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Interdisciplinary Social Science 

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. Students 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 are on the Department of History page.

Degree Requirements      

Credit Hours

General Education1

            41

Foreign Language classes (intermediate level required)2

            0-14

Philosophy course (in addition to General Education courses)

            3

Major requirements3

            33-34

Minor requirements (listed below)

            26

Electives

            2-16

            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.

3 HIST 457 is a required capstone for the ISS minor and must be completed as part of the history major requirements.

Political Science Major with ISS Minor

Requirements for the political science major are on the Department of Political Science page.

Degree Requirements      

Credit Hours

General Education1

            41

Foreign Language classes (intermediate level required)2

            0-14

Philosophy course (in addition to General Education courses)

            3

Major requirements3

            33

Minor requirements (listed below)

            22

Electives

            7-21

            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.

3 POSC 457 is a required capstone for the ISS minor and must be completed as part of the political science major requirements.

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.

ISS for History Majors      

Credit Hours

HIST 225. U.S. History1

            4

POSC 225. U.S. Government1

            4

POSC 302. State and Local Government

            3

POSC 335. Comparative Politics for Teachers

            3

Choose one:

            3

ECON 200. Macroeconomics1

           

ECON 201. Microeconomics

           

Choose one:

            3

GEOG 200. The Global Dimension1

           

GEOG 280. Human Geography: The Cultural Landscape

           

Choose one:

            3

GEOG 300 or 400 level

           

ISS 330. Maps, Money and World Trade

           

Choose one:

            3

POSC 362. Political Behavior

           

POSC 369. Political Parties and Elections

           

POSC 380. The U.S. Presidency

           

POSC 385. The U.S. Congress

           

POSC 386. The U.S. Judiciary

           

            26

1 May double count for General Education credit.

ISS for Political Science Majors     

Credit Hours

HIST 225. U.S. History (Must be completed for General Education credit)

            4

HIST 350. Virginia History

            3

Choose one:

            3

ECON 200. Macroeconomics1

           

ECON 201. Microeconomics

           

Choose one:

            3

GEOG 200. The Global Dimension 

           

GEOG 280. Human Geography: The Cultural Landscape (should double count)

           

Choose one:

            3

GEOG 300 or 400 level

           

ISS 330. Maps, Money and World Trade

           

Choose one Regional Elective:

            3

HIST 201. Europe to 1815

           

HIST 202. Europe since 1815

           

HIST 263. Africa

           

HIST 269. Middle and Near East, 500–1500

           

HIST 270. Modern Middle East

           

HIST 273. Asia to 1600

           

HIST 274. Modern Asia

           

Choose one Transnational Elective:

            3

HIST 307. Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade

           

HIST 405. Travel and Exploration

           

HIST 453. Patterns of Global History

           

HIST 456. The Global Economy and Nationalism

           

            22

1 May double count for General Education credit.