The University of Mississippi College of Liberal Arts Prospective Student Guide—Social Sciences

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SO

AL I C

COLLEGE of LIBERAL ARTS

UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI

VENTRESS HALL

Social Sciences Majors af rican am e rican studies (BA) anth ropology (BS) Economics (BA

or

BS)

Financ ial Economics E m phasis

political Sc ience (BA) Cam paigns & E lections E m phasis I nt e rnational Con flict and Coope ration E m phasis Law & Courts E m phasis Politics of Developing Countries em phasis

psychology (BA) pu blic policy leade rshi p (BA) soc iology (BA) south e rn studies (BA)

Welcome

We are a community of knowledge seekers and problem solvers who apply scientific methods to gain deep knowledge of our society

We will meet you where you are and guide you where you want to go.

and the individuals within it. Social

We connect personally with our

scientists are not just theorists. We

students, helping them find

strive to make a positive impact on

their passions and develop the

the world.

in-demand skills of collecting and interpreting information to

Scan this QR code to see all your choices

communicate new insights.

Together,

W e find answers to society's questions y

can ou

choose f ro m

more than

65

m i n o r f i e l ds t o c o m b i n e w i t h yo u r m aj o r

Here are a few of our students’ favorites.

Applied Gerontology

Higher Education

Biology

Intelligence & Security Studies

Business

Linguistics

Digital Media Studies

Museum Studies

Disaster Sciences Criminal Justice

Professional W riting

Environmental Studies

Recreational Therapy

Neuroscience

Entrepreneurship

Society and Health

Ethics & Values

Teaching English as a Second Language

Gender Studies

How

can we improve the delivery of healthcare to rural Americans?

How

can we preserve the cultural artifacts of North America’s first inhabitants?

What

are the flashpoints that make countries go to war?

Which

are the greatest influences in teaching children right from wrong?

How

can you become a change agent?

college of liberal arts

Mississippi’s only

AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDIES

JE’VON FRANKLIN

B r o o ks v i l l e , m i s s i s s i p p i

Dr . Ethel ScurlocK A s s o c i at e P r o f e s s o r A f rican Am e rican Studies & English

BAC H E L O R O F A RTS I N

UM offers a unique opportunity for students to explore the black experience in U.S. history, but especially in Mississippi and the Deep South.

Je’von drives positive change.

For Je’von Franklin, you have to be a “listening force” to effect positive change in the world.

As a mentor in the Center for Inclusion and CrossCultural Engagement, he listens hard to the words of the students he supports and encourages.

“You have to listen to someone to understand them, and you have to understand them to advocate for them,” he said.

His goal at the Center is clear: increase the retention of African American students at UM. “Male students, in particular, struggle,” he said. “If you’re a first-generation student, going to college can be overwhelming. When you have a problem, you need a safe space to talk about it. And you also need someone to hold you accountable for doing what you need to do to be successful.”

After transferring to UM from East Mississippi Community College, Je’von found unending support and an academic home in the African American Studies program.

“Our department is family,” he said. “And the program opens your eyes to social injustice with classes like Race, Space, and Place or the African Americans and Sports, where I learned the importance of athletes advocating for change.”

African American Studies “prepares you for every profession,” he said. “Whether you want to be a teacher, in business, or be a lawyer, it’s a good degree overall.”

Je’von, an inaugural Every Learner Everywhere Fellow, a national program to improve student learning, will be attending graduate school, studying higher education, a step toward his goal of becoming a college president.

“You have to understand why students are struggling and what to do about it. If you know that, you can be an effective leader,” he said. “At the Center, I see a lot of issues with time management skills. I sit the students down and we look at their transcript and GPA. We set goals. That’s how you help people stay in school.”

