Major Requirements

Credits Required: 

Total semester credits: 120

Semester credits in the major: 43

You officially begin the major by co-enrolling in SBS 300: Major/ProSem:Theo/Meth/SBS and SBS 300L: Professional Skills Soc Sci. In SBS 300L: Professional Skills Soc Sci, you will create an Individual Learning Plan (ILP) tailored to your personal academic and career goals. Then you will complete a curriculum designed to meet four Major Learning Outcomes (MLOs).  This curriculum includes a set of broad courses that integrate all the social sciences, and a set of focused courses for a concentration or a minor consisting of 20 units in a specific social science discipline. SBS majors may complete their upper-division service learning requirement by taking any 300 or 400-level SBS course with an "S" designation.  In two seminars ( SBS 400: Senior Capstone Seminar I and SBS 402: Senior Capstone Seminar II) you will design your own capstone project and conduct original research under close advisement from the SBS faculty. Your final course in the major will be SBS 405: Assessment Lab/Grad/Srs, which will prepare you to present your capstone publicly to demonstrate your cumulative learning in the Major Learning Outcomes (MLOs) described below [Learn more at CSUMB.EDU/capstone].

Core Courses

  • Lower-division requirements
  • STAT 100: Introduction to Statistics (4 units)

MLO 1 Social theory

The SBS major requires successful completion of two courses in social theory: the Major Proseminar, with a co-requisite lab; and an advanced social theory module of at least 2 units.

Required Courses

  • SBS 300/L: Major/ProSem:Theo/Meth/SBS (4 to 6 units)
  • SBS 328: Social Science Theory Module (2 to 4 units)

MLO 2 Research methods

The SBS major requires two courses in research methods. Each concentration requires a specific research methods course. Students take one additional research methods course chosen from SBS courses in the SBS 360-369 series, or GS 316: Historical Approaches, or PSY 302/L: PSY/Resear/Methods/Data/Analys.

Required Courses

  • SBS 362: Rsrch Mthd for SBS: Qual Emph (3 units)
  • AND
  • SBS 362L: Rsrch Mthd SBS: Qual Emph Lab (1 to 2 units)
  • AND
  • One more approved research methods course

MLO 3 Concentration

The SBS major requires students to demonstrate competency in a specific field or discipline of the social or behavioral sciences. They may do this in one of four ways: 1) Complete a designed curriculum in one of seven core concentrations offered by the Social and Behavioral Sciences; 2) Complete the Teaching Track for “single-subject” preparation in History/Social Science certified by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CCTC); 3) Complete an approved minor plus two 300-level SBS courses approved for one of the concentrations; or 4) Complete a custom-designed “special concentration,” of at least 16 units approved by an SBS faculty member.

