Discipline Coordinator

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

Click here to see Social Science faculty who are members of the doctoral faculty.

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.

Discipline-Specific Admission Requirements

The Social Science Consortium (SSC) 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 which reviews all applications. Newly admitted students are assigned an interim SSC faculty adviser, pending formation of their supervisory committee.

 

Suggested Compatible Primary Disciplines

Curriculum and instruction, economics, geosciences (with a geography focus), history, political science, public affairs and administration, and educational leadership, policy and foundations.

 

Core Program Requirements

The Social Science Consortium Program of Study requires 15 hours of dedicated coursework.
The following three courses (9 hours) are required:

• SOC-SCI 5610 - Introduction to Interdisciplinary Social Science
• SOC-SCI 5621 - Consensus Social Theory
• SOC-SCI 5630 - Seminar in Research Methodology

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

• SOC-SCI 5622 - Pragmatism and Evolutionary Social Theory
• SOC-SCI 5690A - Marxian Social Theory
• SOC-SCI 5690B - Post-Modern and Interpretive Social Theory
• SOC-SCI 5690C - Critical Realism

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

• ECON 5688 - Colloquium on Political Economy
• POL-SCI 5680 - Traditions, Theories, and Trends in Political Science
• SOCIOL 5503 - Controversies in Contemporary Social Theory and Practice

The 3 hour elective an also be satisfied by taking an additional critical theory course (see listing above), or with 3 hours of Directed Readings (SOC-SCI 5690, or a disciplinary equivalent), subject to the adviser'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 SOC-SCI 5610(offered fall semesters only) as early as possible, preferably in the fall semester of the first year, followed by SOC-SCI 5621(offered winter semesters only), and then by the preferred critical theory course(s).

SOC-SCI 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.

Requirements for Comprehensive Examinations

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.