The Master of Arts in Social Science

Course Requirements for the Master's Degree: 30 units

Continuous enrollment is required. At the discretion of the academic program, a maximum of 30 percent of the units counted toward the degree requirements may be special session credit earned in non-matriculated status combined with all transfer coursework. This applies to special session credit earned through Open University, or in courses offered for academic credit through Regional and Continuing Education.

Graduate Time Limit:

All requirements for the degree are to be completed within five years of the end of the semester of enrollment in the oldest course applied toward the degree. See Master's Degree Requirements in the University Catalog for complete details on general degree requirements.

The Option in General Social Science is designed for professionals having unique curricular needs within the behavioral and social sciences. It offers optimal flexibility in designing an individualized program specializing in an area related to behavioral and social sciences. The student can pursue a specific interdisciplinary theme, topic, or problem. The student is responsible for designing the course of study in conjunction with the graduate advisory committee and subject to the approval of the Graduate Coordinator.

Prerequisites for Admission to Conditionally Classified Status:

1. Satisfactory grade point average as specified in Graduate and Postbaccalaureate Admission Requirements in the University Catalog.

2. Approval by the department and the Office of Graduate Studies.

3. An acceptable baccalaureate from an accredited institution, or an equivalent approved by the Office of Graduate Studies. If the applicant's previous work is deficient in the social sciences, the applicant may be required to take some prerequisite courses as appropriate to the program of study.

4. Two letters of recommendation

5. Submission of a statement of purpose for the program describing their background and career or academic goals, and preparation for Social Science graduate studies.

Prerequisites for Admission to Classified Status:

In addition to any requirements listed above:

1. Completion of at least one of the following:

(a) A grade point average of 3.25 or better in the last 60 units of course work taken.

(b) A cumulative undergraduate grade point average of at least 3.0.

(c) A minimum score of 150 on the verbal and 150 on the quantitative portions of the Graduate Record Examination.

Advancement to Candidacy:

In addition to any requirements listed above:

1. The student must have classified graduate standing and must have completed at least 18 units of the proposed program at the University.

2. Recent completion of a research methods course appropriate to the program of study (consult Graduate Coordinator) with a grade of B or better.

3. Recent completion of a Graduate Literacy Course as assigned/approved by the Graduate Coordinator. A Graduate Literacy Course may be any of one of various 400/500/600 level courses that require significant scientific writing in the field(s) of study and must be approved by the Graduate Coordinator.

4. Formation of the graduate advisory committee, composed of at least two faculty from at least two appropriate departments, in consultation with the Graduate Coordinator.

5. Development of an approved program in consultation with the graduate advisory committee and the Graduate Coordinator, including a statement describing the student's interest in the special program being proposed, previous academic training, other relevant experience, and a description of the particular theme, topic, or problem the student proposes to study.

Requirements for the MA in Social Science:

Completion of all requirements as established by the Social Science graduate committee, the graduate advisory committee, and the Office of Graduate Studies, to include:

1. Completion of an approved program consisting of 30 units of 400/500/600-level courses as follows:

2. Completion, with a grade of B or higher of an approved (by the Graduate Coordinator) research methods course. Possible courses include:

Option in General Social Science:

3 units selected from:

