School of Social Sciences

Psychology/Political Science/Sociology (PPS) Major

The Bachelor in Social Science programme delivers a broad-based undergraduate education centered on the disciplines of Psychology, Sociology and Political Science (PPS). Combining these disciplines gives the student a holistic, multi-disciplinary and integrated approach to the study of phenomena in the social sciences and develops the tools and frameworks applicable to careers in the human services fields, education, management and other analytical and social-intensive professions.

A new curriculum has been implemented for new incoming students with effect from Academic Year 2024/25. Students are expected to complete a total of 36 course units.

Curriculum for Psychology/Political Science/Sociology (PPS)
(from AY2024/2025 Intake Onwards)

Core Curriculum

Capabilities is about developing specific competencies and skills that are necessary to dexterously operate in an increasingly complex, digitised and data-driven working environment.

​​​​​​​Managing (2 Course Units)

Choose 2 from:
  • Collaborative Governance
  • Business, Government and Society
  • Spreadsheet Modelling and Analytics
  • Accounting for Entrepreneurs
  • Capital Markets in China
  • Leadership and Team Building
  • Management Communication

NOTE: The list of courses is a sample list and not exhaustive and subject to change.

Modes of Thinking (1 Course Unit)

Choose 1 from:
  • Critical Thinking
  • Computational Thinking
  • Managing in a Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous Context

Numeracy (1 Course Unit)

  • Introductory Statistics

All students who have been granted provisional enrolment into BSc(Econ) secondary degree will have to take Introduction to Statistical Theory instead of Introductory Statistics.

Writing and Reasoning (1 Course Unit)

  • Programme in Writing and Reasoning

Exemptions may be given for the course on the basis of good pre-university grades for GCE A-level, Polytechnic Diploma, or other recognised qualifications.

Internship (1 Course Unit)​​​​​​​

Learn more about the Capabilities courses

Communities is about promote understanding of the economic, technological, and cultural systems that structure our interactions with our communities.

Economics and Society (1 Course Unit)

​​​​​​​Technology and Society (1 Course Units)

Choose 1 from:
  • Climate Change: Global and Local Solutions
  • Climate, History and Society
  • Digital Cultures
  • Technology and World Change
  • Science, Environment and Empire
  • Technological Solutions to Urban Challenges
  • Can Machines Think? AI in History, Philosophy, and Fiction
  • Technological Innovations Enhancing Urban Sustainability
  • Science and Technology Studies: Where Science Meets Society
  • Innovations for Asia’s Smart Cities

NOTE: The list of courses is a sample list and not exhaustive and subject to change.

Cultures of the Modern World (1 Course Unit)

Choose 1 from:
  • Politics of Southeast Asia
  • Contemporary South Asian Societies
  • Global and Transnational Sociology
  • Urban Cultures
  • Foreign Languages
  • Understanding China’s Economics Miracles
  • Jurisprudence: Modern and Critical Theories of Law
  • Cultural History of the Cold War in Asia
  • Singapore: Imagining the Next 50 Years
  • Film in Southeast Asia
  • Constitutions, Cultures, and Context

NOTE: The list of courses is a sample list and not exhaustive and subject to change.

​​​​​​​Community Service (1 Course Unit)​​​​​​​

Learn more about the Communities courses

Civilisations is about engaging in critical dialogue and problem solving through immersion into fundamental and perennial debates that cut across time and space: happiness and suffering; wealth and poverty; war and peace; global and local.

Ethics and Social Responsibility (1 Course Unit)

Big Questions (1 Course Units)

Global Exposure​​​​​​​

Learn more about the Civilisations courses

Major Requirements

Students intending to pursue a major in Political Science are required to complete the following courses:

  1. Introduction to Political and Policy Studies
  2. Introduction to Psychology
  3. Understanding Societies
  4. South-East Asia Past and Present
  5. Social Science Practicum*
  6. Research Skills Course – choose ONE from the following:
    1. Research Methods in Sociology and Political Science
    2. Policy Design and Analysis
    3. Mass Media and Public Opinion Research

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​*The Social Science Practicum (SSP) is a compulsory module for all BSocSc students. The goal of the SSP is to encourage the development of students as creative and curious learners ready to adapt to the challenges of a complex world. Every SSP section will be organized around a specific real-world question or problem. Within this issue, students will have license to shape a team project around what they think is interesting and important. The SSP will culminate in a showcase where student teams share their findings with the SOSS community.

Students intending to pursue a major in Psychology are required to complete the following courses:

  1. Introduction to Politics and Policy Studies
  2. Introduction to Psychology
  3. Understanding Societies
  4. South-East Asia Past and Present
  5. Psychology Research Methods I
  6. Psychology Research Methods II
  7. Social Science Practicum*

*The Social Science Practicum (SSP) is a compulsory module for all BSocSc students. The goal of the SSP is to encourage the development of students as creative and curious learners ready to adapt to the challenges of a complex world. Every SSP section will be organized around a specific real-world question or problem. Within this issue, students will have license to shape a team project around what they think is interesting and important. The SSP will culminate in a showcase where student teams share their findings with the SOSS community.

