The General Social Sciences Program (GSS) offers students the flexibility to design a major that combines courses from several departments across campus into a thematic concentration. All concentrations combine career training with the analytical skills of a liberal arts education and each concentration has its own core courses and a range of relevant electives.

Students can obtain a bachelor of arts (BA) or a bachelor of science (BS) degree while majoring in GSS. Bachelor of arts degrees require a second year of a second language, and a bachelor of science requires one year of math.

GSS Concentrations

Each concentration serves as a central focus for required and elective courses within the major. After declaring a concentration, students select courses from a wide range of social sciences departments as well as the university’s professional schools (Business, Education, Journalism, and Planning and Public Policy Management).

• The minimum GPA is a 2.0, similar to the university required GPA.
• Courses must be completed with a grade of C- or better.
• GSS students can change one of their major courses from graded to a P/NP. 
• Only three classes which count for the GSS major may also count for another major or certificate; only one may overlap with a minor.
• At least 24 graded credits of major coursework must be completed in residence at the University of Oregon to qualify for a bachelor’s degree in general social sciences.

Students must select one of the following concentrations:

Applied Economics, Business, and Society

Crime, Law, and Society

Globalization, Environment, and Policy

Social Studies Teaching

All courses counting for one of the four GSS concentrations in a given term can be found in the UO Class schedule with the subject codes below. GSS students are encouraged to use this as a tool before and during registration:

• GSAE for GSS: Applied Economics, Business, & Society
• GSCL for GSS: Crime, Law, & Society
• GSGE for GSS: Globalization, Environment, & Policy
• GSST for GSS: Social Studies Teaching

Applied Economics, Business and Society

Applied Economics, Business, and Society (AEBS) combines technical training in business with the analytical training of the liberal arts. This concentration draws heavily from courses in the Business School and the Economics department so that it offers specific business skills while also exploring how business works in society, on the national level, and in the global context. This concentration is designed specifically for students who wish to work in business or to pursue an MBA.

Students must complete 52 credits with a minimum of 24 upper division credits within the major. Students in the Applied Economics concentration cannot major in Business or minor in Business Administration.

Preliminary Core

Complete all three courses:

• BA 101Z - Introduction to Business
• EC 201 - Introduction to Economic Analysis: Microeconomics
• EC 202 - Introduction to Economic Analysis: Macroeconomics

Methods Requirement

Complete two courses:

• BA 215 - Accounting: Language of Business Decisions 
  • or BA 211Z Principles of Financial Accounting [formerly ACTG 211] 
• STAT 243Z - Elementary Statistics I 
  • or SOC 312 - Statistical Analysis in Sociology 
  • or Math 425 - Statistical Methods I

Research Methods Requirement

Complete one of the following courses:

• GEOG 391 - Social Science Inquiry and Research
• PPPM 415 - Policy and Planning Analysis
• PS 102 - Thinking Like a Social Scientist
• SOC 311 - Research Methods

Specialization Requirements

Must complete 7 of the following courses. At least two of the courses must be outside of Economics and Business.

Asian Studies

• ASIA 480 - Chinese Economy: Transition, Development, Globalization

Business Administration

• BA 316 - Management: Creating Value through People
• BA 317 - Marketing: Creating Value for Customers
• BA 318 - Finance: Creating Value through Capital
• BA 410 - Business and Human Rights (Winter 2025 Only)
  • Reach out to lcbadvising@uoregon.edu for assistance enrolling.

College of Arts and Sciences

• CAS 417 - Career Readiness [only 2 credits]

Economics

• EC (All 300+ and 400+ courses approved, except 400–409. See course descriptions in UO Catalog - Economics Courses)
• EC 199 - Micro Data Science (Fall 2024 ONLY)

Environmental Studies

• ENVS 345 - Environmental Ethics

Geography

• GEOG 342 - Geography of Globalization
• GEOG 442 - Urban Geography
• GEOG 448 - Tourism and Development 
• GEOG 468 - Contemporary Food Systems

Global Studies

• GLBL 431 - Cross-Cultural Communication

History

• HIST 363 - American Business History
• HIST 383 - Soccer and Society in Latin America
• HIST 463 - American Economic History: [Topic]

Journalism

• JCOM 370 - PR Fundamentals

Marketing

• MKTG 420 - Marketing Communications (Winter 2025 Only)
  • Reach out to lcbadvising@uoregon.edu for assistance enrolling. Pre-req: BA 317
• MKTG 470 - International Marketing (Winter 2025 Only)
  • Reach out to lcbadvising@uoregon.edu for assistance enrolling. Pre-req: BA 317

