Applied Social Science

The Applied Social Science major at Wilmington College offers students the opportunity to pursue careers in public health, government, non profits, international studies, law, etc. Students majoring in Applied Social Sciences study human interactions within society, governmental policy, research methods and more specific areas depending on the concentration they choose. 

In keeping with the College mission, the Social Science major encourages students to examine problems in society and apply human-centered approaches to resolving them at the local, national and international context. Although the Applied Social Science major is compatible with virtually any other major at the college, students in the department often double major in Criminal Justice, Psychology, Spanish, Environmental studies, Agriculture and minor in sustainability.

The department encourages its students to pursue internships, community service opportunities, and extra-curricular activities. It offers a number of study abroad programs, internships in Washington, D.C., research opportunities and lobbying activities.

Degrees

Courses

PS130: AMERICAN POLITICS

Credits 4
An introduction to American politics, focusing on issues, ideas, and institutions. Topics include the structural foundation of American government, political linkages between citizens and government officials, dynamics of governmental institutions, and policy outcomes in the areas of civil liberties and rights, economic and social welfare, and international affairs.

PS175: MOCK TRIAL SEMINAR

Credits 4

Participation on the Wilmington College Mock Trial team gives students a chance to develop real-world lawyer and witness skills in the courtroom. With a focus on oral advocacy, critical thinking, and legal analysis, students will have the opportunity to travel to area competitions as they take a legal case from start to finish. May be taken a total of 4 times for credit.

PS231G: HUMAN RIGHTS AND THE JUDICIAL PROCESS

Credits 4
An analysis of human rights in the context of national and international politics. Students will study recent American cases in civil rights and civil liberties, as well as global problems involving genocide, religious freedom, ethnic cleansing, and access to medical care. Students will master skills in logical reasoning and argument and apply these skills to material covered in the class.

PS234G: GLOBAL POLITICS

Credits 4
An introduction to global politics investigating the behavior of countries and other actors in the global system. Students will be introduced to theories and approaches to global politics and will apply these to historical and contemporary events. Key actors such as countries, international governmental and nongovernmental organizations, terrorists, and others will be analyzed. Substantive topics examined include the global political economy, conflict and security, human rights etc.

PS237G: POLITICAL SIMULATION PRACTICUM

Credits 2

Students will travel to actively participate in a simulated international political forum such as the Ohio Valley Regional Model Arab League. They will serve as delegates representing governments or as chairpersons on councils, on political, economic, environmental, and social affairs, among others. Students will learn about the issues, positions, and diplomatic strategies of governments represented at the simulation through classroom learning and individual research efforts. In addition, students will learn how to negotiate and build teams. Students will gain an understanding of intergovernmental cooperation and parliamentary procedures and develop public speaking in a political setting. May be taken two times for credit.

PS333G: CASE STUDIES IN NONVIOLENCE AND RECONCILIATION

Credits 4
Using several historical and contemporary cases, this course will introduce students to the power of strategic nonviolence against some of the most repressive governments in history, including Hitler, Milosevic, the Soviet Union, etc.The course will also examine attempts at post-conflict nonviolent reconciliation. The motivation behind these nonviolent movements and approaches to reconcilitation, their strategies, and why so little is known about them will be considered.

PS337G: GLOBAL POLITICS OF FOOD

Credits 4
How can one billion of earth's people be hungry at that same time that one billion people are obese? Who influences what food you eat and the price you pay for it? This course will answer these and many other questions by examining the global politics of food and the power dynamics between key actors such as countries, global corporations, international government organizations, nongovernmental organizations, communities, and individuals. Alternative models of food policies will also be explored.

PS340: CONSTITUTIONAL LAW

Credits 4
An examination of the history, politics, and substantive decisions of the U.S. Supreme Court, with particular emphasis on individual rights, judicial selection and the values of the justices, and the allocation of authority between the federal government, states, and individual citizens.

PS341: ENVIRONMENTAL LAW AND POLICY

Credits 2
An in-depth look into the factors and events that stimulated the environmental movement and laid the foundation for today’s eco-consciousness. This course will examine the management of natural resources at national, regional, state, and local levels. Students will explore the differences between preservation and conservation philosophies. They will also investigate policies that govern both point- and non-point source pollution, air, soil, and water quality, and how these policies aim to balance economic growth and stewardship.