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CLASSES

across 3 specializations A f r i can an d A f r i can A m e r i can H i sto ry Po l iti cal & Soc ial I nstit uti ons af ri can am e ri can C u lt u r e

examples include » Black Women’s Enterprise & Activism » The Blues Tradition in American Literature » History of African Americans in Sports » The Civil Rights Era » Modern Africa » African American Politics » Racism and Religion » African American Musical Tradition » Studies in Black Popular Culture

ECONOMIC D E PA R T M E N T O F

BACHELOR OF ARTS

Study technical & quantitative aspects of economics with an emphasis on math & statistics.

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BACHELOR OF SCIENCE

Study economic theory in the context of society and current policy issues.

FINANCIAL ECONOMICS emphasis Understand monetary and financial institutions

Soujanya creates harmony.

When Soujanya wanted to expand his horizons, walked across campus from the Department of Economics to the Department of Music, where he signed up for flute lessons.

“It was so easy to sign up for lessons and try something new—in

Learn about corporate finance, portfolio theory, and asset pricing

Prepare for a career in policy, banking & finance, or research

a field that isn’t related at all to my economics major,” he said.

“I love being in an environment where you think, ‘I’d like to do that,’ and it’s possible.”

A native of Nepal, Soujanya came to UM for its “academic excellence and the opportunity it offers to create a course of study that really fits my interests.”

He chose the flute for its melodious sound, and, although it’s still early days, he’s already tackled some challenging classical music pieces.

He found a broad range of expertise in the economics department and professors who helped guide his growth.

“Music has been a great break from other academics,” he said. “It’s opened up a world I’d never known.”

“There are so many facets of economics, from statistics to classes that center on specific themes, like law and economics or

CS

Soujanya Niroula K at h m a n d u , n e pa l

natural resource economics,” he said. “I was able to find an aspect of the field that I love, historical economics, and pursue that.”

Soujanya plans to go to graduate school and, eventually, work in public policy.

“Ever since I’ve been at UM, there’s been an opportunity to learn about whatever I’m interested in,” he said. “Learning how to play the flute has been so uplifting.”

only

The Economics Department in Mississippi

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POLITICAL SCIENCE Bachelor of Arts

Joshua breaks barriers.

It’s no surprise that the nonprofit that Josh Mannery created is called “Anybody Can Be President.”

In his senior year, Josh has served as president of UM’s Associated Student Body (ASB), an advocacy group that gives students a voice on campus.

JOSHUA MANNERY j ac ks o n , m i s s i s s i p p i

This major is for those who want to make a change and believe that the change starts with them.

But holding this essential office is just a start of what he hopes will be a career in national politics. He will attend Notre Dame Law School and then work as a community organizer in Chicago—a career path uncannily reminiscent of that of another pathbreaker: President Barak Obama.

Choose from four optional emphases »

C a m pa i g n s a n d E l e c t i o n s

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Po l iti cs o f Dev e lo p i n g C ou nt ri es

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WHY US? »

Ta ke 5 p ro gram = u n de rgradu ate an d ma ster’s degrees in 5 yea rs.

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Awa rd -w i nnin g Mock Tr ial, Mode l UN , Debate Tea m, Et hics Bowl tea ms.

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Est a b l i s he d inter n s h ip programs in J ackson, At la nt a , NYC, a nd Wa shington DC.

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Acce l e rate d ( 3 +3) program w ith UM L aw School.

“If you want to be in politics, you have to get out of your own region,” he said. “I’m from Jackson and have lived in the South all my life, so I want to work in the Midwest.”

mentoring and tutoring programs to public schools.

His allies in this effort have included the mayors of Jackson and Oxford, as well as several state legislators.

Josh’s passion for politics is equal to his dedication to ending educational inequity in Mississippi—the mission of his nonprofit, “Anyone Can Be President.” The organization aims to enrich public education by bringing

He himself has been mentored by political science professors who are top notch and incredibly accomplished.

Professors always find a way to have a unique framework when looking at government, so the classes are always

different and interesting. The opportunities for learning off campus abound as well for politcal science majors.

“There are internships that my professors are always emailing us about—from working in Jackson to working in countries across the world,” he said. “The level of opportunities and resources and ways to engage are incredible,” he said.

