Faculty and Program Series Part One: The Faculty of Social Science

BY MACINSIDERS AGENT jesus

The faculty of social sciences is one of the largest at McMaster. Notably, its programs span a wide variety of departments: anthropology, economics, geography and earth sciences, health and aging, kinesiology** labour studies, political science, social psychology, religious studies, social work, as well as sociology.

**As of 09/10, the department of kinesiology is part of the Faculty of Science.

Faculty Awards:
- 9 Social Science and Humanities Research Council Winners (09/10)

Important Contacts:

Student Inquiries: [email protected] or call ext. 23772

The academic advisors assist you with course requirements, program selection, study abroad programs, petitions for missed work and appeals procedures. Also, there is a drop-in advising session 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM at KTH 129.

Associate Dean: Susan Watt ([email protected] or ext. 23371)

Tips for Success:

1. Always attend your lectures and tutorials.
2. Take good notes and pay attention to what your professor is saying. This way you can figure out what’s important instead of focusing on minor details. If something has been brought up repeatedly, chances are it is important.
3. Keep up with your readings.
4. Due to the subjective nature of essays, if possible, talk to your teaching assistants about your essays. Be sure to get their feedback and make changes to suit their criteria.
5. Ask questions during office hours and tutorials.
6. Review how to cite sources properly. Some teaching assistants will look at every single line and deduct marks if citations are not correct.

Notable Professors:
Psychology: Ullal, Ostovich
Kinesiology: Phillips, MacDonald
Political Science: Alway, Galleguillos
Anthropology: Padiak*, Colarusso
Sociology: Atkinson
* = mixed reviews

Academic Opportunities:

Internship opportunities are available to students who have completed their level I program requirements, taken SOC SCI 2EL0, and are enrolled in an Honours program. These opportunities include part-time, full-time, non-credit, paid work to gain valuable experience in the work place.

Experiential education is meant to provide undergraduates with unique approaches to classroom learning and to engage students in community. For more information, see the list of contacts here: http://www.socsci.mcmaster.c a/EE/EE_contact.html

Exchanges. The study abroad program allows selected students to spend their third year studying abroad. You must have a cGPA of 7.0 and be enrolled in an honours program. For more information, contact Tina Horton ([email protected]) .

Social Events/Opportunities:

Welcome Week is an opportunity to meet other students in your faculty. Faculty day for social sciences students features a performance by a band. For instance, in 07/08, Dragonette performed. This year, the Johnstones are playing for students with a MacPass.

Yearly Formal – organized by the MSSS.
McMaster Social Sciences Society (MSSS) provide students from the faculty of social sciences with social and academic events as well as providing support for social sciences related clubs.

You can get involved as a welcome week representative (Blue Crew) and/or run for elections to become an executive member. You can contact them at [email protected] or add Soc Sci Guy to your Facebook friends list.

There are also program-specific clubs, you can find a full-list here: https://www.msumcmaster.ca/clubs/lis...earchClubs.htm

The Frontline – the MSSS publishes its issues quarterly. All students from the faculty are encouraged to write articles. You can find out more info via email at [email protected] .com

Looking Forward – Future Paths and Occupations:

Keep in mind that these are simply suggestions and you should not feel limited to those listed. There are many other career options for social sciences students due to the broad and interdisciplinary nature of the faculty.

All programs: journalism; graduate school (Masters of Business Administration, Masters, Ph. D., law, medicine, and so on). Be sure to check the prerequisites of each program while you are choosing your courses.
Anthropology – linguistics, archaeology, health studies (e.g. World Health Organization, center for disease control), zoos, community development (e.g. CIDA).
Kinesiology – occupational therapist, health promoter, physiotherapist, sports consultant, teacher.
Psychology – human resources manager, developmental service worker, educational consultant, public relations director, marketing manager, job/occupational analyst.
Economics – Chartered Accountant (CA), Certified Management Accountant (CMA), Certified General Accountant (CGA), Certified Human Resources Professional (CHRP), investment management, corporate finance.
Sociology – advertising, communications, community activism, early childhood education, criminal justice, counselling.
Political Science - policy analyst, public affairs officer, legislative assistant, investment advisor, human resources specialist, marketing specialist.
Geography & Earth Sciences – urban planner, ecologist, geochemist, economic geologist, community developer, resource analyst.

I have a degree in Anthropology from Mac. The faculty has changed a lot in recent years though (the department head retired, a few professors left to start new programs, a whole bunch retired).

I really enjoyed some aspects of the program, specifically learning about new cultures. Some of the archaeology labs were cool; I just don't like anything to do with lithics or pottery, which seems to be a focus at Mac.

Students in Health Sci, Bio and Kin can really learn a lot from the Physical Anthropology courses since many have lab components. Students considered anything to do with public service should take Cultural Anthropology courses in order to increase your knowledge of other cultures and to not be so ethnocentric.

I was also the editor (mixture of co-editor and executive editor) of the Frontline for over a year, and also helped update the MSSS website during that time. At present, the MSSS has also released their new website, with more content forth-coming.

I was in Social Science first year, and thought at the time that I was going to pursue Sociology and follow that with Law school. I've since changed my mind, but I could always fall back on that path again. I really enjoyed the courses I took within this faculty. The lectures are easy to come back to, because the professors I had (like Tina Fetner and Todd Alway) knew what they were talking about, and you could tell they enjoyed what they did and so you enjoyed it as well.

Even though a lot of the grading is subjective, when it comes to things like essays, I didn't mind it. I felt as if my critical thinking and my own introspection expanded a lot during first year. I was forced to become more eloquent and strong in my writing skills, but the skills that I refined during first year are skills that I'll need for the rest of my life, and I think that's really great.

I've got a question about honours, what is it exactly and if we do not start in an honours program is there anyway to go from non-honours to honours or is it niothing like what i think it is?

An Honours program is a year longer than a normal BA. In that extra year you will take more specialized classes (seminars) which require higher-level thinking. If you're thinking about doing any post-graduate studies (law, med school, grad school) an Honours degree is required.

Many people do not have the proper average to get accepted into an Honours program after first year. But you can transfer into the program after your second and third year, provided you have the average needed to be accepted as well as there being space in the program.