Academic Programs
Interdisciplinary Social Science
Dr. David Dillard, Coordinator
Phone: (540) 568-3757
E-mail: dillardpd@jmu.edu
Web site: http://www.jmu.edu/cds/iss.html
The interdisciplinary social science minor offers a program of integrated study that exposes students to diverse methodologies, philosophies and controversies that define the social sciences. It is a required minor for secondary education students who wish to teach social studies. The ISS minor incorporates economics, geography, history and political science and is offered in two forms for secondary education students. Secondary education students will major in either history or political science and then complete the ISS minor that corresponds to the major. Through this minor and the completion of the B. A. degree in history or political science, students will gain the content knowledge necessary for success in secondary education in social studies. Student not selecting the secondary education licensure program may declare either form of the ISS minor.
Minor Requirements
History Major with ISS Minor
Requirements for the history major. Click here.
Degree Requirements
| General Education1 | 41 |
| Foreign Language classes (intermediate level required)2 | 0-14 |
| Philosophy course (in addition to General Education courses) | 3 |
| Major requirements | 37 |
| Minor requirements (listed below) | 18 |
120 |
|
1 The General Education program contains a set of requirements each student must fulfill. The number of credit hours necessary to fulfill these requirements may vary.
2 The foreign language requirement may be satisfied by successful completion of the second semester of the intermediate level of the student's chosen language (typically 232), or by placing out of that language through the Department of Foreign Languages, Literatures and Cultures' placement test.
Political Science Major with ISS Minor
Requirements for the political science major are on this catalog Web page.
Degree Requirements
| General Education1 | 41 |
| Foreign Language classes (intermediate level required)2 | 0-14 |
| Philosophy course (in addition to General Education courses) | 3 |
| Major requirements | 33-35 |
| Minor requirements (listed below) | 18 |
120 |
|
1 The General Education program contains a set of requirements each student must fulfill. The number of credit hours necessary to fulfill these requirements may vary.
2 The foreign language requirement may be satisfied by successful completion of the second semester of the intermediate level of the student's chosen language (typically 232), or by placing out of that language through the Department of Foreign Languages, Literatures and Cultures's placement test.
ISS Minor Requirements
To be licensed to teach secondary school social studies, the student must satisfactorily complete requirements for a baccalaureate degree in either history or political science and complete the ISS minor that is paired with that major. Courses taken for General Education credit may be double counted.
| ISS for History Majors | |
| Complete all of the following: | 9 |
| GPOSC 225. U.S. Government | |
| (Must be completed for GenEd credit) | |
| Choose one: | |
| GECON 200. Macroeconomics (may double count) | |
| ECON 201. Microeconomics | |
| Choose one: | |
| GEOG 280. Human Geography: The Cultural Landscape (should double count) | |
| GGEOG 200. The Global Dimension | |
| Choose one: | |
| GEOG 300 or 400 level | |
| ECON 200, 300 or 400 level | |
| Complete three of the following: | 9 |
| POSC 302. State and Local Government | |
| POSC 385. The U.S. Congress | |
| POSC 362. Political Behavior | |
| POSC 369. Political Parties and Elections | |
| POSC 370. U.S. Foreign Policy | |
| Total credits | 18 |
| ISS for Political Science Majors | |
| Complete all of the following: | 9 |
| GHIST 225. U.S. History (Must be completed for GenEd credit) | |
| Choose one: | |
| GECON 200. Macroeconomics (may double count) | |
| ECON 201. Microeconomics | |
| Choose one: | |
| GEOG 280. Human Geography: The Cultural Landscape (should double count) | |
| GGEOG 200. The Global Dimension | |
| Choose one: | |
| GEOG 300 or 400 level | |
| ECON 200, 300 or 400 level | |
| Complete three of the following: | 9 |
| HIST 350. Virginia History | |
| HIST 362. U.S. Religious History | |
| HIST 356. Afro-American History Since 1865 | |
| HIST 405. Travel and Exploration | |
| HIST 453. Patterns of Global History | |
| HIST 456. The Global Economy and Nationalism | |
| Total credits | 18 |