Students intending to pursue a major in Sociology are required to complete the following courses:

  1. Introduction to Politics and Policy Studies
  2. Introduction to Psychology
  3. Understanding Societies
  4. South-East Asia Past and Present
  5. Introduction to Sociological Theory
  6. Research Methods in Sociology and Political Science
  7. Social Science Practicum*

*The Social Science Practicum (SSP) is a compulsory module for all BSocSc students. The goal of the SSP is to encourage the development of students as creative and curious learners ready to adapt to the challenges of a complex world. Every SSP section will be organized around a specific real-world question or problem. Within this issue, students will have license to shape a team project around what they think is interesting and important. The SSP will culminate in a showcase where student teams share their findings with the SOSS community.

[Only applicable for students pursing a major in Political Science]

Political Science addresses important relevant questions, from the protection of rights and the organisation of power within countries to international relations and terrorism. The courses provide the analytical tools to understand and interpret contemporary and historical events, while simultaneously sharing important insights on how power is structured, contested and exercised. The courses draw from all major subfields in political science – comparative politics, international relations, political theory and political economy.

Students are required to complete at least 2 CUs from the following list of POSC Foundation Courses:

  1. Comparing Political Systems
  2. Introduction to Public Policy
  3. Political Theory
  4. World Politics

The following is a sample of courses that students can complete their remaining CU:

  1. Development, Underdevelopment and Poverty
  2. Elections and the Media
  3. European Union Politics
  4. Global Political Economy
  5. International Political Economy
  6. International Relations of East Asia
  7. Mass Media and Public Opinion Research
  8. Policy Design and Analysis
  9. Politics of South East Asia
  10. Politics of the Two Koreas
  11. Security Studies
  12. Political Economy of Development
  13. Political Economy of East Asia
  14. Political Science Study Mission
  15. Special Topics in Political Issues
  16. Senior Thesis in Political Issue

NOTE: The list of courses is not exhaustive and subject to change.

[Only applicable for students pursing a major in Psychology]

Psychology is the scientific study of behaviour and mental processes. Behaviour encompasses everything that people do that can be observed, while mental processes refer to thoughts, feelings, motives, and other unobservable phenomena. Psychological theories and research have a number of applications in the business industry, educational settings, public policy, and more. The major sub-disciplines of psychology include social, developmental, cognitive, biological, health, industrial/organisational, abnormal, and personality psychology.

The following is a sample of courses that are offered in this major:

  1. Abnormal Psychology
  2. Cognitive Psychology
  3. Developmental Psychology
  4. Health Psychology
  5. Industrial and Organizational Psychology
  6. Subjective Well-Being
  7. Psychology of Individual Differences
  8. Social Psychology
  9. Psychology of Group Processes and Decision-Making
  10. Cultural Psychology
  11. Evolutionary Psychology
  12. Psychology of Close Relationships
  13. Psychology of Emotions
  14. Psychology of Motivation
  15. Psychology Study Mission
  16. Senior Thesis in Psychology

NOTE: The list of courses is not exhaustive and subject to change.

[Only applicable for students pursing a major in Sociology]

Sociology is a diverse discipline, which aims to explain societal trends and institutions to make sense of culture, politics, and the economy. The Sociology courses are oriented toward developing students' critical thinking pertaining to causes and conditions of changes in societies around the globe, with a particular focus on Asia. The courses also address challenges to societies derived from social inequality, crime and deviance, and the role of networks in social outcomes such as fads and fashions.

The following is a sample of courses that are offered in this major:

  1. Contemporary South Asian Societies
  2. Deconstructing Singapore Society
  3. Media and Society
  4. Gender and Family
  5. Sociology of Food
  6. Global and Transnational Sociology
  7. Population and Society
  8. Migration and Urbanisation
  9. Sociological Theories of Crime and Deviance
  10. Sociology of Economic Life
  11. Sociology of Fads and Fashion
  12. Nation-Building in Asia
  13. Sociology of Work
  14. Social Stratification and Inequality
  15. Sociology Study Mission
  16. Senior Thesis in Sociology

NOTE: The list of courses is not exhaustive and subject to change.

Free Electives

Any SMU Courses (9 courses)

The Free Electives component in the curriculum allows students to choose courses from their major to deepen their disciplinary domain knowledge, or courses from other majors and schools to broaden their knowledge across disciplines. Students may take any SMU course to fulfil the Free Electives component.

Students may be given exemptions for up to 3 Free Electives CUs on the basis of good pre-university grades for GCE A-level, Polytechnic Diploma, or other recognised qualifications.

Additional Graduation Requirements

The Additional Graduation Requirements to complete the SMU Core Curriculum experience are:

  • Digital Technology/Data Analytics (D/D)
  • Sustainability
  • Singapore and Asia Studies

These can be fulfilled by a range of pre-identified courses and activities either in the Core Curriculum, in the disciplinary curriculum, or co-curricular activities.

Learn more about the Additional Graduation Requirements

Note:

  • Course listing may change from time to time
    * The details for each course are available in the Course Catalogue.
  • Enrolled students should refer to the Student Academic Handbook on OASIS for more details.