School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences

As a collective of several disciplines, social science is the study of institutions, organizations and behavior. Social scientists ask such questions as: What roles do government, law and politics play in our society? How can public and nonprofit organizations be effectively managed? How are groups formed? How do people produce and distribute goods? Why do cities grow, and why do some cities decay? What are the causes of war, of racial discrimination, of revolutions? How can we improve organizational capability in leadership and ethical decision making? Social science uses rigorous methodologies to apply ideas and theories to the real world. Degrees in the social sciences provide students with the tools of critical thinking that allow them to work and succeed in business, government and not-for-profit organizations.

The School of Economic, Politics and Policy Sciences offers undergraduate degrees in Criminology, Economics, Geospatial Information Sciences, International Political Economy, Political Science, Public Affairs, and Sociology. Each degree offers a large number of elective hours that allow students to direct their educational focus. Careers building on social science degrees include law, public service, nonprofit management, finance, banking, criminal justice, human resource management, teaching, market research and analysis, urban planning and counseling to name a few.

Faculty

Professors: Sheila Amin Gutiérrez de Piñeres (Dean, Undergraduate Education), Daniel Arce, Kurt Beron, Brian J. L. Berry, Thomas Brunell (Associate Dean for Graduate Education), Anthony M. Champagne, Harold Clarke, Rachel Croson, Denis J. Dean, Lloyd J. Dumas, Euel Elliott, Daniel Griffith, Edward J. Harpham, Donald A. Hicks, Bruce Jacobs, L. Douglas Kiel, Murray J. Leaf, Robert Lowry, James Marquart (Dean), James C. Murdoch, Alex Piquero, Nicole Leeper Piquero, Lawrence J. Redlinger, Todd Sandler, Richard K. Scotch, Barry J. Seldon, Marianne C. Stewart, Donggyu Sul, Robert Taylor, John Worrall

Associate Professors: Bobby C. Alexander, Paul Battaglio, Nathan Berg, Patrick Brandt, Simon Fass, Doug Goodman, Jeremy Hall, Jennifer S. Holmes, Linda Camp Keith, Tomislav Kovandzic, Young-joo Lee, Sarah Maxwell, Susan Williams McElroy, Denise Paquette-Boots, Fang Qui, Kevin Siqueira, Sheryl Skaggs, Gregory S. Thielemann, Michael Tiefelsdorf, Lynne Vieraitis

Assistant Professors: Rodney Andrews, James C. Barnes, Nadine Connell, Yongwan Chun, Brandon Kinne, Sherry Xin Li, Young-Joo Lee, Banks Miller, Robert Morris, Clint Peinhardt, Meghna Sabharwal

Professors Emeritus: Ronald Briggs, Alexander L. Clark, Irving J. Hoch

Research Professor: Sonya Salamon

Clinical Professors: Donald Arbuckle, Brian Bearry, Timothy Bray, Douglas Dow, Wendy Hassett, Stuart Murchison, Elmer Polk, Robert Whelan

Senior Lecturers: Teodoro Benevides, Karl Ho, Luba Ketsler, Irina Vakulenko

Programs and General Courses

The School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences has eight degree granting programs: Criminology, Economics, Geospatial Information Sciences, International Political Economy, Political Science, Public Affairs, and Sociology. Within each of these programs, students may specialize in areas that complement their interests and career plans, such as, political economy, law and society, and comparative studies. Students should also note that many courses listed under Interdisciplinary Studies (ISSS) and Social Sciences (SOCS) apply within their major.

Minor Areas of Study

The School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences offers minors in Criminology, Economics, International Political Economy, Political Science, Public Affairs, and Sociology. Minors are described following each major. The School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences requires that a minimum of 12 of the 18 hours for a minor be taken at UT Dallas.

Related Minor Areas

Please refer to the Undergraduate Minors Guide for specific course requirements.

