With 3-D films and Betty White both enjoying big comebacks, one might conclude that everything old is in fact new again. In the same spirit, CAS will soon be reviving an old classic.
Beginning in fall 2011, the college will reintroduce the general social science (GSS) major.
Students who select the GSS major will choose among four specializations: crime, law and society; geopolitics, policy and the environment; applied economics, business and society; and social studies teaching.
“The new degree program will combine students’ professional aspirations with a liberal arts approach,” said Larry Singell, UO associate dean for social sciences and professor of economics. “It will provide students with an organized plan for achieving their professional interests.”
Each track will fit within an unexplored niche created by the intersection of two or more existing CAS disciplines, said Singell.
For example, the crime, law and society track will provide a more interdisciplinary approach to the study of the law than traditional pre-law majors such as political science—one that incorporates classes from across the social sciences, humanities and even the professional schools.
The geopolitics, policy and the environment track, which bridges the gap between geography and political science, will fulfill the needs of students who, for instance, want to work for nongovernmental organizations.
CAS previously offered the GSS degree until the late 1970s, and it was not an option again until 2001 when CAS again began offering a BA in GSS through the Bend Cascades-OSU campus.
CAS decided to revive the major because of student demand and the major’s potential to advance students’ career development.
The new major is also expected to provide much-needed structure for numerous students who might remain in a perpetual undeclared state.
“A lot of students who arrive at college don’t know what they want to do,” Singell said. “This will provide structure to allow those students to graduate in a timely fashion. It will facilitate people finding a home.”
Two scholarships have been established to support GSS majors. Clayton Steinke ’65 (GSS) and his wife, Sheryl ’65 (sociology), MS ’68 (library science), have funded a scholarship that others can contribute to. An additional scholarship has been funded by Mike McCaslin ’83 (political science) and his wife, Libby.
— Eric Tucker
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