University of Michigan - Flint

The Master of Arts (MA) in Social Sciences degree is offered through the College of Arts and Sciences. It is designed to engage students in critical, multi-disciplinary exploration of human societies across the globe. Students explore social, historical, cultural, political, and economic themes, using both theoretical approaches and concrete case studies.

An MA in Social Sciences consists of 30 graduate credit hours. Students take four social science classes, as well as a set of four classes from one of three concentrations: U.S. History and Politics, Global Studies, or Gender Studies. In addition to the core and concentration-oriented classes, each student will take a three credit capstone course and a three credit cognate from a list of approved courses. It may be possible with consent of an advisor to customize the program concentration courses to meet the needs of the student.

The MA in Social Sciences program is designed to:

• Engage students in critical, multidisciplinary exploration of human societies across the globe
• Help students to explore social, historical, cultural, political, and economic themes
• Assist students in developing critical reading, research, and writing skills in social science
• Allow students to combine core courses with electives in three main thematic concentrations: U.S. History and Politics, Global Studies, and Gender Studies

The program addresses three major audiences:

• Teachers seeking graduate-level education in their fields to meet professional standards or deepen their understanding*
• Professionals with private or public sector jobs who wish to increase their knowledge in areas of social sciences
• Those with undergraduate degrees who wish to continue their exploration of social science disciplines and issues

The MA in Social Sciences is designed primarily for the part-time student with evening courses and courses that are partially online.

*This program may be used to meet the 18 hour continuing education/professional development requirement for teachers to progress from a Provisional Certificate to a Professional Certificate, or to meet the 6 credit hour requirement for professional Certificate renewal.