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PSYC D E PA R T M E N T O F

Dyamon shares her voice.

A future psychologist, Dyamon Brown has some interesting insights about why she loves singing competitions.

“It’s a chance to express yourself through someone else’s music and meet people who share your passion,” she said.

Dyamon has competed in Ole Miss Idol—the campus version of the hit TV show—and has tried out for The Voice, in Atlanta.

“It was so much fun standing in line to audition for The Voice,” she says. “I drove to Atlanta with a friend, and we spent hours talking to the people around us and listening to them practice and warm up. I didn’t get a callback, but it was worth it.”

She has a theory about why so many competition winners come from the South.

“I started out singing in church when I was maybe seven or eight,” she said. “A lot of the best people on American Idol and America’s Got Talent grew up

singing in their church choirs from the time they were small. It’s part of the culture here.”

For Dyamon, who is also a criminal justice minor, singing is a welcome change of pace from the intensity of academics. She says that her psychology classes are challenging and great preparation for graduate studies.

“There are so many subfields within the Psychology Department,” she said. “You can focus on personality development, anxiety disorders, addiction or many other areas.”

As a McNair Scholar, Dyamon spent a summer working in UM psychology labs researching a variety of topics, including migraine headaches. McNair Scholarships fund minority students’ summer STEM research on campus.

DYAMON BROWN

co l u m b i a, m i ss i ss i p p i

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HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY o n e o f t h e fa st e st g r ow i n g s p e c i a lt i e s i n t h e f i e l d

Off campus, Dyamon completed a summer internship in Atlanta at Synapse, a patient care facility that focuses on neuroplasticity, the field of helping the brain heal itself. She found that opportunity with the UM Internship Experience, which helps students gain the kind of careerbuilding internships that distinguish them as they apply for jobs and graduate programs.

“I had the opportunity to work with actual patients measuring brain waves, administering personality tests and reviewing symptom checklists with each of them,” she said. “My internship made me realize that I wanted to be a clinical psychologist, helping adolescents and young adults who struggle with their mental health.”

Lauren travels abroad.

Lauren Burns lives a spicy existence.

During a year abroad studying intensive Arabic in Morocco, she learned to cook using rass el hanout, a Moroccan blend of a dozen spices.

“I bought all my groceries in the street or at small markets,” she said.

“There would be people selling fruit piled on huge wheelbarrows, and amazing little stores. One of my favorites is owned by a man who is famous for selling the best nuts in Morocco, and people from all over the country would travel to come there.”

As a student at the Croft Institute of International Studies, Lauren double majored in international studies and Arabic. She was in the Arabic Flagship program, a one of six federally funded programs in the nation.

Lauren spent two summers in Amman, Jordan, studying as well as volunteering. During her first summer, she interned at a small refuge for women in domestic crisis.

Later, she worked at PartnersJordan, a nonprofit organization committed to promoting a civil society and conflict management, as well as mediation.

She loved Croft because of its small class sizes and style of teaching.

“We had no more than 15 people in a class, and we had detailed “roundtable” discussions and very few lectures,” she said. “A lot of the

Croft Institute for

time was spent discussing readings, what they meant and why they were important.”

Croft students select a region (East Asia, Europe, Latin America, or Middle East) and a thematic area (business, culture, politics, or health).

INTE STUD

After graduation, she plans to work for the Arabic Flagship Program and, someday, get a master’s degree.

In the meantime, she loves to cook Moroccan food in her kitchen.

“It’s like being in Morocco in Mississippi,” she said.

International Studies Students

EXPLORE s p e c i f i c r e g i o n s • t h e m at i c a r e a s • f o r e i g n l a n g uag e s

and spend a semester abroad

Lauren Burns

g u l f p o rt , m i ssi ssi p p i

S t u d e n t s m u st b e a d m i t t e d i n t o t h e C r o f t I n st i t u t e t o p u r s u e t h e m aj o r i n i n t e r n at i o n a l s t u d i e s .