Philosophy

• PHIL 120 - Ethics of Enterprise and Exchange

Planning, Public Policy, & Management

• PPPM - 445 Green Cities

Political Science

• PS 210 - Politics of Business
• PS 275 - Legal Process An Introduction to the American Judiciary
• PS 337 - The Politics of Development
• PS 340 - International Political Economy
• PS 460 - Political Economy of East Asia (Winter 2025 Only)

Sociology

• SOC 346 - Work and Occupations

Women's and Gender Studies

• WGS 341 - Women, Work, and Class

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Crime, Law, and Society

Crime, Law, and Society (CLS) provides students with a broad exposure to problems that confront society relating to the causes, consequences, and policies regarding crime and socio-legal studies. This concentration offers a flexible curriculum designed for people interested in criminology, law school, or working in law enforcement or social services. 

Students must complete 48 credits with a minimum of 24 upper division credits within the major. Students in the Crime, Law and Society concentration cannot minor in Criminology.

Preliminary Core

Complete three courses:

• SOC 204 - Introduction to Sociology OR SOC 207 - Social Inequality
• PS 275 - Legal Process An Introduction to the American Judiciary
• ES 101 - Introduction to Ethnic Studies

Methods Requirement

Complete ONE of the following courses:

• GEOG 391 - Social Science Inquiry and Research
• PPPM 415 - Policy and Planning Analysis
• PS 102 - Thinking Like a Social Scientist
• SOC 311 - Research Methods

Specialization Requirements

Complete 8 of the following courses:

Anthropology

• ANTH 176 - Introduction to Forensic Anthropology
• ANTH 322 - Anthropology of the United States
• ANTH 366 - Human Osteology Laboratory
• ANTH 473 - Advanced Forensic Anthropology
• ANTH 479 - Taphonomy Bones, Bugs, and Burials

College of Arts and Sciences

• CAS 417 - Career Readiness [only two credits]

Indigenous, Race, and Ethnic Studies

• ES 352 - Social Equity and Criminal Justice
• ES 399 - Sp St LatinX Geographies (Winter 2025 Only)
• ES 410 (see notes)
  • ES 410 topic course is subject to change titles; only specific title “Muslims in the US” is approved.
• ES 450 - Race and Incarceration
• ES 452 - Race and Ethnicity and the Law: [Topic]

Family and Human Services

• FHS 483 - Prevention of Interpersonal Violence

Geography

• GEOG 343 - Society, Culture, and Place

Global Studies

• GLBL 370 - International Human Rights

Journalism

• JCOM 302 - Communication Law
• JCOM 303 - Media Ethics

Linguistics

• LING 415 - Semantics

Philosophy

• PHIL 344 - Introduction to Philosophy of Law 
• PHIL 425 - Philosophy of Language

Planning, Public Policy, and Management

• PPPM 418 - Introduction to Public Law

Political Science

• PS 348 - Women and Politics
• PS 368 - Gender in the Law
• PS 371 - United States Congress
• PS 375 - Race, Politics, and the Law
• PS 466 - Civil Rights in Post-Warren Era
• PS 470 - Constitutional Law
• PS 472 - Matters of Life and Death
• PS 484 - United States Supreme Court
• PS 485 - Civil Rights and Civil Liberties

Psychology

• PSY 309 - Psychopathology
• PSY 366 - Culture and Mental Health
• PSY 380 - Psychology of Gender

Sociology

• SOC 313 - Social Issues and Movements
• SOC 328 - Self and Society
• SOC 330 - Sociology of the Family
• SOC 355 - Sociology of Gender
• SOC 370 - Urban Sociology
• SOC 380 - Introduction: Deviance, Control, and Crime
• SOC 410 - Mass Incarceration (Winter 2025 Only)
• SOC 425 - Issues in Sociology of Family: [Topic]
• SOC 445 - Sociology of Race and Ethnicity: [Topic]
• SOC 452 - Issues of Migration: [Topic]
• SOC 484 - Issues in Deviance, Control, and Crime: [Topic]

Women's and Gender Studies

• WGS 321 - Feminist Perspectives: Identity, Race, Culture
• WGS 341 - Women, Work, and Class

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Globalization, Environment, and Policy

Globalization, Environment, and Policy (GEP) focuses on broad social-political and environmental issues at the regional and global levels, as well as policy planning designed to address these issues. The Globalization concentration prepares students hoping to work in green industry, government, NGOs, and environmental organizations. Additionally, the concentration prepares students to earn graduate degrees in planning, public management, policy studies or other applied social sciences with a global emphasis.

