meaningful educational experience.

Sometimes, this is done in a traditional classroom setting. There are a variety of other opportunities, however, for students to learn and grow. Undergraduates play an active role in the research programs of the faculty. In fact, there are numerous opportunities for undergraduates to undertake their own research.

While each department and program in the social sciences is distinctive, students will find that, whatever their interests, there are courses in more than one department that will be of interest to them. We encourage all students to explore the offerings of other departments and programs, rather than to presume that there is only one course of study that will satisfy their needs.

The departments in the social sciences are:

Anthropology. Anthropology involves the study of human beings and their cultures.

Economics. Economics is the study of how people or groups choose to allocate scarce resources when there are competing ends.

Political Science. Political science deals with the theory and practice of politics and the description and analysis of political systems and political behavior.

Psychology. Psychology is concerned with human behavior and thought.

Sociology. The focus of sociology is the study of humans, groups, and societies, particularly their interactions.

The multidisciplinary programs in the social sciences are:

Cognitive Sciences. Cognitive Sciences is the multidisciplinary study of the mind.

Managerial Studies. Managerial Studies involves understanding the environment in which businesses and other organizations exist as well as learning about some of the tools used by managers in their jobs.

Policy Studies In Policy Studies, students learn to analyze and evalutate the determinant effects of policy decisions, and to gain an understanding of the policy-making process and to learn about one or more general areas of policy.

Please note that undergraduate admission to Rice University is handled by the Admissions Office. Questions about this process should be directed to that office.