SUBJ NUM	Title	Units	Semester Offered	Course Flags
ANTH 483	Field Methods in Ethnography	3.0	FA
Prerequisites: ANTH 303 or permission of instructor. This course presents theories and methods of ethnography as well as the ethics of ethnographic fieldwork. Students conduct supervised ethnographic research and present their results both orally and in written format. 6 hours activity. (000610)
ANTH 484	Archaeological Site Surveying	3.0	F2
Methods and techniques of locating archaeological and historical cultural resources in the field. Proper site recordation by means of photographs, drawings, maps, and appropriately filled-out site survey forms for cultural resource management purposes. 9 hours supervision. You may take this course more than once for a maximum of 6.0 units. (000613)
ANTH 485	Formal Methods for Anthropology	3.0	FS
A survey of selected mathematical and logical methods and models of relevance to various problems in anthropology. Emphasis is placed on the analysis of anthropological data. 3 hours seminar. (000530)
CMST 602	Seminar in Communication Research Methods	3.0	FS
This course is designed to provide students with an understanding of research methods associated with the field of communication. The predominant focus is quantitative inquiry with attention to surveys, experiments, content analysis, and evaluation research. Also included is experience in computer analysis of statistical data and construction of a research proposal. 3 hours seminar. (002046)
CMST 603	Interpretive Approaches to Human Communication Research	3.0	FS
This course is an introduction to qualitative research methods in communication studies including: conceptualization, research design, data collection procedures, and analyses. The role of communication theory in guiding and informing research design in the field is emphasized, as are the ethical and political dimensions of conducting qualitative research. 3 hours seminar. (002254)
EDMA 610	Introduction to Inquiry in Education	3.0	FA
Prerequisites: Experience using computers, faculty permission. This course develops the knowledge and skills educators need as consumers and producers of educational research. Introduction to skills for accessing, comprehending, planning, and conducting educational research and basic statistics. This course should be taken early in the MA degree program. 3 hours seminar. (002875)
HCSV 425	Research and Evaluation in Health	3.0	FS	GW
Prerequisites: Completion of GE Written Communication (A2) requirement, HCSV 211, MATH 105. The course introduces students to research methodology and program evaluation techniques in the health field. Students develop skills for critically reading professional literature and writing a research or program evaluation proposal. 3 hours discussion. This is an approved Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement course; a grade of C- or higher certifies writing proficiency for majors. (001614)
HIST 492	Archival Research Seminar	3.0	FA
Introduction to archival research and source materials. Practical experience in locating, interpreting, and using the various kinds of primary documents that form the raw material of the historian's craft. 3 hours seminar. (004707)
POLS 631	Research Methods	3.0	FS
Rigorous investigation of methodological techniques, with intensive readings, papers, and oral presentations as appropriate. Applications of research methods to policy problems and to problems in Political Science will be stressed. 3 hours seminar. (007692)
PSYC 600	Research and Evaluation Methods	3.0	FA
Prerequisites: PSYC 364 or equivalent, faculty permission. An examination of the nature and process of understanding and evaluating, as well as designing and conducting psychological research and evaluations studies. Important issues and criteria for evaluating quality and drawing conclusions will be emphasized. 3 hours seminar. (007996)
SOCI 411	Social Research Practicum	3.0	FS
Prerequisites: SOCI 310 and SOCI 315 or faculty permission. This is a hands-on research course where students design and conduct research projects. Every stage of research, from project conceptualization through data collection and analysis, is undertaken. This course provides practical experience in research methods for use in future employment or graduate studies. 3 hours seminar. You may take this course more than once for a maximum of 6.0 units. (015570)

The student is responsible for designing the rest of the course of study in conjunction with the graduate advisory committee and subject to the approval of the Graduate Coordinator. A minimum of 18 units must be taken in the social sciences, including course work from at least two disciplines. The program of study must reflect a specific interdisciplinary theme, topic, or problem.

(a) At least 18 units taken in the social sciences.

(b) At least 18 units required for the degree at the 600 level.

(c) At the discretion of the academic program, a maximum of 30 percent of the units counted toward the degree requirements may be special session credit earned in non-matriculated status combined with all transfer coursework. This applies to special session credit earned through Open University, or in courses offered for academic credit through the Center for Regional and Continuing Education. (Correspondence courses and UC Extension coursework are not acceptable for transfer).

(d) Not more than 15 units taken before admission to classified status.

(e) At least 9 units completed after advancement to candidacy.

(f) Not more than a total of 10 units of Independent Study (697) and Master's Thesis (699) or Master's Project (699); not more than 6 units of either Master's Thesis (699) or Master's Project (699), nor more than 6 units of Independent Study (697).

2. Completion and final approval of a thesis or terminal project as specified by the student's graduate advisory committee and the Graduate Coordinator, and successful completion of an oral defense. (Comprehensive exams, in lieu of thesis and oral defense, are possible in rare cases with approval of the Graduate Coordinator.)

3. Approval by the Social Science Graduate Coordinator and the Graduate Coordinators Committee on behalf of the faculty of the University.

Graduate Requirement in Writing Proficiency:

Writing proficiency is a graduation requirement.

This requirement must be met by successful completion, with a B or higher, of a Graduate Coordinator approved Graduate Literacy course.

Graduate Grading Requirements:

All courses in the major (with the exceptions of Independent Study - 697, Comprehensive Examination - 696, Master's Project - 699P, and Master's Thesis - 699T) must be taken for a letter grade, except those courses specified by the department as ABC/No Credit (400/500-level courses), AB/No Credit (600-level courses), or Credit/No Credit grading only. A maximum of 10 units combined of ABC/No Credit, AB/No Credit, and Credit/No Credit grades may be used on the approved program (including 697, 696, 699P, 699T and courses outside the major). While grading standards are determined by individual programs and instructors, it is also the policy of the University that unsatisfactory grades may be given when work fails to reflect achievement of the high standards, including high writing standards, expected of students pursuing graduate study.

Students must maintain a minimum 3.0 grade point average in each of the following three categories: all course work taken at any accredited institution subsequent to admission to the master's program; all course work taken at CSU, Chico subsequent to admission to the program; and all courses on the approved master's degree program.

For this program, grades lower than B- are unacceptable. For this program, Internship courses (689) will be graded Credit/No Credit only.

Graduate Advising Requirement:

Advising is mandatory each semester for all Social Science majors. Failure to seek advising is considered a violation of normal progress towards the degree and can be grounds for removal from the program.