Office: Washington Square Hall 103
Telephone: (408) 924-5300
Email: college-social-sciences@sjsu.edu
Website: www.sjsu.edu/socialsciences

Leadership:
Anne Marie Todd, Dean
Clifton M. Oyamot, Associate Dean for Academic Programs and Student Success
Lois Takahashi, Associate Dean for Research and Faculty Success

Overview 

Programs in the College of Social Sciences prepare students for work and life in Silicon Valley and a rapidly changing world. Our twelve departments provide training for careers in counseling, criminology, environmental restoration, computerized mapping, public administration, economic analysis, organizational communication, international relations, ergonomics, urban and regional planning, and countless other fields in business, government, teaching and human services. Major courses of study emphasize the contributions of the many cultures that form our community. Internships are encouraged to help students relate academic work to the opportunities and needs of this diverse region. Completion of one of our undergraduate majors also provides an excellent foundation for advanced graduate work in one of the disciplines or at a professional school such as law or business.

New technologies increasingly improve our instruction and link us to the innovative industry of our region and to the educational resources of the world, but personal interaction between students and faculty is still prized within the College of Social Sciences. Capable and interesting teachers, active student clubs and small classes provide ideal environments for learning. If you are interested in majoring in one of the social sciences, contact an advisor in one of our departments or the dean’s office. A list of programs and courses can be found on each department page in the catalog. 

• Department of African American Studies  
• Department of Anthropology  
• Department of Chicana and Chicano Studies  
• Department of Communication Studies  
• Department of Economics  
• Department of Environmental Studies  
• Department of History  
• Department of Justice Studies  
• Department of Political Science  
• Department of Psychology  
• Department of Sociology and Interdisciplinary Social Sciences  
• Department of Urban and Regional Planning  

Academic Advising and Student Success

College of Social Sciences Student Success Center

Office: Clark Hall 240
Telephone: 408-924-5363
Email: socsci-success@sjsu.edu
Website: www.sjsu.edu/socsci-ssc/

The College of Social Sciences Success Center (CoSS SSC) is dedicated to providing a welcoming and inclusive advising environment for students. We are committed to student success, promoting lifelong learning, and providing students the tools to make informed decisions about their academic goals. We provide General Education advising for undergraduate students majoring or intending to major in any of the departments in the College of Social Sciences (CoSS). We are committed to helping you develop a clear path to graduation and supporting your academic success.

Centers and Institutes

The Centers and Institutes of the College of Social Sciences further enriched the educational, research and training opportunities provided to our students and faculty.:

• The Spatial Analytics and Visualization (SAVI) Center uses the power of geography and Geographic Information Science to produce impactful research and facilitate knowledge exchange by organizing public events, and bringing together scholars and professionals.

• Burdick Military History Project supports the study and teaching of military history through public lectures, the Veterans Oral History Project, and its specialized collection of materials relating to military history. Contact the Department of History .

• The Center for Economic Education supports high school teachers interested in developing Advanced Placement (AP) courses or improving existing AP Economics courses. Contact the Department of Economics .

• The SJSU Communication Center offers academic support for students seeking help with their public speaking, writing, and general communication skills through workshops and individual tutoring.

• College of Social Sciences Ethnic Studies Collaborative works to strengthen African American Studies, Asian American Studies, Chicana and Chicano Studies, and Native American and Indigenous Studies programs at SJSU and throughout the CSU. See the CSU Task Force on the Advancement of Ethnic Studies report for more information.

• East Asian Regional Materials and Resources Center (EARMARC) provides audio-visual materials for high school and college students in Northern California.  The video and film library currently holds about 200 videos and reels, most of which are related to China or Japan.  The collection also includes slide sets and audio materials.  Almost all areas of East Asian society and culture are covered.

• The Environmental Resource Center (ERC) is run by student directors and supervised by a faculty advisor. In addition to organizing behavior changes via on campus events, the ERC is working to move our campus towards sustainable use of water, energy and materials.

• The Human Rights Institute is an “Organizational Research and Training Unit” under the California State University system that specializes in human rights research, journalism, and policy design. HRI students and faculty study pressing social problems and work with community organizations, stakeholders, and policy makers to inform and design solutions according to relevant scholarship, human rights law, and international best practices. Further, the SJSU HRI is building the Human Rights News Network-a source of original and relevant human rights reporting from students, faculty, and Institute partners.

• The Institute for Metropolitan Studies is an interdisciplinary center for research, service, and public programming with a focus on issues of significance to San José and the greater San Francisco Bay Area. It engages in the issues facing our region through hosting powerful public events, often in collaboration with other institutions and community groups.

• The Institute for Public Affairs and Civic Engagement (IPACE) is designed to facilitate the study of politics and public policy in the Silicon Valley and the civic engagement of students through internships, service learning, and sponsorship of research talks led by SJSU faculty and members of the broader community.

• The Record Clearance Project provides presentations regarding expungement law and employment rights of people with criminal convictions, LiveScan fingerprinting, Speed Screening interviews and others.

• The Sourisseau Academy for State and Local History promotes a better understanding of California’s state and local history, with an emphasis on the history of Santa Clara Valley, through graduate scholarships and collections of historical source materials.

Programs

Teaching Preparation Programs

• Social Science, Preparation for Teaching (Single Subject), BA  - This major is designed for students interested in teaching history, political science (government), economics, or ethnic studies in high school or middle school. The following course work satisfies San José State University’s requirements for a BA in Social Science Preparation for Teaching. The BA Social Science Preparation for Teaching, offered by the Department of History , is an approved program by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CCTC). Students completing the program qualify for a waiver of the subject matter examination (CSET for Social Science) required to earn a teaching credential.

• The Environmental Studies, Preparation for Teaching, BA  offered by the Department of Environmental Studies  is designed for students interested in teaching in elementary or middle school. The coursework satisfies University requirements for a BA in Environmental Studies and is a program approved by the Teacher Credentialing in the State of California (CTC) for waiver of the Commission-approved subject matter examination (CSET for Multiple Subjects). Thus, students completing this program are eligible to apply for the Multiple Subject Teaching Credential (K-8) program.

• African American Studies, BA + Single Subject Credential in Social Science + Teaching, MAT  SAGE Program - This Spartan Accelerated Graduate Education (SAGE) Scholars Program  prepares students to teach History, Social Science, and Ethnic Studies in California public high schools. The  Department of African American Studies  provides an interdisciplinary curriculum and comprehensive liberal arts education by training students to appreciate diversity and multicultural American society. As juniors, African American Studies, BA  majors are eligible to apply for a SAGE Scholars program that allows them to be concurrently enrolled in the Single Subject Credential - Social Science  and Teaching, MAT  programs (with an optional Spanish bilingual authorization) as an undergraduate. This combined degree pathway can be completed in five years.

• Chicana and Chicano Studies, BA + Single Subject Credential in Social Science + Teaching, MAT  - This Spartan Accelerated Graduate Education (SAGE) Program   prepares students to teach History, Social Science, and Ethnic Studies in California public high schools. The Department of Chicana and Chicano Studies  provides an interdisciplinary curriculum and comprehensive liberal arts education by training students to appreciate diversity and multicultural American society. As juniors, Chicana and Chicano Studies, BA  are eligible to apply for a SAGE Scholars program that allows them to be concurrently enrolled in the Single Subject Credential - Social Science  and Teaching, MAT  programs (with an optional Spanish bilingual authorization) as an undergraduate. This combined degree pathway can be completed in five years.

Courses

• SSCI 90 - Successfully Negotiating Social Science