Required Courses

  • Anthropology Concentration
  • Lower division pre- or corequisite:
  • SBS 101: Intro Cultural Anthropology (3 to 4 units)
  • or comparable transfer course
  • Required courses:
  • SBS 345: Cultural Anthropology (4 units)
  • SBS 379: Tattoos Makeup & Burkas (4 units)
  • SBS 384S: Anthrop of Education (4 to 6 units)
  • SBS 388: Crisis/Develop/Mexican/Society (4 units)
  • At least one of the following with advisor approval:
  • SBS 304: California Indian Societies (4 units)
  • SBS 314: Global Migrant Workers (2 to 4 units)
  • SBS 325: Art of the Aztec Empire (4 units)
  • SBS 333: Forensic Anthropology (1 to 4 units)
  • SBS 336: Advan/Topics/Cult/Anthro (4 units)
  • SBS 370: App/Research/Writing/Soc/Sci (4 units)
  • SBS 383: African Civilizations (3 to 4 units)
  • SBS 348: Maya Civilization (4 units)
  • SBS 356: Intro/Geog/People/Places/Envir (2 to 4 units)
  • SBS 480: The Queretaro Project (2 to 4 units)
  • SBS 485: Applied Research/Rural Com (1 to 6 units)
  • GS 320: Global Issues & 3rd World (4 units)
  • GS 322: Dilemmas in Humanitarianism (4 units)
  • GS 332: Religion/Post Secular World (4 units)
  • GS 340: Social Medial and Global Comm (4 units)
  • GS 343: Global Film & Film Indust (4 units)
  • GS 350: Gender/Violence in Global Life (4 units)
  • GS 360: Religion/Violence/Peacemaking (4 units)
  • HCOM 324: African American Narratives (4 units)
  • HCOM 325: 20th Cent Narr Amer Immgr (4 units)
  • HCOM 328: Latina Life Stories (4 units)
  • HCOM 329: Auto/Biografias (4 units)
  • HCOM 335: Amer Ethnic Lit & Culture (4 units)
  • HCOM 345: Chicano Life & Culture (4 units)
  • HCOM 346: African American Life/History (4 units)
  • HCOM 348: Race, Colonialism & Film (4 units)
  • HCOM 350: Oral Hist/Comm Mem (4 units)
  • HCOM 426: Travel Narratives (4 units)
  • HCOM 445: Slavery & Race in the Americas (4 units)
  • HCOM 446: EthnograpPortraits/Culture Cit (4 units)
  • JAPN 308: Japanese Pop-Culture (4 units)
  • JAPN 310: Japanese Cinema (4 units)
  • JAPN 313: Manga, Anime & Modern Japan (4 units)
  • JAPN 380: Japan: Land & People (4 units)
  • SPAN 306: Cultur/Civ Span Ltn Amer (4 units)
  • SPAN 308: Hist/Cultr Aztlan:SW US (4 units)
  • SPAN 325: Hispanic Cinema (2 to 6 units)
  • SPAN 328: Latina Life Stories (4 units)
  • SPAN 329: Auto/Biografias (4 units)
  • SPAN 370: The Chicano Community (4 units)
  • Archaeology Concentration
  • Required courses:
  • SBS 324L: Experimental Archaeology Lab (1 unit)
  • SBS 355: Archaeologic/Thought/Americas (2 to 4 units)
  • SBS 360L: Archaeology Lab (1 unit)
  • AND
  • Two additional adviser-approved courses from the following lists:
  • At least one of the following area studies courses:
  • SBS 325: Art of the Aztec Empire (4 units)
  • SBS 332: World Prehistory (4 units)
  • SBS 348: Maya Civilization (4 units)
  • SBS 383: African Civilizations (3 to 4 units)
  • One of the following case study courses:
  • VPA 320S: Museum Studies (4 units)
  • SBS 100: Understandin/Biological/Anthro (4 units)
  • ENVS 436: Rmt Sns/Image Process (4 units)
  • SBS 475: Fort/Ord/Historical/Docs/Proje (1 to 4 units)
  • Geographic Information Systems Concentration
  • Required courses:
  • SBS 356: Intro/Geog/People/Places/Envir (2 to 4 units)
  • SBS 371: Applications/GIS/Soc/Scie/Busi (2 to 4 units)
  • ENVS 436: Rmt Sns/Image Process (4 units)
  • Two of the following courses:
  • SBS 351: Intro to Global Economics (4 units)
  • ENVS 332: Intro to GIS/GPS (4 units)
  • CST 305: 3D Modeling & Animation (4 units)
  • CST 363: Database Mgt:Methods/Appl (4 units)
  • BUS 469: Database Management (4 units)
  • Native American Studies Concentration
  • Required course:
  • SBS 245: Native American Societies (4 units)
  • Four courses from the following:
  • SBS 304: California Indian Societies (4 units)
  • SBS 306: Contemp American Indian Policy (4 units)
  • SBS 315: Growth & Conflict/US to 1920 (4 units)
  • SBS 325: Art of the Aztec Empire (4 units)
  • SBS 348: Maya Civilization (4 units)
  • SBS 350: Domination & Resistance: US (4 units)
  • SBS 385: Environmental History of CA (3 to 4 units)
  • SBS 386: Social/Pol/Hist/CA (4 units)
  • Political Economy Concentration
  • Required courses:
  • SBS 342: Economic Thought (2 to 4 units)
  • SBS 351: Intro to Global Economics (4 units)
  • Two of the following SBS electives:
  • SBS 314: Global Migrant Workers (2 to 4 units)
  • SBS 339: Sweat/Service/Solidarity (4 units)
  • SBS 339S: Sweat/Service/Solidarity SL (6 units)
  • SBS 381: US, Vietnam, Asia-Pacific (4 units)
