Courses | Integrated Social Sciences - UW College of Arts and Sciences

The ISS curriculum is comprised of core and thematic Area courses.The core courses are the foundation of our curriculum, where students are introduced to the range of social sciences in our program, develop an understanding of various types of social science theory and research methods, and develop and polish their portfolio.

Thematic area courses represent the topics and content covered by the social sciences, allowing students to engage with a range of real-world social issues and phenomena. The thematic courses are organized within seven ISS Themes. Students are required to take courses in five of the seven thematic areas.

Below we have listed the ISS core and thematic area courses with their descriptions and an indication of which requirements they satisfy. For the thematic area courses we also list which ISS theme(s) they apply to.

(In addition, students may need to take courses outside the major to fulfill UW requirements. See a description of different types of courses here. See our Registration page for instructions for registering for your courses.)

Please note: Whether a particular class is taught in a given quarter will depend on faculty availability. Not all classes are taught each quarter, and classes may be taught by different faculty in different quarters. You can see a list of courses offered in specific academic quarters along with instructors' names linked from our Registration page.

Core Courses

Course Number	Course Name and Description	Credits	General Education Credit*
ISS 301	Social Science Theory in Context Provides an introduction to the concepts of social theory, interdisciplinarity, and the thematic areas in the ISS major. Explores how social sciences study what people do, how people understand their world, and how that understanding shapes social practice.	5	SSc
ISS 350	Introduction to Integrated Social Sciences Portfolio Begins the process of online learning portfolio development to define learning goals, refresh research skills, explore academic interests, and build a collection of work in the social sciences.	2	SSc
ISS 302	Survey of Social Science Research Methods Provides an inclusive survey of methods used across the social sciences. Introduces statistics, survey research, and data visualization techniques. Also covers qualitative research methods ranging from participant observation to archival textual analysis. Students develop skills in both quantitative and qualitative reasoning using real-world evidence.	5	SSc
ISS 355	Integrated Social Sciences Portfolio Studio Continues the integrative and reflective work begun in ISS 350, developing online learning portfolio content and interdisciplinary knowledge in the social sciences in preparation for the capstone.	3	SSc
ISS 401	Integrated Social Sciences Portfolio Capstone Focuses on the transformation of the online learning portfolio into a showcase portfolio suitable for an external audience identified by the student. Builds on the reflective and integrative work done over the past quarters.	5	SSc

Thematic Area Courses

(Courses are 5 credits each.)

