model; create and present a plan for it implementation via a hybrid social enterprise.

ISS 4159. Perspectives on Race, Ethnicity, and Inequality (3). This course provides multidisciplinary perspectives of race and racism in the United States. The course delves deeper in major forms of systemic racism: economic inequality, political representation, mass incarceration, and media depictions. Exploration of race and racism includes discussions of Blacks, Whites, Latinx, Asians, Native Americans, Middle Easterners, and multiracials.

ISS 4164. Intersections, Power, and Policy (3). Prerequisite: PUP 3002 recommended. This course provides the theoretical study of race, class, and gender from across social science disciplines and the methodological tools for the evaluation of public policy. It further develops student skills in the critical evaluation of public policy and exposes students to diverse contemporary public policies ranging from congressional legislation to executive orders in Florida as well as nationally.

ISS 4905r. Directed Individual Study (1–3). May be repeated to a maximum of six semester hours.

ISS 4906r. Directed Individual Study (3). May be repeated to a maximum of six semester hours.

ISS 4907r. Honors in the Major Research (1–6). In this course, students accepted into the Honors in the Major program complete an original research or creative project in their major area of study. This course must be repeated at least twice to complete a minimum of six (6) credit hours total, but may be repeated up to a maximum of twelve credit hours in total.

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 semester hours.

ISS 4935. Advanced Public Policy Seminar (3). (S/U grade only.) This seminar is an application of critical policy dialogue. The seminar is highly participatory and students address policy analysis in various policy areas in a cross-disciplinary environment. The seminar is available to students participating in the Public Policy Certificate program as Interdisciplinary Social Science majors only.

ISS 4944r. Internship (3–6). In this internship, students earn academic credit through a variety of employment situations related to their academic interest. Students engage in active analysis and critical reflection of academic and professional experiences under faculty supervision. May be repeated to a maximum of six (6) credit hours.