Social Science

Advising

Important Points for the Edgewood Social Science Major


Students are ultimately responsible for their own plan of study. Before you can register for classes, you will need to make an appointment with your advisor and have your course selections approved. Department faculty usually place sign-up sheets for advising sessions on or near their office doors during priority registration. The number of credits you have earned determines priority for registration. Every student should receive a notice from the Registrar indicating the earliest possible date to pre-enroll.



Selecting Courses


There are some things you can do before your session to help the advising process along:

  • Pick up a degree requirement checklist for your major and bring it to your advising session. This form allows you to check off courses you have taken or will complete this semester and clearly see what requirements remain.

  • Look over a timetable for the coming semester and bring it with you to the advising session. The paper version of the timetable will be available outside the Registrar's office on the 2nd floor of DeRicci before priority registration begins. The online version of the timetable is usually available earlier. Make a list of classes offered next semester that you would like to take. Be mindful that many classes will quickly become full; have your list include your most preferred courses plus two to four alternate courses.

  • If you don't already have one, pick up an Edgewood College Catalog. The catalog contains course descriptions and is the official word on major and minor requirements. You might want to bring your catalog to the advising session as well.


The Social Science Common Interdisciplinary Sequence


Almost all Social Science majors are required to take four common interdisciplinary courses:

  • SS 200 Data Analysis for Social Science
  • SS 368 Social Science Research Methods
  • SS 369 Social Science Statistics
  • SS 484 Senior Social Science Seminar

Here are a few things to keep in mind about these courses:

Freshmen, sophomores and Transfers: You should try to get SS 200 on your course list. This is a one-credit introduction to data concepts and computer applications as they are used in the social sciences. If you have already taken a course like CS 101, talk to your advisor about the possibility of waiving the SS 200 requirement

Sophomores and Juniors: You should try to take SS 368 and SS 369 before you are seniors. We recommend you take SS 368 Social Science Research before SS 369 Statistics. You should also be mindful that SS 369 has a prerequisite of completion or concurrent enrollment in your Foundations math requirement. For those of you who are getting close to graduation and have not taken either SS 368 or SS 369, don't put off taking SS 369 for the spring if it is going to cause a delay in your graduation plans. As always, bring any questions or concerns to your advisor.

Seniors and soon-to-be seniors: You need to be planning for SS 484 Senior Social Science Seminar. The Senior Social Science paper, required in the seminar, is available for the completion and presentation of a Human Issues project. An approved Senior Paper/Human Issues Completion Proposal should be developed with your academic advisor before the beginning of the semester that the student is enrolled in SS 484. If you are planning to enroll in SS 484 in the coming semester, you should be talking to your advisor about a topic for the Senior Paper.



Information the Registrar will want from you


  • Sophomores should file a Declaration of Major before earning 60 credits. You will lose priority registration status if this is not done. Your advisor can assist in completing this form. The completed Declaration of Major should be given to your advisor.

  • Juniors should notify or confirm your intended graduation date with the Registrar.

  • Seniors file Application for Degree and Approval for Graduation forms with the Registrar. These forms must be filed with the Registrar by September 15 for January graduates, February 1 for May graduates, and May 1 for August graduates.


Department Policies


Students majoring in the Department of Social Science must maintain a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 in courses in their respective major. If a student receives more than one grade below "CD" in major courses, he/she must repeat one of these courses (or an approved equivalent) and receive a grade of "CD" or above in order to continue in the major. Courses required for the majors may not be taken Pass/Fail. Twelve credits of the major must be earned at Edgewood.

Through the Edgewood/University of Wisconsin Collaborative Program, courses that are not offered at Edgewood may be taken at the University.

The Social Science Department's general education computer proficiency requirement is SS 200 (or its equivalent).