Social Sciences

 The answer will generally will be "No." When we say our classes are full, they really are full.

If you don't want to be a classroom teacher, there are many things you can do with a degree in history.  Our history brochure lists many options and we urge you to come by the departmental office and pick one up. But, to give you a little sneak preview, a degree in history prepares you well for careers in the legal profession, government service (FBI, CIA, Homeland Security, Border Patrol, etc.), libraries/archives/museums, publishing, military service, advertising, and many more areas.  Basically, a degree in history provides you with the analytical, research, and writing skills that many occupations seek in employees.

No.  First, pre-law is not a major, it is an emphasis.  You can major in anything you want and have pre-law as an emphasis.  The courses that are recommended under a pre-law emphasis will help get into and graduate from law school but your major is up to you.  Successful law students have majored in political science, history, business. criminal justice, agriculture, art, etc.

Yes.  The history degree is a Bachelor of Arts degree and all such degrees require a foreign language.  You may earn a Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science without having to take foreign language courses.

Yes.  You can earn a regular B.A. degree in history without teacher certification.  Then, once you graduate, you can participate in any number of alternative certification programs offered by the TEA, District Service Centers, and universities such as Tarleton in order to earn your teacher certification.

No.  The best you can do is minor in this subject.

Freshmen and sophomores should go to the Advising Center for their course schedules.  If you require any other information, see your major advisor in the Department of Social Sciences.  Juniors and seniors should always see their major advisor in the department.  Major advisors in the Department of Social Sciences are:  Dr. Richard Cruz (History graduate advisor); Dr. T. Lindsay Baker (Public History advisor); Dr. Christopher Guthrie (Advisor for all undergraduate History students, including those seeking teaching certification); Dr. Craig Clifford (Honors student advisor); and Dr. Barry Price (Political Science undergraduate and graduate advisor).

Yes.  The department offers online sections of POLS 201, POLS 202, HIST 201, HIST 202, and GEOG 110.  More classes and more sections of existing online courses will be added in the near future.  Dr. Janet Schmelzer (History) and Dr. Barry Price (Political Science) offer a online graduate course every semester.  All these classes fill up very quickly; therefore if you want to take one you must register early.

Students with disabilities can request appropriate accommodation by contacting the Director of Student Disability Services in the Math Building, Room 201, or at (254) 968-9400.  Formal accommodation requests cannot be made until a student has been admitted to Tarleton.  However, students are encouraged to make initial contact well in advance of this time to clarify documentation requirements and to allow time to arrange possible accommodations.

It is a program designed principally for mature students who seek a flexible degree program and who do not desire or may not meet prerequisites of a highly structured traditional degree program, and to permit students to plan, with advisement, an individualized program with access to a wide range of academic disciplines and fields of professional study.  This program is not designed to provide students with the depth of content within a concentration to typically prepare the student for advanced studies within an academic discipline related to this concentration.

To earn this degree, students must fulfil the university General Education requirement (42 hrs), take 18 hours (12 advanced) in history or political science, take 9 hours (6 advanced) from another discipline, take CIS 103 or 300, take ENGL 309, take LS 498, and take an additional 21 hours of advanced electives.  There is no foreign language requirement for this degree.

Students can earn a B.A. in Political Science, a B.S. in Political Science, or a B.S. in Political Science with Social Studies Composite Certification.  Students should see Political Science advisor Dr. Barry Price for details of these three options.

Students can earn a B.A. in History, a B.A. in History with History Secondary Certification, a B.A. in History with Secondary Certification in History and another teaching field, or a B.A. in History with Social Studies Composite Secondary Certification.  Students should seeking certification should see Dr. Patricia Zelman for more details about these options.  Students who do not seek certification should see Dr. Christopher Guthrie.

Phi Alpha Theta is the history honorary fraternity. The Alpha Beta Chi chapter of this national organization has been on the Tarleton campus since 1985.  The qualifications for membership are: (1) undergraduates must have a 3.00 or better GPA, completed 12 hours of History courses, and a 3.1 or better GPA in those courses.  You do not have to be a History major.  You can have any major or minor.  You, however, must have the 12 hours of history courses completed.  (2)  Graduate students must have completed 12 hours of graduate course work with 9 hours in history courses.  The GPA must be 3.5 or better.  You do not have to be working on a M.A. in History.  You must, however, be working toward a Master degree with at least 9 hours of history completed.

For more information, contact Dr. Janet Schmelzer at 968-9918 or schmelz@tarleton.edu.

The Department of Social Sciences offers three Religion Studies courses: R S 101 (Survey of the Old Testament), R S 102 (Survey of the New Testament), and R S 304 (World Religions).  These are not Sunday School classes.  They are rigorous academic courses designed to investigate the historical background and basic teachings of Christianity (without arguing that these teachings are necessarily "the truth") and to understand the philosophical, ethical, and social dimensions of the other religions of the world.  These classes make excellent electives for those students who are interested in expanding their intellectual horizons.