BA i n A R A B I C A N D C H I N ES E

ERNATIONAL DIES

JOE CAPLIS

e n g l e woo d, co lorado

BA pu b l i c pol i cy leade rshi p

Joe climbs the hill.

Joe Caplis is a mountaineer of the political persuasion. He’s climbed the Hill every day since last summer, going to his job at the Capitol as a staff assistant for a U.S. senator from his home state of Colorado.

His advisor at PPL gave him the flexibility to finish his coursework online while

working full time, doing everything from drafting opinion pieces to taking calls from fellow Coloradans.

“The PPL program at UM offers undergrads an unusual chance to focus intensely on policy,” Joe said. “You just dive in and learn the analytical skills you need to write legislation and policy proposals.”

On Capitol Hill, he’s constantly running into PPL graduates, likeminded staffers whose passion is working in the government.

d e pa r t m e n t o f

PUBLIC POLICY LEADERSHIP In collaboration with the Trent Lott Leadership Institute, we create tomorrow’s leaders. PPL is a specialapplication program for interested students, who apply through the Institute. com bine leade rshi p classes with

courses in key issues of domestic & international policies, including »

Edu cation , h e alth , food, science & technology, disa ster, pover ty, civic e n gagement & democracy, globa l economy, s ecu r ity, h u man r ight s, t he environment , a nd more.

“I love talking to my classmates—and it’s even better because we’re across a political spectrum,” he said. “I’ve made my best friends in the program.”

He sees a direct link from the PPL classroom to D.C. “We constantly have government officials visit the program,” he said. “One day, when I was on the Hill speaking to the head of the Veteran’s Administration, I mentioned to him that I’m in the PPL program. It

turned out that he was going down to Oxford to give a talk there the next day.”

Joe paired his PPL major with an economics minor, which is a top field for law school acceptance nationwide. He plans to stay in D.C. until he begins Harvard Law School. He deferred for two years so that he can continue to climb the Hill each morning, getting his public policy muscles into peak shape.

ANTHROPOLOGY

D E PA R T M E N T O F S O C I O L O G Y A N D

Museum Studies Minor Explore the world of museums and all they encompass: collections, interpretation, exhibitions, education, archives, research, and more. Students can pursue career paths in museum work, public history, and public humanities.

SARA GREVY

At o k a , T e n n e s s e e

Sara is all about hands-on work. As an anthropology student, she loves being in the field, and, during her downtime, she destresses with embroidery projects.

“I was looking on Pinterest, and I found some embroidery patterns and got into it,” she said.

“It’s very relaxing. I use a hoop and fabric and either find patterns on the internet or make my own.”

Sara’s favorite patterns are floral designs. She recently finished up a project with roses and daisies in the pastel colors and muted tones she prefers.

“I used to paint,” she said, “but for me embroidery is the best way to do things creatively.”

Her enthusiasm for tactile pursuits extends to her fieldwork in anthropology.

“Last spring, I took a course where we worked with pottery from the university’s archeological collection,” she said. “There are about 500,000 Native American artifacts in the collection, and the professor gave us databases so that we could identify the pottery.”

Sara wants to continue studying anthropology and archaeology in a graduate program. Her dream job? Working in a museum.

“The university has a minor in museum studies now,” she said. “It’s a great way to learn more about what working in a museum involves, and I plan to explore that.”

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l i n g u i st i c a n t h r o p o l o g i st s study language in its social context.

b i oa n t h r o p o l o g i st s study where humans came from and how we exist in different environments.

c u lt u r a l a n t h r o p o l o g i st s study belief practices, social organization, and social issues.

a r c h a e o l o g i st s

study prehistory through physical remains.

SERGIO BRACK

s o u t h av e n , m i s s i s s i p p i

BA S O C I O L O GY

Sergio builds teams.

