Pre-Concentration Advising

Social Studies is a great concentration for students who are interested in studying a social science topic from an interdisciplinary perspective. Students craft their own focus fields, drawing courses from across the college and, frequently, from the graduate schools. We offer small tutorials, one-on-one advising, and a vibrant and supportive intellectual community. Social Studies students develop excellent analytical, research, and writing skills, and they devote their senior year to writing a thesis, which serves both as a capstone to their undergraduate education and a chance to develop and complete a major independent project.

You don’t need to know what you want to study to declare Social Studies, but you do need to be committed to actively shaping your undergraduate education and to working closely with your adviser to identify and pursue your academic interests. Our curriculum is sufficiently flexible that students can change their focus fields, if necessary, up to the beginning of their senior year. Our curriculum is also flexible enough to allow students to complete pre-medical requirements or to complete secondary fields in areas that are different from their focus fields.  

First-year students considering Social Studies may want to take Economics 10 or any upper level course for which Economics 10 is a prerequisite. They may also want to take an ethical reasoning or philosophy course to determine whether they enjoy social theory. Most importantly, students should take social science courses in areas that interest them. For example, a student who is interested in development in East Asia should take a course on that region to learn more about the history, economics, or politics of at least one of the countries in that area of the world. A student who is interested in poverty in the United States should take a course on a related topic, such as a sociology course on urban poverty or a course on social problems in the American economy.

Potential concentrators must enroll in Social Studies 10a, which is a prerequisite for declaring the concentration. Sophomores should take courses in economics and statistics, especially if they are planning to study abroad their junior year, and should continue to take social science courses in areas that interest them. They might also take classes to fulfill their economics or statistics requirement and could consider taking Social Studies 50 or 60.

In some special circumstances, students not enrolled in Social Studies 10a may still declare Social Studies; however, they must meet ASAP with Dr. Rosemarie Wagner to discuss what an alternative path through Social Studies would entail. Students who are late declarers to Social Studies must take Social Studies 10 during junior year in tandem with all other junior year requirements. Students who are late declarers require the permission of Dr. Wagner and are sometimes refused. Students in this situation may not declare Social Studies until after they have registered for 10a, at which point they will be assigned a Social Studies concentration advisor.

Kate Anable, our Undergraduate Program Administrator, and Dr. Rosemarie Wagner, our Associate Director of Studies, both hold office hours for prospective concentrators. Dr. Angela Leocata, our First-Generation Outreach Liaison, is available to meet with first-generation students who have questions about concentrating in Social Studies.

Our Peer Concentration Advisors are a great resource for prospective and new concentrators in the program. They are available to talk to first years during opening days and to sophomores starting Social Studies in the fall, and they participate in advising events for first years in the spring. Feel free to email any of them with questions or to set up a meeting.