Course Number	Course Name and Description	General Education Credit*	Thematic Area(s)**
AES/COM/GWSS 389	Race, Gender & Sexuality in the Media Introduction to media representations of gender, race, and sexuality.	SSc, Div	IT / CC / DGJ / IP
AES/COM/GWSS 489	Black Cultural Studies Examines how images of blackness have been (re)constructed through identity formation and entrenched inequality. Topics include black women's bodies, black men's bodies, blackface minstrelsy, black queer studies, black power, and black hybridities.	SSc, W	DGJ / IP
ANTH 308	Anthropology of Gender, Women’s Health, and Reproduction Examines anthropological approaches to improving women's health by surveying women's health history, status, and participation in healthcare. Analyzes a range of health issues, including reproductive healthcare problems, women's body images and sexuality, current health policies, as related to daily structures and relationships of gender, race/ethnicity, class.	SSc, Div	DGJ / HR
ANTH 377	Anthropology of International Health Explores international health from medical anthropological perspective, focusing on serious health problems facing resource-poor societies around the globe and in the United States. Develops awareness on political, socio-economic, ecological, and cultural complexity of most health problems and anthropology's consequent role in the field of international health.	SSc	DGJ / HR
ANTH 378	Sustainability, Resilience, and Society Introduction to concepts of sustainability and resilience and their relevance to environment and society in the current Anthropocene era. Understanding sustainability and resilience through ecological footprints, lessons from small-scale societies, case studies of resource management, theory of common property regimes, philosophies of environmental stewardship, and implications of climate change.	W	HR / SE
ANTH 460	History of Anthropology (and the Future of Social Science) Sources and development of leading concepts, issues, and approaches in anthropology. Findings of anthropology in relation to scientific and humanistic implications and to practical application. Main contributors to field; their work and influence. Past, present, and future perspectives, including anthropology of modern life.	SSc, W	PM / SE
CHID/HSTCMP 485	Comparative Colonialism Explores the historic roots and practices of colonialism throughout the world, focusing on the roles of nationalism, cosmopolitanism, and imperial domination. Treats colonialism as a world event whose effects continue to be felt and whose power needs to be addressed.	SSc, W	PM / CC / DGJ / IP
CHID/RELIG 380	Theories in the Study of Religion Provides a variety of approaches to the study of religion centered on examining the relationship between religion and modernity in the tradition of post-enlightenment, Euro-American scholarship. Examines theories of religion across disciplines: history, anthropology, sociology, Marxism, feminism, postmodernism, political theology, and Freudian psycho-analytical theory. Offered: jointly with JSIS C 380.	SSc	CC
COM 220	Introduction to Public Speaking Designed to increase competence in public speaking and the critique of public speaking. Emphasizes choice and organization of material, sound reasoning, audience analysis, and delivery.	A&H, SSc	IT
COM 304/POL S 304	The Press and Politics in the United States Journalists' role in elections and public policy. Relationship between news coverage and political campaigns. Study and analysis of local political newswriting, reporting, and response by local and state political figures. Extensive off-campus experience included.	SSc	IT, CC
COM 339	The Business of Media in the Digital Age Examines the production of media within changing social, technological, and economic contexts. Emphasizes how new technologies can change the market for media goods and media experiences and the ways in which mediated production pervades contemporary economic life.	SSc, W	IT
COM 420/ POL S 468/ JSIS B 419	Comparative Media Systems Provides students an understanding of policies that shape national communication processes and systems. Uses comparative analysis to identify both similarities and differences among media structures of nations at different levels of development. Primary emphasis on broadcast media. Offered: jointly with JSIS B 419/POL S 468.	SSc	IT
COM 468	Media Ethics Explores ethical issues and ethical decision-making as they pertain to journalistic and media practices.	SSc	IT / CC
ECON 200	Introduction to Microeconomics Analysis of markets: consumer demand, production, exchange, the price system, resource allocation, government intervention.	SSc, R	IT
ECON 201	Introduction to Macroeconomics Analysis of the aggregate economy: national income, inflation, business fluctuations, unemployment, monetary system, federal budget, international trade and finance. Prerequisite: ECON 200.	SSc, R	IT
GEOG 337	Migration and Development in China Examines patterns of China's internal migration in different periods in relation to economic development. Explores how the state-created dual structure and the household registration system enables China to have a huge class of super-exploitable migrant labor and become the world's premier low-end manufacturing center.		PM / DGJ
GEOG 478	Social Justice & the City Provides a link between general theories of urban inequality and their specific manifestation in the United States. Explores a series of themes related to contemporary urbanization processes including the recent mortgage crisis, segregation, gentrification, enclaves, fortification, redevelopment, homelessness, and the loss of public space. Offered: jointly with LSJ 378.	SSc	PM / CC / DGJ / IP