Students must complete 48 credits with a minimum of 24 upper division credits within the major.

Preliminary Core

Complete all three:

• GEOG 141 - The Natural Environment
• GEOG 142 - Human Geography
• PS 297 - Introduction to Environmental Politics
  • Due to limited availability of PS 297, GEOG 342 has been approved to count in its place for all GSS- GEP students*

Methods Requirement

Complete one of the following courses:

• GEOG 391 - Social Science Inquiry and Research
• PPPM 415 - Policy and Planning Analysis
• PS 102 - Thinking Like a Social Scientist
• SOC 311 - Research Methods

Breadth Requirements

Complete two courses from the following list. Consider these as prereqs for the specialization courses.

• ANTH 161 - Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
• EC 201 - Introduction to Economic Analysis: Microeconomics
• ENVS 201 - Introduction to Environmental Studies: Social Sciences
• GLBL 240 - Perspectives on International Development
• GLBL 250 - Value Systems in Cross-Cultural Perspective
• HIST 273 - Introduction to Global Environmental History
• JCOM 201 - Media and Society
• LING 211 - Languages of the World
• PPPM 201 - Introduction to Public Policy
• PPPM 202 - Healthy Communities
• PS 205 - Introduction to International Relations

Specialization Requirements

Must complete 6 of the following courses:

Anthropology

• ANTH 329 - Immigration and Farmworkers

Economics

• EC 333 - Resource and Environmental Economic Issues

Environmental Studies

• ENVS 335 - Allocating Scarce Environmental Resources
• ENVS 410 - Experimental Course: [Topic] "Fire Soc and Policy" (Winter 2025 Only)
• ENVS 411 - Environmental Issues: [Topic]
• ENVS 429 - Environmental Leadership: [Topic]
• ENVS 435 - Environmental Justice
• ENVS 450 - Political Ecology
  • ENVS 335 and EC 333 cover much of the same material. Students are discouraged from taking both. 

Geography

• GEOG 321 - Climatology
• GEOG 322 - Geomorphology
• GEOG 323 - Biogeography
• GEOG 341 - Population and Environment
• GEOG 342 - Geography of Globalization*
• GEOG 410 - Experimental Course: [Topic] "Capitalism and Nature" (Winter 2025 Only)
• GEOG 425 - Hydrology and Water Resources
• GEOG 430 - Long-Term Environmental Change
• GEOG 441 - Political Geography
• GEOG 448 - Tourism and Development
• GEOG 461 - Environment Alteration
• GEOG 463 - Geography, Law, and Environment

Global Studies

• GLBL 345 - Africa Contemporary Issues and Concerns
• GLBL 360 - International Cooperation and Conflict
• GLBL 370 - International Human Rights
• GLBL 421 - Gender and International Development
• GLBL 425 - Global Food Security
• GLBL 433 - Childhood in Cross-Cultural Perspective
• GLBL 442  - South Asia: Development and Social Change
• GLBL 444 - Development and Social Change in Southeast Asia
• GLBL 446 - Development and Social Change in Latin America

History

• HIST 415 - Advanced World History: [Topic]
• HIST 473 - American Environmental History: [Topic]
  • HIST 415 topic course is subject to title change; only specific title “Women and Globalization” is approved.

Journalism

• JCOM 301 - Gender Media Diversity
• JCOM 306 - Global Communications
• JCOM 370 - PR Fundamentals

Philosophy

• PHIL 340 - Environmental Philosophy

Planning, Public Policy, and Management

• PPPM 331 - Environmental Management
• PPPM 407 - Seminar [Topic]
• PPPM 408 - Workshop [Topic]
  • Topic course is subject to title change; only specific titles “Seminar: Nonprofit Legal Issues” and “ENV Impact Statement” are approved.

Political Science

• PS 302 - States' Rights and Wrongs
• PS 304 - Democracy, Dictators, and Development
• PS 320  - International Organization
• PS 330 - Governments and Politics in Latin America
• PS 337 - The Politics of Development
• PS 367 - Politics, Science, and Climate Change
• PS 380 - Gender and Politics in Developing Countries
• PS 477 - International Environmental Politics

Sociology

• SOC 304 - Community, Environment, and Society
• SOC 416 - Issues in Environmental Sociology [Topic]

Women's and Gender Studies

• WGS 351 - Decolonial Feminisms
• WGS 432 - Gender, Environment, and Development

*GEOG 342 may count for either Preliminary Core (in place of PS 297) or Specialization, but not for both.

