BA in Social Sciences, Shimer Great Books School
North Central College
Key Information
Campus location
Naperville, USA
Languages
English
Study format
On-Campus
Duration
4 years
Pace
Full time
Tuition fees
USD 42,866 / per year *
Application deadline
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Earliest start date
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* tuition fee
Scholarships
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Introduction
Look at society and the relationships between individuals through the social sciences major and gain a deeper understanding of how humankind has developed over time and where we’re headed.
You will explore the work of the world’s first theorists of society, along with that of modern social scientists, as they create and refine the various branches of social thought and practice, including anthropology, economics, psychology, politics, linguistics, and moral development. Through collaborative inquiry, you will approach questions regarding the social, psychological, economic, and political behaviors and structures that shape differing cultures, how decisions we make today influence future generations, and more.
About Shimer Great Books School
The Shimer Great Books School at North Central College provides and preserves education centered on the discussion of enduring questions and issues. Here, you will immerse yourself in reading, writing, and discussion alongside other voracious readers who use what they read to engage with the world and understand their roles in it.
Learning is a constant dialogue where every opinion and every position is questioned and analyzed. You’ll discuss your ideas in a class with people who will push you to think more deeply about fundamental questions than you ever have before. Simply put, the Shimer Great Books School challenges you to delve deeply into the diverse and endlessly fascinating areas of thought and creativity in the company of similarly inclined students and teachers.
Curriculum
The Shimer School Social Sciences Major introduces students to various modes of critical reflection on human societies. Classic and major contemporary works of anthropology, sociology, economics, and psychology form the core of the Social Sciences curriculum. Students come to know and understand these texts partly through individual reflection, but also through the collaborative practice of methods and small-class discussions with their peers and in intensive writing, peer-editing, and revision of essays. While each course includes two or three distinct approaches to social scientific thought and inquiry, the sequence progresses through a series of organizing themes that orient the student's interdisciplinary work toward broad but nuanced accounts of social phenomena.
Breadth and depth of knowledge and skills characterize graduates of the Shimer School. Through the core curriculum of the Shimer School, they immerse themselves in major classic and contemporary works of human expression, social thought, and scientific knowledge and practice. Their broad familiarity with fundamental ideas and methods across the Liberal Arts provides the foundation on which they build increasingly refined understanding and skills in more specialized courses in chosen disciplines taught across North Central College. Shimer School graduates thus find meaningful employment in an unusually broad array of fields, including teaching, social work, law, small business, and entrepreneurial enterprise, and non-profit administration among the most common.
Major Requirements
Shimer School Social Science Core Courses
- SGBS 101 - Models of Social Thought
- SGBS 102 - The Western Political Tradition
- SGBS 201 - Critical Theories of Society and Politics
- SGBS 202 - Social Formation and Social Transformation
- SGBH 101 - Art and Fiction
- SGBH 102 - Music and Verse
- SGBN 101 - The Shape of the World
- SGBN 102 - What is Matter?
- SGBI 101 - The Classical Foundations: Logic and Math
- SGBI 102 - The Modern Foundations of Logic and Math
- SGBI 451 - Integrative Studies: Ancient Early Modern World
- SGBI 452 - Integrative Studies: The Modern World
- SGBI 496 - Thesis
Social Science Electives
Eight elective credits in Social Science:
- Four credits that carry a prefix of SGBS at the 300-level or above
- Four credits from the SGBS prefix or another approved Social Science course carrying a prefix outside the Shimer School.
Note:
*Consult with the Department Chair for a list of approved courses
Comprehensive Examinations
- Pass the Shimer Great Books Basic Studies Comprehensive Exam (following successful completion of at least six of the required courses at the 100-level).
- Pass the SGBS Social Sciences Area Studies Comprehensive Exam following completion of SGBS 201 and SGBS 202.
Additional Requirements for the BA Degree
Students must demonstrate elementary competence in a foreign language.
Career Opportunities
The Shimer Great Books School at North Central College provides the tools, contexts, and habits of mind that make lifelong learning possible. At the same time, you will have immediate avenues to complement your studies with experiences that will prepare you for a host of professional opportunities designed to match your long-term interests, among them undergraduate research, co-curricular initiatives, and internships.
Internships
North Central’s internship program helps you apply what you’ve learned in the classroom in a workplace setting. Our location provides you with access to both a world-class city and a booming local high-tech corridor. From Fortune 500 companies to dynamic start-ups on the cutting edge, there’s bound to be a workplace well suited to your graduate school interests and career goals.
Careers
A Shimer School of Great Books education teaches students the critical thinking necessary to handle extraordinary intellectual challenges. Shimer graduates have had successful careers in a wide range of professions, including:
- Educators
- Attorneys
- Physicians
- Wall Street analysts
- Financial advisors
- Entrepreneurs
- Designers
- Engineers
- Artists
- Writers
- Marketers
Post-graduate
Shimer also ranks among the top colleges and universities in the percentage of graduates who earn PhDs.