  • SBS 356: Intro/Geog/People/Places/Envir (2 to 4 units)
  • SBS 379: Tattoos Makeup & Burkas (4 units)
  • SBS 350: Domination & Resistance: US (4 units)
  • And one of the following:
  • ENVS 384S: Social & Ecological Justice SL (2 units)
  • GS 310: Genealogy of Globalization (4 units)
  • GS 311: US/Foreig/Poli/Pac/Rim/3rd/Wrl (2 to 4 units)
  • GS 320: Global Issues & 3rd World (4 units)
  • HCOM 344: Chicana/Latina Experiences (4 units)
  • HCOM 315: Media for Social Change (4 units)
  • Social History Concentration
  • Lower division pre- or corequisite
  • One of the following:
  • SBS 111: Reading/Writing US History (4 units)
  • SBS 212: US Histories & Politics (4 units)
  • SBS 245: Native American Societies (4 units)
  • GS 200: Politics of Everyday Life (4 units)
  • HCOM 266: Histories of Democracy (4 units)
  • HCOM 267: US Political Histories (4 units)
  • CST 273: Cyberdemocracy (4 units)
  • OR
  • Any standard U.S. History Survey Course from a community college or other accredited
  • university
  • And one semester of a World or Global History course, such as:
  • GS 214: Global History I (3 to 4 units)
  • GS 215: Global History II (3 to 4 units)
  • Required courses:
  • SBS 350: Domination & Resistance: US (4 units)
  • SBS 315: Growth & Conflict/US to 1920 (4 units)
  • At least three of the following:
  • SBS 304: California Indian Societies (4 units)
  • SBS 306: Contemp American Indian Policy (4 units)
  • SBS 325: Art of the Aztec Empire (4 units)
  • SBS 332: World Prehistory (4 units)
  • SBS 339: Sweat/Service/Solidarity (4 units)
  • SBS 339S: Sweat/Service/Solidarity SL (6 units)
  • SBS 342: Economic Thought (2 to 4 units)
  • SBS 348: Maya Civilization (4 units)
  • SBS 355: Archaeologic/Thought/Americas (2 to 4 units)
  • SBS 365: Black/Civil/Rights:1954-1968 (2 to 4 units)
  • SBS 378: Revolution and People Power (4 units)
  • SBS 381: US, Vietnam, Asia-Pacific (4 units)
  • SBS 382: History of Modern Africa (4 units)
  • SBS 383: African Civilizations (3 to 4 units)
  • SBS 385: Environmental History of CA (3 to 4 units)
  • SBS 386: Social/Pol/Hist/CA (4 units)
  • SBS 388: Crisis/Develop/Mexican/Society (4 units)
  • SBS 475: Fort/Ord/Historical/Docs/Proje (1 to 4 units)
  • GS 316: Historical Approaches (4 units)
  • GS 320: Global Issues & 3rd World (4 units)
  • GS 326: US Foreign Policy & Empire (4 units)
  • GS 360: Religion/Violence/Peacemaking (4 units)
  • HCOM 324: African American Narratives (4 units)
  • HCOM 325: 20th Cent Narr Amer Immgr (4 units)
  • HCOM 326: Jewish Holocaust Literature (4 units)
  • HCOM 345: Chicano Life & Culture (4 units)
  • HCOM 346: African American Life/History (4 units)
  • HCOM 348: Race, Colonialism & Film (4 units)
  • HCOM 350: Oral Hist/Comm Mem (4 units)
  • HCOM 352: History According To Movies (4 units)
  • HCOM 353: California At Crossroads (4 units)
  • HCOM 354: Whose America? (4 units)
  • HCOM 356: Multicultural History (4 units)
  • HCOM 357: Constitutional Law (4 units)
  • HCOM 358: Crit Perspect on Law inSociety (4 units)
  • HCOM 359: Sexuality, Law and History (4 units)
  • HCOM 365: Chicana/o Latina/o History (4 units)
  • HCOM 421: Social History of English Lang (4 units)
  • HCOM 426: Travel Narratives (4 units)
  • HCOM 445: Slavery & Race in the Americas (4 units)
  • JAPN 302: History of Japan (4 to 6 units)
  • JAPN 307: Japan-American Exper (4 units)
  • MPA 336: Jazz History (4 units)
  • MPA 337: MusHistory I 500-1750 ONLINE (4 units)
  • MPA 338: MusHistory II 1750-1900 ONLINE (4 units)
  • MPA 380: Theatre History (4 units)
  • TAT 329: Contemporary Media History (4 units)
  • SPAN 306: Cultur/Civ Span Ltn Amer (4 units)
  • SPAN 307: History&Politics Of Mex (4 units)
  • SPAN 308: Hist/Cultr Aztlan:SW US (4 units)
  • SPAN 309: Hist & Polit Of Latn Amer (4 units)
  • SPAN 311: US Foreign Policy Pac Rim (4 units)
  • VPA 313: Regional Art History (4 units)
  • VPA 341: Feminist Art: History, Theory (4 units)
  • Sociology Concentration
  • Lower division prerequisite:
  • SOC 100: Introduction to Sociology (3 to 4 units)
  • OR
  • Comparable transfer course
  • Required courses:
  • SBS 330: Crime & Violence (4 units)
  • SBS 338: Social Psychology (4 units)
  • At least 8 additional units from the following:
  • CHHS 330: Collab Community Ldrshp (4 units)
  • CHHS 340: Conflict Res/Collab Negotiatio (4 units)
  • CHHS 350: Ethics for Health & Human Serv (3 units)
  • CHHS 385/L: Applied Statistics/Resrch Meth (4 units)
  • HDEV 353: Cross-Cultural Human Devel (3 units)