The words “Call of Duty” are central to Sergio Brack. As a member of UM’s esports team he introduced that game to the roster of titles played by students. As president of the UM esports team for two years, Sergio steadily built the group into a strong competitor. Sergio led the Call of Duty team to #1 in the US. His favorite event is the annual esports Egg Bowl between UM and MS State, a challenge patterned after the legendary annual Thanksgiving football game between the two rivals.

He’d like to eventually

return to UM to establish a varisty esports team.

Sergio also feels a call of duty to bring people of color into the burgeoning esports space. Sergio’s mission to make the esports world more diverse led him to the nonprofit organization, Cxmmunity, the leading esports and video game career program for students of color in North America.

As a volunteer there, he rubs shoulders with well-known funders, like the rappers Jeezy and Tee Grizzley.

“Cxmmunity is the perfect combination of my love for esports and my love for studying sociology,” said Sergio, who minors in psychology. “Every sociology class I took was an adventure, full of conversations and different perspectives.

“The professors are amazing,” Sergio said.

“I felt so much support and community in that department. It was like family.”

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SOUTHERN STUDIES

BA in COM PU T E R SC I ENCES

MATTIE FORD

b row n sv i l l e, t e n n e ss e e

Home of national award winning initiatives

» Southern Foodways Alliance » Living Blues » Southern Documentary Project

Mattie pushes the limits.

Mattie Ford knows which way is up. Since her sophomore year, Mattie, a native of Brownsville, Tennessee, has been an avid climber, learning the sport through the Ole Miss Outdoors Program.

“I started learning on the climbing wall in the South Campus Recreation Center,” she said.

“Climbing has really helped me come into my own. It’s validating.”

Whether she’s scaling cliff faces at Red River Gorge in Kentucky or New River Gorge in West Virginia, Mattie has become “more versatile and more capable” by surmounting demanding physical challenges.

She sees a clear carryover to academics: greater confidence, especially when speaking in class.

As a Southern Studies major and environmental sciences minor, Mattie has come to understand the South in all its complexity.

“The goal is to get beyond a one-dimensional view of this region,” she said.

Mattie’s relationship with the Center for the Study of Southern Culture began during the summer before her freshman year. She did an internship at the Southern Documentary Project, which produces works of documentary storytelling from the perspective of studying the American South.“ I made a short video about Rowan Oak, where Faulker lived in Oxford,” she said. “I did all the shooting and editing and learned a lot of skills.”

Mattie plans on attending graduate school after she gets her BA. In the meantime, she’ll keep ascending in every part of her life.

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COURSES in

anth ropology • art • economics E n g l i s h • g e n d e r st u di e s • h i sto ry journalism • music • political science • sociology Southern Studies

examples include » History of Jazz » Anthropology of Blues Culture » African American Politics » Women in Southern History » Faulkner » Race, Place, and Space » The Cinematic South

» Heritage Tourism in the South » Introduction to the South and Food » Southern Mythologies and Popular Culture » History of Religion in the South » The South in the 20thCentury

OFFICE OF PRE-LAW ADVISING

You are our #1 priority. we have the pre- law resources you neEd »

Assistance with selection of major/minor

»

Preparation for LSAT exam and law school

»

Pre-law events and opportunities on and near campus

»

Discussions with law school admissions representatives

»

Guidance in researching law school options

»

Advising for the accelerated (3+3) law program with UM Law School

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Feedback on personal statement

»

Help with the application process on the Law School Admissions Counsel (LSAC) website Answering questions related to a law career

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Our social sciences alumni work in all kinds of fields.

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Our research is among the best in the country.

We are proud to say that the University of Mississippi is classified as an R1 research university, placing us among top 2.5% research universities in the country. And, unlike many R1 universities, our extraordinary faculty are teaching and mentoring undergraduates! They are trained at the top universities like Carnegie Mellon, Emory, Harvard, the Maxwell School, UC Berkley, University of Chicago, North Carolina, Virginia, Vanderbilt, Washington, St. Louis and many more.

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We will meet you where you are, and guide you where you want to go.

BUILD YOUR LEGACY

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