Social Studies Teacher Certification

Teacher certification is offered in Composite Social Studies, Economics, Geography, Government, and History. Specific course requirements are available in the Teacher Development Center.

Economic, Political, and Policy Sciences Core Requirements

All undergraduates receiving degrees in the School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences must have taken and passed a core of courses designed to provide breadth and an interdisciplinary perspective beyond any individual social science discipline. These courses include:

Three semester hours in economics (normally ECON 2302 or ECON 2301)

Three semester hours in sociology (normally SOC 1301 or SOC 2319)

Four semester hours in statistics (normally EPPS 3405)

Three semester hours in an approved ISSS or other Social Science course.

Three semester hours in an approved Social Science course satisfying the advanced writing requirement; see courses under Major Core Courses for each Major.

Internship and Independent Study Policy

The total number of independent study and internship hours are limited to nine total hours with the exception of extenuating circumstances to be approved by the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education.

Fast Track Baccalaureate/Master's Degrees

Undergraduate EPPS majors with a strong academic record (3.250 or above overall UT Dallas GPA) are encouraged to enter the Fast Track program, which allows qualified seniors to take up to 15 credit hours of graduate courses during their senior year. The number of hours required to complete the graduate degree is reduced by the number of Fast-Track graduate hours completed with grades of B or better. So, for example if the degree requirements were 36 hours, a Fast-Track undergraduate who passed 12 hours of well-chosen graduate coursework with grades of A or B, would have only 36-12=24 hours of graduate coursework left in order to complete the graduate degree. When a successful Fast-Track student graduates with the B.S./B.A. degree, he or she still needs to complete an application for admission to the graduate school at UT Dallas. Degree requirements and hours vary by programs. Students enrolled in the Fast Track must maintain a 3.000 grade point average in graduate courses taken and earn grades of B or better in graduate courses taken. Students who are interested in the Fast Track should speak with the relevant Graduate Program Advisor and complete an application form with their undergraduate academic advisor prior to the final 30 credit hours of work for the B.A. or B.S. degree.

To be eligible for the Fast Track program in EPPS that allows a student to apply Graduate-level courses taken as an Undergraduate student towards the relevant Master's degrees offered by EPPS, the student must meet the following criteria:

1. Have an overall Undergraduate UT Dallas GPA of 3.250.

2. Be within 30 hours of graduating with the Bachelor's degree.

3. Have permission from the Associate Dean and the respective Graduate Program Advisor or Program Head to enter the Fast Track program.

4. Must obtain a B or better in all graduate level classes to continue in the Fast Track program.

5. Meet other requirements for the relevant Master's Degree that the student is interested in.

6. If a student loses his or her fast track status, the student will be required to fulfill the admissions requirements, if the student decides to apply to the master's program at UT Dallas in the future.

Economics, Political, and Policy Sciences Honors Program

The School Honors Program in the School of EPPS provides eligible students with the opportunity for recognition at the Program level for scholarly performance in degree programs within the School. In order to earn EPPS honors a student must:

• graduate with an overall GPA of 3.400 or higher
• graduate with a GPA of 3.400 or higher in their major program of study
• complete any two of the following requirements:

1. Complete 9 hours of honors designated courses as determined by the program, with no less than a "B" in each course. Honors designated courses are often graduate courses taken in one of the School's fast track programs. Exceptions may be made by the Associate Dean upon recommendation of the Program Head.

2. Complete an internship by completing three hours of 4V98 internship. The internship must be approved by the Program Head, and have a significant research component.

3. Register for 4V99 Senior Honors and complete an Honors paper.

School Honors with Distinction will be awarded to those students who complete a Senior Honors thesis, and whose paper is judged by a faculty committee to be of exemplary quality and provided the students meet the other requirements stated above.

Students must apply for admission to the Program Head and Undergraduate Program advisor of the academic program in which they expect to receive their degree. Students must apply no later than 30 semester hours prior to graduation and no earlier than 60 hours prior to graduation.