College of Humanities and Social Sciences

College of Humanities and Social Sciences

 

Administrative Officers

Dean	John M. de Castro, Ph.D. (936) 294-2200
Associate Dean	A. Jerry Bruce, Ph.D. (936) 294-2202
Associate Dean	Terry Bilhartz, Ph.D. (936) 294-2203
Scholar in Residence	Alessandro Bonanno, Ph.D. (936) 294-2455
Department of Communication Studies	James D. Ragsdale, Jr., Ph.D., Chair
Department of English	Helena Halmari, Ph.D., Chair
Department of Family and Consumer Sciences	Janis D. White, Ph.D., Chair
Department of Foreign Languages	Debra Andrist, Ph.D., Chair
Department of History	Brian F. Domitrovic, Ph.D., Chair
Department of Political Science	Rhonda Callaway, Ph.D.,  Chair
Department of Psychology and Philosophy	Chris Wilson, Ph.D., Chair
Department of Sociology	Gene Theodori, Ph.D., Chair

 

About the College

The College of Humanities and Social Sciences consists of nine academic units: Communication Studies; English; Family and Consumer Sciences; Foreign Languages: History; Mass Communication; Political Science; Psychology and Philosophy; and Sociology.

Mission

The College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHSS) provides an essential component to a liberal arts education: understanding human beings in their diversity as expressed in their literatures, histories, ideas, values, oral and written expressions, and behavior. By promoting analytic, interpretive, interpersonal, research and communication skills, the College of Humanities and Social Sciences facilitates personal growth, competent professionals, and responsible citizens.

Academic Programs

 

Major	Degree(s)
Communication Studies	B.A., B.S.
English	B.A.
Family and Consumer Sciences	B.A., B.S.
Family and Consumer Sciences-Fashion Merchandising	B.A., B.S.
Family and Consumer Sciences-Food Science and Nutrition	B.S.
Family and Consumer Sciences-Food Service Management	B.A., B.S.
Family and Consumer Sciences-Interior Design	B.A., B.S.
History	B.A., B.S.
Philosophy	B.A.
Political Science	B.A., B.S.
Psychology	B.S.
Sociology	B.A., B.S.
Spanish	B.A.

 

Highlights

• Faculty in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences are committed to teaching excellence, curriculum innovation, research/scholarship, and community and university service.
• Faculty in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences have been recognized for their teaching excellence with national and local awards.
• Courses in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences are rated well above the national norms in teacher effectiveness and course excellence.
• Faculty in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences have been recognized for their research and scholarship with national awards.
• Annual Teaching Conference — Each year the College of Humanities and Social Sciences hosts a teaching conference, celebrating important accomplishments of faculty members. Faculty members are recognized for their excellence in teaching and explore new approaches to teaching.
• Writing Center — The Writing Center helps students, staff, and faculty become better writers through individual and group instruction.
• Ronald E. McNair Post-baccalaureate Achievement Program — This program is designed to provide talented first-generation, low income or ethnic minority undergraduate students with effective preparation for doctoral study. The program encourages students to engage in research with a faculty mentor and to acquire the skills necessary to succeed in doctoral studies.

Scholarships

Clay and Margaret B. Smith Memorial Humanities and Social Sciences Scholarship
This scholarship is a one-year award of $1000 divided between Fall and Spring semesters and is disbursed on the basis of financial need and academic performance. An application is available on the College of Humanities and Social Sciences webpage.

College Requirements

The College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHSS) offers at the undergraduate level two degrees, Bachelor of Arts (BA) and Bachelor of Science (BS). The standard for the two degrees are given below. Both the BA and the BS degrees require:

• 42 hours of the Core Curriculum
• 120 hours minimum requirement for a degree
• 42 advanced hours
• at least six writing enhanced courses accumulating to a minimum of 18 semester hours, six hours of which must come from the student’s major field of study
• 30 hours (typically) residency credit¹ (25% of credit hours required of degree), 24 must be advanced, 12 in major, 6 in minor
  

Notes: ¹Residency credit is given to courses taken at Sam Houston State University. This includes campus courses, courses taken at the Woodlands Center or University Park, courses abroad taught by SHSU faculty, and online courses. Correspondence courses are not considered residency credit courses

The BA and the BS degrees differ in two ways: their emphasis on breadth versus depth and their emphasis on liberal arts versus natural science and mathematics.

Bachelor of Arts

The Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree is one that focuses on the traditional liberal arts. Both degrees require a major in a specific area, but the BA attempts to develop graduates with a broad general knowledge of language, humanities, fine arts, and social sciences. The requirements for this degree include:

• 30-36 hours in a major area
• 18-24 hours in minor (Most majors require a minor—check with specific departments)
• Beyond the courses in the Core Curriculum, an additional course in Philosophy, Fine Arts, or Communication Studies, 3 hours
• 14 hours in one Foreign Language
  
  

Bachelor of Science

The Bachelor of Science (BS) degree is one that focuses on the development of expertise in a specific area. The emphasis is on developing graduates with skills and knowledge in one of the disciplines that allows exploration of the area in depth. Along with the expertise in a specific area, the focus is on scientific investigation; therefore, courses that emphasize the scientific methods are included. The requirements for this degree include:

• 30-42 hours in a major area
• 18-24 hours in minor (Most majors require a minor—check with specific departments)
• Beyond the science courses in the Core Curriculum, two additional courses in Natural Science, 8 hours
• Beyond the math course in the Core Curriculum, an additional course in Mathematics, Computer Science, or Logic, 3 hours
  

It should be noted that these requirements are minimum requirements and specific departments may require additional courses.