College of Behavioral and Social Sciences


College Administrative Offices Office Telephone
Dean of the College Joel J. Kassiola HSS 359 338-7692
Associate Dean Dawn Terrell HSS 359 338-1846
College Directory
Department/Program Chair/Director Office Telephone
African Area Studies Aguibou Yansane HUM 224 338-2495
Anthropology Douglass Bailey SCI 377 338-2046
California Studies Lee Davis SCI 231 405-0580
Criminal Justice Jeff Snipes HSS 236 405-4129
Critical Social Thought James Martel HSS 263 405-2162
Economics Don Mar HSS 142 338-1839
Environmental Studies Carlos Davidson HSS 336 338-1149
European Studies Sarah Curtis SCI 267 338-2250
Geography and Human Environmental Studies Nancy Wilkinson HSS 279 338-2049
Global Peace, Human Rights, and Justice Studies Mariana Ferreira
Karen Lovaas
SCI 383
HUM 352
405-2467
338-1713
History Barbara Loomis SCI 276 338-1604
Human Sexuality Studies Gilbert Herdt BH 333 405-3570
International Relations Sanjoy Banerjee HSS 336 338-2654
Middle East and Islamic Studies Nicole Watts
Lucia Volk
HSS 129
SCI 383
405-2470
405-2468
Labor Studies Brenda Cochrane HSS 336 405-3457
Latin American Area Studies Abdiel Oñate SCI 220 338-6177
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Studies Gilbert Herdt BH 333 405-3570
Pacific Asian Studies Pi-Ching Hsu SCI 265 338-7536
Political Science James Martel HSS 263 338-1178
Psychology Kathy Mosier EP 301 338-2167
Public Administration Genie Stowers HSS 236 338-2985
Social Science Dawn Terrell HSS 336 405-3475
Sociology Edward McCaughan HSS 370 338-1466
South Asian Studies Prithvi Shobhi
Falu Bakrania
HUM 529
EP 411
338-1220
405-0389
Urban Studies Ayse Pamuk HSS 263 338-1178
World Development Studies Philip King HSS 142 338-1839

College of Behavioral and Social Sciences


Mission/Purpose

The mission of the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences is to provide and promote teaching, scholarship, and service that enhance appreciation and understanding of the behavioral, social, and natural mosaic of life on earth and promote active engagement in shaping the world.

The College of Behavioral and Social Sciences provides a framework in which the faculty and students can cooperatively investigate human behavior in both individual and social contexts. The fundamental approach of the college is that of the liberal arts, but several of the programs have professional or pre-professional aspects. Interdisciplinary, multicultural, and international perspectives are emphasized in the curricula, as are methodological approaches appropriate to each discipline.

Undergraduate Studies

Encompassing a number of traditional and modern disciplines of the behavioral and social sciences, the college offers the following undergraduate degrees.

Bachelor of Arts

Anthropology 22021

Criminal Justice 21051

Economics 22041

Environmental Studies 49011
Concentrations in:
Environmental Sustainability and Social Justice
Humanities and the Environment
The Urban Environment

Geography 22061

History 22051
Concentration in:
Honors Program

International Relations 22101

Labor Studies 22993

Political Science 22071

Psychology 20011

Sociology 22081

Urban Studies 22141

Bachelor of Science

Environmental Studies 49011
Concentrations in:
Earth System Science
Natural Resource Management and Conservation

The college also provides an area of emphasis in the Liberal Studies Program (Area III) and jointly offers the B.A. in American Studies with the College of Humanities.

In addition, the college offers the following freestanding minors which may be taken in conjunction with any major.

African Area Studies
California Studies
Critical Social Thought
European Studies
Global Peace, Human Rights, and Justice Studies
Human Sexuality Studies
Latin American Area Studies
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Studies
Middle East and Islamic Studies
Pacific Asian Studies
Social Science (Interdisciplinary Studies)
South Asian Studies
World Development Studies

Computer Facilities

The BSS Computer Laboratory (HSS 383) and the Bi-College(BSS/Ethnic Studies) Computer Lab (EP 125) provide computer access for individual and class use, as well as software of particular relevance to the behavioral and social sciences.

Specialized computer laboratories include the Multidisciplinary GIS Center (HSS 272), the BSS All-College Instructional Computing Laboratory (HSS 380), the Geography Instructional Laboratory (HSS 290), the Economics Instructional Laboratory (HSS 147), the PSIRUS (Political Science, International Relations, Urban Studies) Computer Media Laboratory (HSS 358), and the Psychology Experimental Laboratory (PSY 304A), and provide hands-on experience in spatial analysis, simulations, experimentation, forecasting, and data analysis related to specific disciplines.

Specialized Resources and Facilities

A broad variety of special resources and facilities are available within the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences. These include major university centers described elsewhere in this Bulletin, such as the Treganza Anthropology Museum, the BSS-Geography Map Library, the Psychology Clinic, as well as more specialized facilities, as described below.

Center for Urban Anthropology coordinates research and teaching related to the study of urban areas.

Multidisciplinary Geographic Information Systems Center, Geography and Human Environmental Studies, allows students and faculty to explore applications of GIS through the processing and analysis of imagery from satellite photography. A separate Cartography Laboratory also produces both manual and computer maps, charts, and diagrams.

Overseas Orientation and Training Program, International Relations, provides training and orientation programs for professionals working in educational, business, and governmental settings in the U.S. and Asia.

The Pre-Law Center, Political Science, provides advising and resource materials to students interested in careers in law.

The Applied Psychology Laboratory, Childhood Obesity and Eating Disorders Laboratory, Complex Cognition Laboratory, Culture and Adolescence Laboratory, Culture and Emotion Research Laboratory, Employee Research Laboratory, Family Interaction Laboratory, Infant Cognition Laboratory, Motivation and Emotion Research Laboratory, Physiological Psychology Laboratory, Psychology and Law Laboratory and Social Organizational Research Laboratory are among the specialized facilities in the Psychology Department which provide instructional and research support for students and faculty.

In addition, several departments in the college provide opportunities for research, professional experience, career development, and student-faculty exchanges through their sponsorship of student organizations; e.g., the Criminal Justice Student Association, History Students Association, International Relations Student Association, Model UN, Psi Chi National Honor Society in Psychology, and the Sociology Students Association, and a number of journals are produced by students and faculty in the college, including Urban Perspectives (Urban Studies), the Treganza Anthropology Papers (Anthropology), Ex Post Facto (History), and the Journal of Homosexuality (Human Sexuality Studies), IR Journal, and Public Administration Student Organization.

Graduate Studies

Graduate programs in the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences cover a broad range of professional and academic interests. There are literally thousands of potential career applications available to graduates. Each program will provide information on the admissions policies and career opportunities for its graduates, including the experience of those working in the field, on request.

Applicants and candidates should realize the necessity of frequent contact with the graduate major adviser and students should not undertake a program of study without the express approval of a graduate major adviser. Because several graduate programs in the college have application procedures which supplement those of the university, applicants should contact the office of the program directly for information.

The College of Behavioral and Social Sciences offers the following graduate degrees:

Master of Arts

Anthropology 22021

Economics 22041

Geography 22061
Concentration in:
Resource Management and Environmental Planning

History 22051

Human Sexuality Studies 49019

International Relations 22101

Political Science 22071

Psychology
Concentrations in:
Developmental Psychology 20091
Psychological Research 20992
Social Psychology 20051

Master of Public Administration 21021

Master of Science

Psychology
Concentrations in:
Clinical Psychology 20031
Industrial-Organizational Psychology 20081
School Psychology 20013