  • HDEV 355: Behav Disorders of Childhood (3 units)
  • HDEV 360: Child Development (4 units)
  • HDEV 365: Adolescence (3 units)
  • HDEV 371: Adulthood & Aging (3 units)
  • PSY 322: Theories & Methds of Counselng (3 units)
  • PSY 332: Decsn Making & Prblm Solving (3 units)
  • PSY 355: Social Psy and Soc Justice (3 units)
  • SBS 306: Contemp American Indian Policy (4 units)
  • SBS 314: Global Migrant Workers (2 to 4 units)
  • SBS 331: Crime & Violence Lab (1 to 2 units)
  • SBS 339: Sweat/Service/Solidarity (4 units)
  • SBS 339S: Sweat/Service/Solidarity SL (6 units)
  • SBS 340: Cross/Cult/Human/Develop (4 units)
  • SBS 345: Cultural Anthropology (4 units)
  • SBS 379: Tattoos Makeup & Burkas (4 units)
  • SBS 381: US, Vietnam, Asia-Pacific (4 units)
  • SBS 384S: Anthrop of Education (4 to 6 units)
  • SW 310: Introduction to Social Work (4 units)
  • GS 320: Global Issues & 3rd World (4 units)
  • GS 350: Gender/Violence in Global Life (4 units)
  • GS 360: Religion/Violence/Peacemaking (4 units)
  • Subject Preparation for Teaching Credential in History and Social Science Concentration
  • If you choose this pathway, Social History will be your official concentration, but you should follow this special teaching-track pathway.
  • Lower division pre- or co-requisites:
  • CSU Title 5 requirements in United States History and American Institutions (4-6 units)
  • Recommended
  • HCOM 267: US Political Histories (4 units)
  • OR
  • SBS 212: US Histories & Politics (4 units)
  • Global/World Civilizations
  • GS 214: Global History I (3 to 4 units)
  • OR
  • Comparable transfer course in Ancient-to-Early Modern World History/Civ
  • GS 215: Global History II (3 to 4 units)
  • OR
  • Comparable transfer course in Modern World History/Civ
  • Required courses:
  • SBS 315: Growth & Conflict/US to 1920 (4 units)
  • SBS 350: Domination & Resistance: US (4 units)
  • SBS 351: Intro to Global Economics (4 units)
  • SBS 356: Intro/Geog/People/Places/Envir (2 to 4 units)
  • Either
  • SBS 385: Environmental History of CA (3 to 4 units)
  • OR
  • SBS 386: Social/Pol/Hist/CA (4 units)
  • OR
  • HCOM 353: California At Crossroads (4 units)
  • One of the following or comparable transfer course in ethnic studies:
  • SBS 245: Native American Societies (4 units)
  • HCOM 245: Intro to Chicana/o Studies (4 units)
  • HCOM 322: Asian American Literature (4 units)
  • HCOM 324: African American Narratives (4 units)
  • HCOM 326: Jewish Holocaust Literature (4 units)
  • HCOM 345: Chicano Life & Culture (4 units)
  • HCOM 346: African American Life/History (4 units)
  • One of the following or comparable transfer course in non-western history/culture:
  • GS 320: Global Issues & 3rd World (4 units)
  • GS 350: Gender/Violence in Global Life (4 units)
  • GS 360: Religion/Violence/Peacemaking (4 units)
  • HCOM 247: African Legacy Worldwide (4 units)
  • SBS 325: Art of the Aztec Empire (4 units)
  • SBS 348: Maya Civilization (4 units)
  • SBS 378: Revolution and People Power (4 units)
  • SBS 388: Crisis/Develop/Mexican/Society (4 units)
  • SBS 381: US, Vietnam, Asia-Pacific (4 units)

MLO 4 Application of social science principles and practices in real world contexts

Students complete the B.A. in SBS by producing a senior capstone project that demonstrates their ability to apply the skills and knowledge acquired in the SBS curriculum to real world social problems or issues.

Required Courses

  • SBS 400: Senior Capstone Seminar I (1 to 4 units)
  • SBS 402: Senior Capstone Seminar II (1 to 4 units)
  • SBS 405: Assessment Lab/Grad/Srs (1 to 4 units)
  • Upper-Division Service Learning (if not met in the concentration) (2 units)
  • SBS 404S: Service Learning Capstone (2 to 4 units)

Concentrations

Anthropology

Archaeology

Geographic Information Systems

Native American Studies

Political Economy

Social History

Sociology

Subject Preparation for Teaching Credential in History and Social Science

The Social and Behavioral Sciences major offers a pathway into a teaching credential program for prospective high school teachers. If you choose this, Social History will be your official concentration, but you should follow the special teaching track pathway. This pathway is currently under review for approval by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing. If it is approved, you will receive a waiver from completing the comprehensive qualifying exam (CSET) in order to be admitted to a single-subject (high school) teacher credential program after you complete your B.A.