PS343: PUBLIC POLICY AND ADVOCACY

Credits 4

This course serves to introduce the study of public policy in the United States. It will examine the role of government in the policy process, the structure and process of policymaking, and the evaluation of policies. Cases studies will focus on several current issues, e.g., the budget, welfare, and defense policy. Students will have an opportunity to apply their knowledge through a lobbying visit to our state’s capital in Columbus.

PS348G: THE POLITICAL ECONOMY OF GLOBALIZATION

Credits 4
Skill
W
This course will focus on foundational concepts in politicaleconomy and globalization. Special emphasis will be placed on the differential experience of globalization for individuals living in more developed countries and less developed ones.

PS350/350G: TOPICS IN POLITICAL SCIENCE

Credits 4
This course develops knowledge of international politics with respect to a specific context. It explores in detail the politics of a region, the politics of an issue or issue area, or a specific theory in the discipline of international politics. Topics vary and may include, but are not limited to, the Middle East, US foreign policy issues, Human Rights, and the Politics of Women. May be taken two times for credit.

PS495: SENIOR RESEARCH SEMINAR

Credits 4
Skill
W
This course is designed to be the capstone course for Political Science and Criminal Justice majors. Students will apply their research and writing skills by engaging in a focused research project. The end product will be a high quality research paper. Students will gain valuable experience by presenting the paper at a research conference.

PU130 : INTRODUCTION TO PUBLIC HEALTH

Credits 4

Public Health is a multi-disciplinary field aimed at reducing preventable morbidity, premature mortality, and promoting a higher quality of life among populations.  This course is designed to introduce the basic tenets, applications, and foci of public health.  It will provide an overview of the core areas, current events, and issues in the field of public health within the United States and global contexts.  

PU332: GLOBAL HEALTH

Credits 4

This course will provide a broad overview of global patterns of disease, challenges to providing healthcare, and conditions of major public health importance, as well as patterns of global mortality and morbidity.  The course will examine issues relating to social, cultural, economic, political, and environmental determinants of health, as well as the inequalities and inequities in the global disease burden.  Throughout the course, students will be encouraged to critically evaluate determinants of health and population-based interventions, as well as social and institutional responses to these challenges structured through communities, national health systems, and other agencies.  

PU334: Epidemiology -(RIZE)

Credits 3

Epidemiology is the branch of medicine that deals with the incidence, distribution, and control of a disease.  In this course, you will learn and apply key concepts of epidemiology to multiple domains of public health.  By the end of this course, you'll be able to use epidemiology to better understand, characterize, and promote health at a population level.  

PU336: Health Services -(RIZE)

Credits 3

Health Services - the means by which healthcare is provided - is a critical concept in Public Health that impacts all of us.  This course will introduce you to the modern history of healthcare in high, middle, and low-income countries and explore the evolution of health services.  Students will evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of particular systems and policies and examine their ideal version of a health service in context of current events.  

PU338: Health Economics -(RIZE)

Credits 3

The field of public health is driven by economics as much as it is by epidemiology.  This course will teach you about health economics, which is the application of economic principles and techniques of analysis to health care in support of the public good.  By the end of this course, you will learn how to analyze the effectiveness of health policy outcomes through an economic lens, and how to use available resources to improve the quality of healthcare.  This online class has optional live sessions.  

PU470: INTERNSHIP IN PUBLIC HEALTH

Credits 4

An internship is an intensive career-oriented work experience related to the student's academic studies, professional and educational goals.  It is also an opportunity to gain practical experience in Public Health, apply knowledge gained in the classroom, and make useful contacts in a professional field.  Each experience is unique to the student and must be supervised by a qualified supervisor.  

PU495: CAPSTONE IN PUBLIC HEALTH

Credits 4

The purpose of this course is to provide a culminating curricular experience for students in the public health program.  Applications and advanced discussions within the core areas of public health will be the focus of this course, including social and behavioral aspects of health, public health policy, biostatistics, epidemiology, and research methods and surveillance.  Additionally, topics related to career preparation will also be covered in this course.