Social Sciences, BSGS
Curriculum
In curriculum taught by Northwestern University faculty, social sciences disciplines are equally represented in the core courses, while research and methods courses foster engagement with key texts, scholarly sources, and the gathering and analysis of evidence. Advanced elective courses offer the opportunity to emphasize certain academic subjects and engage in exploring others including black studies, economics, history, and international studies.
The bachelor's degree requirements are 45 units total and include the major requirements, writing and foundational disciplines requirements, and elective courses.
Social Sciences Major Requirements
| Course | Title |
|---|---|
| Four Core Courses | |
| Anthropology | |
| One of the following: | |
| Culture and Society | |
| Human Origins | |
| Archaeology: Unearthing History | |
| The Study of Culture Through Language | |
| Political Science | |
| One of the following: | |
| Introduction to Political Theory | |
| American Government and Politics | |
| Law in the Political Arena | |
| Introduction to International Relations | |
| Introduction to Comparative Politics | |
| Psychology | |
| PSYCH 110-CN | Introduction to Psychology |
| Sociology | |
| One 100-or 200-level Sociology course 1 | |
| Research/Methods Courses | |
| Statistics | |
| STAT 202-CN | Introduction to Statistics and Data Science |
| or PSYCH 201-CN | Statistical Methods in Psychology |
| Methods and Analysis | |
| One of the following: | |
| Ethnographic Methods and Analysis | |
| Introduction to Empirical Methods in Political Science | |
| Sociological Analysis | |
| Research Seminar | |
| One of the following: | |
| Senior Seminar | |
| Political Research Seminar | |
| Field Research and Methods of Data Collection | |
| Senior Research Seminar | |
| Electives | |
| Five 300-level courses in anthropology, political science, psychology or sociology 2 | |
- 1
Excluding SOCIOL 226-CN Sociological Analysis.
- 2
Courses must be selected from at least two subjects. Up to two 200-level courses may be included with academic adviser approval. An additional research seminar may be counted as an elective.
Degree Requirements
Bachelor of Science in General Studies
The Bachelor of Science in General Studies (BSGS) degree is conferred by the Judd A. and Marjorie Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences. To earn the BSGS degree, students must complete 45 units*, including a writing requirement, a foundational disciplines requirement, a major, and electives. Minors are optional.
*Each course carries 1 unit of credit unless otherwise noted in academic catalog.
| Courses | Units Earned |
|---|---|
| English 111 and 205 | 2 |
| Humanities | 4 |
| Scientific Inquiry and Quantitative Reasoning | 4 |
| Social Sciences | 4 |
| Major Requirements | 10-20 |
| Electives | Up to 21 |
| Total | 45 |
About the Writing Requirement
The writing requirement ensures that students have the skills necessary to meet the rigorous writing demands of subsequent SPS courses in all majors, degrees, and disciplines. Expository writing courses — ENGLISH 111 Writing Seminar II and ENGLISH 205 Intermediate Composition — provide the tools to meet the demands of advanced academic writing. Completion of ENGLISH 111 Writing Seminar II and ENGLISH 205 Intermediate Composition with a grade of C or higher satisfies the writing requirement in all SPS bachelor’s degree programs.
Writing requirement courses may not be audited or taken on a pass/no credit basis. Performance-Based Admission students are required to complete ENGLISH 111 and ENGLISH 205 as two of their first four courses.
Writing Requirement Appeals
Students who have been admitted into the degree program as transfer admits may appeal the writing requirement. The writing requirement appeal is reserved for students who can demonstrate the necessary skills for writing university-level research and analytical papers by submitting previous college research papers written within the last three to five years. The papers submitted for the appeal will be evaluated for standards of good expository writing, including: a fully developed thesis; sound logic and adequate evidence in support of the thesis; effective organization, coherent structure, and an overall unity; correct grammar, punctuation, and spelling. A successful appeal does not result in credit for the writing requirement courses; the requirement for ENGLISH 111 and 205 is waived. Students must complete other courses in place of the writing requirement that meet the curriculum requirements of their program. Performance-Based Admission students may not appeal the writing requirement. To appeal the writing requirement, see instructions in the Undergraduate Academic Policies and Procedures.
About the Foundational Disciplines Requirement
Students complete coursework in three foundational disciplines—humanities, scientific inquiry and quantitative reasoning, and social sciences—to obtain broad experience in the liberal arts. Included in the foundational disciplines requirement are two courses that apply perspectives on power, justice, and equity: one course focused within the United States and one course focused globally. A philosophy course on professional ethics is required for one of the four humanities courses.
Students in the BSGS degree select courses from the following areas that satisfy the foundational disciplines requirement, including the two U.S. and global perspectives courses and one business ethics philosophy course (PHIL 264 or PHIL 364).
Humanities
Art history, classics, comparative literary studies, English literature, languages other than English (up to two units), history, humanities (HUM), music history, philosophy, religion, and some courses in black studies, languages with literature, gender studies, performance studies, radio/television/film, and theatre.
Scientific Inquiry and Quantitative Reasoning
Astronomy, biological sciences, chemistry, computer information systems, earth and planetary sciences, engineering, mathematics, physics and some courses in anthropology, communication sciences and disorders, psychology, radio/television/film, and statistics.
Social Sciences
Anthropology, economics, history, linguistics, political science, social sciences, sociology, and some courses in black studies, communication sciences and disorders, gender studies, psychology, and statistics.