Page last updated 14 Feb 2008

Welcome to the new Social Science Consortium (SSC) website, located on the UMKC College of Arts & Sciences web server (cas.umkc.edu/ssc).

Website development is underway, as resources permit, and this page will be replaced (sooner rather than later, we hope) by a new site with current design features and high-value content. 

In the interim . . .

The Social Science Consortium Program of Study was substantially revised as of Fall Semester, 2007.  This revision was not formally approved in time to be included in the 2007-08 on-line catalog.  The following represents an updated catalog entry for the revised Program of Study, which will appear in the 2008-09 catalog. 

Social Science Consortium

Discipline Coordinator

Douglas Bowles, (816) 235-1394, bowlesdh@umkc.edu

Doctoral Faculty Participation

Douglas Bowles (Economics), SSC Director

Robert Gamer (Political Science)

John Henry (Economics)

Shannon Jackson (Sociology/Anthropology)

Erik Olsen (Economics)

Jim Sturgeon (Economics)

Linwood Tauheed (Economics)

James Webb (Economics)

The Social Science Consortium is a discipline in the Interdisciplinary Ph.D. Program administered by the School of Graduate Studies.

Note: The discipline-specific requirements listed here are in addition to the requirements listed in Interdisciplinary Ph.D. Application Procedure and Minimum Criteria for Admission and Minimum Interdisciplinary Ph.D. Academic Regulations and Degree Requirements earlier in this section.

Discipline-Specific Admission Requirements

The Social Science Consortium is only available as a co-discipline option, not as a coordinating-unit discipline, and has no discipline-specific admission requirements.  Recommendations for admission are made by a designated sub-committee of SSC doctoral faculty (see above) which reviews all applications.  Newly admitted students are assigned an interim SSC faculty advisor, pending formation of their supervisory committee. 

Suggested Compatible Coordinating Disciplines

Curriculum and Instruction, Economics, Geosciences (with a geography focus), History, Political Science, Psychology, Public Affairs and Administration, Sociology and Urban Leadership and Policy Studies in Education.

Core Program Requirements

The Social Science Consortium Program of Study requires 15 hours of dedicated coursework.

The following three courses (9 hours) are required:

·         SocSci 5610 - Introduction to Interdisciplinary Social Science

·         SocSci 5621 - Consensus Social Theory

·         SocSci 5630 - Seminar in Research Methodology

One course (3 hours) in critical interdisciplinary social theory is required.  Students may select one from among the following:

·          SocSci 5622 - Pragmatism and Evolutionary Social Theory

·          SocSci 5690A - Marxian Social Theory

·          SocSci 5690B - Post-Modern and Interpretive Social Theory

·          SocSci 5690C - Critical Realism

The final course (3 hours) is elective, but must be approved by the student’s SSC program advisor.  Disciplinary graduate-level courses are, in general, eligible as electives, and some are pre-approved:

·          Econ 5688 Colloquium on Political Economy

·          PolSci 5680 Traditions, Theories, and Trends in Political Science

·          Soc 5503 Controversies in Contemporary Social Theory and Practice

The 3 hour elective can also be satisfied by taking an additional critical theory course (see listing above), or with 3 hours of Directed Readings (SocSci 5690, or a disciplinary equivalent), subject to the advisor’s approval.

Sequencing is a very important consideration in the program of study listed above, complicated by the constraint that most courses fulfilling the program are offered only in either fall or spring semesters.  It is highly recommended that students with the SSC as their co-discipline take SocSci 5610 (offered fall semesters only) as early as possible, preferably in the fall semester of the first year, followed by SocSci 5621 (offered winter semesters only), and then by the preferred critical theory course(s).

The Seminar in Research Methodology (SocSci 5630) is designed to assist students with preparation of a defensible dissertation proposal, providing interdisciplinary integration of the SSC program of study with the student’s primary discipline.  It is intended to be taken as the conclusion of both primary discipline and SSC program coursework.

Comprehensive Examination Guidelines

In addition to the comprehensive examination requirements specified by the student’s supervisory committee in accordance with SGS guidelines, SSC students must pass a written qualifying exam administered and graded by the SSC faculty.  Information on current qualifying exam requirements and procedures may be obtained from the SSC Director.