If you first enrolled at Tarleton prior to the fall semester of 2007, you must take and pass the Writing Proficiency Exam in order to graduate.  If you first enrolled in Fall 2007, Spring 2008, or Summer 2008, only transfer students with 30 hours or more must take and pass this exam.  First-time freshmen and transfer students with less that 30 hours must participate in the Writing Intensive program instead.  If you enrolled in Fall 2008, Spring 2009, or Summer 2009, only transfer students with more than 60 hours must take the exam.  All first-time freshmen and transfer students with less than 60 hours must participate in the Writing Intensive Program instead.  If you enrolled in Fall 2009, Spring 2010, or Summer 2010, only transfer students with 90 hours or more must take the exam.  All first-time freshmen and transfer students with less than 90 hours must participate in the Writing Intensive Program instead.  If you enrolled in Fall 2010 or afterwards, you do not need to take the Writing Proficiency Exam but you must participate in the Writing Intensive Program.

It is a program in which individual academic departments do the job that the English Department should have done.  In order to satisfy this requirement (and it must be satisfied in order to graduate), students must have credit for four writing intensive (WI) courses.  Two of these four course must be upper level WI courses within the major or designed for the degree plan.  Currently, the Department of Social Sciences has three such courses: HIST 440 (Historical Methods) for history majors and POLS 308 (International Politics) and POLS 490 (Political Science Capstone Course) for political science majors.  More courses for history will be added shortly.  The remaining WI requirement should be met through general education courses and should be Freshman Composition.

If a student feels that he or she has been unfairly evaluated in a test, he or she should follow the following steps:

1. The student will first appeal to the instructor

2. If necessary, the student will then petition the head of the department for a committee to be appointed to evaluate the exam in question

3. The Department Head will appoint a departmental committee, consisting of a senior professor and one other from the instructor's discipline

4. The test and the student's essay (or essays) will be typed by the departmental secretary.  All identification of the student and the instructor will be omitted

5. The committee will review the situation and make a written recommendation to the instructor.  The criterion for their recommendation will be the defensibility of the instructor's original grade.  The instructor may then accept or reject the committee's recommendation; the reasons for this decision should be put in writing.  If a student is not satisfied by this decision, he or she may then follow the procedures outlined in the Student Handbook.

Other Grievances

If a grievance should develop between a student and faculty member (over semester grades, accusations of academic dishonesty, or other matters not elsewhere addressed), the student must first attempt to confer with the instructor to resolve their differences.

If a resolution is not possible with the instructor, the student or faculty member may bring the matter, in writing, to the Department Head.  The Department Head will investigate the matter, confer as he/she deems appropriate, appoint any committee that may be advisable, and arrive at a judgement.  In any event, both the involved student and instructor will be required to state their case in writing.

Should the Department Head's judgement not be acceptable to one party or the other, either may request that the matter be forwarded to the Dean of the College of Liberal and Fine Arts, who will approach the situation according to his or her established procedures.

Because it is mandated by the state and the university for the purpose of providing students with a well-rounded education.

Visit the appropriate advisor for the major you want to change to (Dr. Barry Price for Political Science or Dr. Christopher Guthrie for History) and have them help you fill out a revised Degree Plan. They will then send it to the Registrar's Office and the deed is done!

Yes.  The requirements are simple: just take 18 hours in either History or Political Science (6 of which must be advanced hours).  Notify your major advisor that you intend to minor in either History or Political Science so that he or she can indicate your minor on your degree plan.

First of all, check with your academic advisor to make sure that you have indeed completed all the courses required for graduation.  If everything is o.k. in this regard, obtain the following two forms from the Registrar's Office: "Application for Graduation" and "Graduation Checkout Form."  Complete the "Application for Graduation" yourself and complete the "Graduation Checkout Form" with your academic advisor.  Hand the completed forms into the Registrar's Office by the appropriate deadline.  The deadline for Fall 2009 graduation was April 14, 2009 and the deadline for Spring 2010 graduation is November 15, 2009.  Remember: to graduate in Fall 2009 or Spring 2010, students must pass the Writing Proficiency Exam.

Yes, but it is not a requirement for graduation for either discipline.  Political Science majors have served as interns for state political leaders and local government offices.  History interns have worked in museums throughout the state.  If you want an internship, work closely with your academic advisor to find a position.  Political Science majors also need to consult with Dr. Barry Price for possible positions and History majors need to talk to Dr. T. Lindsay Baker for similar information.

Not necessarily.  Try coming during their posted office hours.  If these times are not good for you, contact your teacher before or after class for a meeting time that is good for both of you.

Obtain a drop form from the Registrar's Office and then meet with your academic advisor to discuss your action.  Once your advisor has approved your action and signed your drop form, visit the instructor of the class you want to drop.  He or she will sign your form and then you need to have the Head of Department of Social Sciences sign it.  Once this signature is obtained, return the form to the Registrar's Office and you will be dropped from the class.  Make sure you drop classes before the drop deadline (which is listed in the catalog).  Also remember that you can only drop 6 classes during your career at Tarleton.

Students interested in earning a M.A. degree need to start by setting an appointment to talk to Dr. Richard Cruz, History Graduate advisor. Dr. Cruz fill you in on the requirements for the MA in History, tell you about available courses, and advise you on how to apply for admittance.  He will also be able to answer any other questions you may have.  We no longer offer a MA degree in Political Science.

No.