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Social Studies Teaching

GSS Social Studies Teaching (SST) prepares students with the coursework requirements for admission to the graduate teacher licensure program at the University of Oregon — UOTeach. This concentration does not in and of itself lead to a teaching license. Rather, this concentration educates students in the content areas (history, economics, political science, etc.) required to enroll in a graduate program to become licensed to teach Social Studies at the middle or high school level. 

Students must complete 68 credits with a minimum of 40 upper division credits within the major. Courses are subject to change as UOTeach/Oregon/National Content standards change. Courses cannot overlap between sections (i.e., section 1 & 2 or section 2 & 6, etc.). 

Students in the Social Studies Teaching concentration need a 2.0 GPA to graduate, but keep in mind that you will need a minimum GPA of 3.0 to get admitted into a licensure program. 

Preliminary Core

World History, Geography, Sociology, Psychology, and Anthropology

Choose any 2 of the following courses:

• ANTH 150, 161
• GEOG 201, 202, 205, 208, 209
• HIST 101/102/103, 104/105/106
• PSY 201, 202
• SOC 204, 207

European and World History

Choose any 2 of following courses. We recommend that students select one course from each of the two categories (European and world history), but this is only a recommendation and students may take both courses from the same section if they prefer.

European History:

• HIST 101–03 (Pre-Modern Europe series)
• HIST 301–03 (Modern Europe series)
• HIST 319–21 (Medieval Europe series)
• HIST 332, 336, 337, 342
• HIST 399 and 400-level courses with approval from the GSS Program Director

World History:

• HIST 104–06 (World History series)
• HIST 186 (India)
• HIST 190, 191 (China)
• HIST 325 (Africa)
• HIST 345, 346, 347 (Russia – USSR)
• HIST 380–82 (Latin America)
• HIST 386 (India)
• HIST 387 (China)
• HIST 399 and 400-level courses with approval from the GSS Program Director

United States History

Choose any 3 of the following courses:

• HIST 201, 202, 203
• HIST 250, 251
• HIST 308, 309, 351, 352, 363, 388
• HIST 399 and 400-level courses with approval from the GSS Program Director

Economics

Both courses are required:

• EC 201 - Introduction to Economic Analysis: Microeconomics
• EC 202 - Introduction to Economic Analysis: Macroeconomics

Government and Political Science

Must take 2 of the following courses:

• PS 201 - United States Politics
• PS 206 - Ethics, Identity, and Power
• PS 302 - States’ Rights (and Wrongs)
• PS 304 - Democracy, Dictators, and Development
• PS 308 - US Political Thought
• PS 309 - Political Ideologies
• PS 347 - Political Power, Influence, and Control
• PS 348 - Women and Politics
• PS 386 - United States Social Movements and Political Change

Research Methods Requirement

Complete one of the following courses:

• GEOG 391 - Social Science Inquiry and Research
• PPPM 415 - Policy and Planning Analysis
• PS 102 - Thinking Like a Social Scientist
• SOC 311 - Research Methods

Specialization and Upper-Division Requirements

Complete 5 of the following courses. You must take at least one course from each of the following three areas: US History, Economics, and Political Science. The remaining two courses must be taken exclusively in one area of concentration.

GSS-SST majors declared prior to January 1, 2016: Take 6 of the following courses. You must take at least one course from each of the following three areas: US History, Economics, and Political Science. The remaining three courses must be taken exclusively in one area of concentration.

400-level courses from several areas of specialization are not listed below due to the significant number of prerequisites. However, you may take 400-level courses as substitutes for 300-level courses with approval from a General Social Science adviser.

Recommended Courses

It is recommended (but not required) that students take one to three courses in Education Studies in preparation for teacher training. Recommended courses include EDST 111, and 420. Additional courses might include EDST 342, 343, 399, 451, 452, 453, 454,455, 456, 457.

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Double Major Requirements

You may have a double major or add a minor, and you may overlap the coursework. For a double major, you may apply three courses both to GSS and to the other major. (The other major may have another policy. Please refer to the department/program for advising.) These courses must be part of both the GSS curriculum and the other major’s curriculum.

For a minor, you may apply one course both to GSS and the minor. This course must already be part of the GSS curriculum and the minor’s curriculum (i.e., GSS-AEBS and Media Studies can use J340 to satisfy both requirements, but students may not also use J350 to satisfy both the major and minor requirements).

Please note that the degree guide may not reflect the double-dipping policy and it will be the responsibility of the student to ensure they are meeting the requirements. For additional information, meet with an advisor.

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