School of Social Sciences
Chair: Dr. Ken Vickers
Office: Martin Hall, Room102A
Telephone: (931)424-7331
E-mail: vickers@utsouthern.edu
Full-Time Faculty
Professors: Lancaster, Vickers, Wossum-Fisher
Associate Professors: Ryckman, Webb
Assistant Professors: Mottola, Scherr, Schoeberl
Instructors: Pruett
Adjunct Faculty: D. Cheatham, Clark, Hill, Holley-McCann, Jaeckle, Pigg, Rhodes, Waybright, Williams
The mission of the School of Social Sciences is to be an essential component to a liberal arts education articulated by UT Southern's mission statement. To achieve this goal we continually strive to educate students in human behavior’s past and present historical and diverse cultural forms; to educate students in individual, group, national, and international contexts; and to empower students as critical thinkers so as to better enjoy a democratic participation in a rapidly changing world. Because of our commitment to excellence, members of the programs of History, Behavioral Sciences, and Criminal Justice, which comprise the school, are encouraged and supported in continuous development of their academic and professional efforts to create, share, and advance knowledge, not only in our students, but in the community and amongst our colleagues at large, and endorse the principles of the scientific method of inquiry. The School of Social Sciences focuses upon producing students who function as independent, engaged, life-long learners capable of dealing with the challenges and capitalizing upon the opportunities presented in a modern, complex world and are equipped by us to be, throughout the course of their lives, responsible citizens who contribute to the common good of our society.
The School of Social Sciences includes the areas of criminal justice, history, homeland security, human services, psychology, sociology, and social work. The School offers the Bachelor’s degree with majors in Behavioral Sciences, Criminal Justice, Homeland Security, and History. Within the Behavioral Sciences major, students may choose a concentration in Human Services and Counseling, General Psychology, or an approved minor. The School also houses the Master of Science in Criminal Justice.
Within the interdisciplinary Behavioral Sciences major, the Human Services and Counseling concentration helps students to become familiar with information that is relevant to careers or further study in areas such as psychology, sociology, and social work. The Psychology concentration is designed to help students to develop a deep understanding of individual and social behavior that can be utilized in a variety of psychology-related fields. Both concentration areas include practicum experiences in a variety of work settings, and both prepare students to attend graduate or professional school or to enter the workforce in a variety of applied areas such as mental health, child development, drug rehabilitation, and human resources. For more information about each area of concentration, please see the subsequent pages which provide the expected student learning outcomes and the various courses that a student might take in each area.
The Criminal Justice major, which resides in the Criminal Justice program area, is designed to provide students an opportunity to pursue studies leading to law school, graduate school, or a career in the administration of justice. The program includes a core of criminal justice courses on such topics as law enforcement, the judicial process, criminal investigations, forensic crime scene investigations, juvenile justice, corrections, and criminal law. Credit for selected courses may be obtained through prior learning experience. Contact the program coordinator for further details. The Master of Science in Criminal Justice allows students to select a track in either Management or Homeland Security.
The Homeland Security major, which resides in the Criminal Justice program area, prepares students to become professionals who will develop critical thinking, problem solving, analytical and communication skills. From terrorism and natural disasters to immigration, cyber security, corporate security, national security, intelligence, and community resilience- today’s threat environment is both complex and dynamic. Students in the UT Southern homeland security program will build the analytical, decision making, technical and strategic skills to create and sustain more resilient organizations and communities and a more secure nation.
The History major is designed for students who wish to pursue graduate work in history, to become secondary school teachers, or to pursue a degree in law.
Students interested in a major within the School of Social Sciences should consult the appropriate program coordinator as listed below:
Behavioral Sciences: Alicia Webb
Criminal Justice: Richard Schoeberl
History: Ken Vickers