HSTCMP/JSIS A 205	Filipino Histories Introduction to histories, cultures and politics of Filipinos and the Philippines. Examines pre-colonial societies, Spanish colonial rule, nationalism and Revolution, Filipino-American war, U.S colonial rule, Japanese occupation, postcolonial period to Martial Law, continuing rebellions, and the Filipino diaspora.	SSc, Div	PM / CC / DGJ / IP
HSTAS/JSIS A 454	History of Modern China Examine the social, cultural, political, economic and intellectual transformations and continuities in China from the end of the imperial period to the present.	SSc	DGJ
ISS 381	Advanced Writing in the Social Sciences Concentration on the development of advanced research-based writing skills in the social sciences.	W / C	IT
JSIS A/POL S 435	Japanese Government & Politics Government and politics of Japan with emphasis on the period since 1945. Offered: jointly with POL S 435.	SSc	CC
JSIS B 310/POL S 320	State-Society Relations in Third World Countries Relationships among political, social, and economic changes in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Problems of economic and political development, revolution and reform, state-society relations, imperialism and dependency. Offered: jointly with POL S 320.	SSc, Div	CC / DGJ / SE
JSIS B 320	Yoga: History, Practice, and Health Examines history, practice, literature, and health effects of yoga from ancient to modern. Explores essential texts and ideas, issues of health and wellness, and contemporary legal debates about yoga.	SSc, A&H	CC / IP / HR
JSIS B 331	Political Economy of Development Growth, income distribution, and economic development in less-developed countries today. Policies concerning trade, industrialization, the agricultural sector, human resources, and financing of development.	SSc	CC / DGJ
JSIS B 351	The Global Environment Explores the environment in international perspective emphasizing the social implications of living in an economically globalized and environmentally interconnected world. Examines these implications through examples of toxics and the human body, biodiversity conservation, climate change, disease, and environmental problems.	SSc, W	HR / SE
JSIS B 406/POL S 432	Political Islam & Islamic Fundamentalism Study of resurgence, since mid-1970s, of political Islam and what has come to be called Islamic fundamentalism, especially in the Middle East. Topics include the nature and variety of political Islam today, causes and implications of the current resurgence, and comparison with previous resurgences. Offered: jointly with POL S 432.	SSc	CC / DGJ / IP
JSIS B 416	Putting the World on a Couch: Psychoanalysis & International Studies Explores the relation of trauma to memory and cultural production, focusing on historical, literary, and filmic treatments of hysteria and repression, shell shock, and the effects of war, terrorism, and psychic trauma. Uses psychoanalytical theory to analyze the commentary on international issues that lies in texts, films, and other cultural phenomena. NOTE: Not recommended for students in their first quarter.	SSc, W	DGJ
JSIS B 420	Failed States Critically examines the causes and consequences of state failure. Analyzes theories about the rise of the modern state and the precondition for "successful" states to form and endure, then examines theories and case studies of modern failed state.	SSc	CC
LSJ/POL S 327	Women's Rights as Human Rights Women's rights in comparative perspective, focusing on varying settings that alter the meaning and practical application. Domestic level: areas including abortion politics to trafficking in women. International level: areas including equality claims before European supranational judicial bodies, rape as war crime in international law. Offered: jointly with POL S 327.	SSc, Div, W	CC / DGJ / IP
PHIL 102	Contemporary Moral Problems Philosophical consideration of some of the main moral problems of modern society and civilization, such as abortion, euthanasia, war, and capital punishment. Topics vary.	A&H, SSc	CC / DGJ
PHIL 343	Ethics & the Environment Advanced introduction to environmental ethics, with an emphasis on non-anthropocentric value theory.	SSc	CC / SE
PHIL 362	Topics in the Philosophy of Science Critical study of nature of scientific knowledge, emphasizing the role of evidence in several different sciences. Topics include accounts of scientific methods; the relation of theory to observation; how theories change; and the nature of the confirmation and falsification of hypotheses and theories.	SSc / NSc	IT / HR / SE
POL S 312	Survey of American Political Thought Survey of American political thought from colonial times to the 1980s. Topics include the idea of the self-made man; the intellectual contexts of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution; slavery, abolition, and the Civil War; progressivism; Cold War liberalism; the Civil Rights Movement and its critics; and modern conservatism. Prerequisite: cannot be taken for credit if POL S 318 or POL S 319 already taken.	SSc, W	CC / IP
POL S 385	Political Ecology of the World Food System Investigates the intersection of globalization and food politics, the pivotal role of petroleum in the world food system, and the commodity chains for some foods. Includes an optional service learning component.	SSc / NSc	HR / SE
SOC 362	Race Relations Reviews social science perspectives on race and ethnicity. Explores sociological definitions and understandings associated with race and ethnicity and the construction of identities. Examines different issues that impact individuals' and groups' life chances.	SSc, Div	DGJ / IP

* Abbreviations: SSc: "Social Sciences"; Div: "Diversity"; C: "Composition"; R: "Reasoning", W: "Writing Across the Curriculum"; A&H: "Arts & Humanities", NSc: "Natural Science"

**For more information and descriptions, see the ISS Themes page.