Department of Organizational Sciences & Communication | Columbian College of Arts & Sciences site logo

Department of Organizational Sciences & Communication

Columbian College of Arts & Sciences

BA in Organizational Sciences

A group of Organizational Sciences and Communications professors and students gathered in a circle at a departmental coffee networking event.

The Organizational Sciences (OS) Program operates within a human-centered philosophy of organizations. The Bachelor of Arts degree prepares students to analyze and solve problems that may arise in their professional careers and explores tools for helping steer organizations toward success. Coursework instills a deep understanding of the systemic dynamics and interactive effects of organizational, individual and environmental behaviors.

The capstone of the BA program is a two-course sequence in which students design and implement an independent research project, culminating in an original research thesis.

Please note: Students must earn a C- or better in ORSC 1109 Introduction to Organizational Sciences prior to declaring the major.

What Can You Do with an Organizational Sciences Major?

Where an undergraduate degree from GW can take you: alumni outcomes for Organizational Sciences majors

 

 

 

 

Visit the GW Career Services site to learn more about the paths our alumni have taken with a degree in organizational sciences.

GW Career Services

Outcomes and Focuses

 

Outcomes

Students learn to:

  • Synthesize information
  • Rethink work processes
  • Enhance collaboration
  • Shape organizational culture
  • Integrate the interests of stakeholders
  • Steer organizations toward success
  • Apply related disciplines including statistics, research methods, ethics and social and behavioral sciences
 

Key Knowledge Areas

The OS program ties managerial and executive success to the integration of knowledge in three key areas:

  • Strategy and change management
  • Leadership and communication
  • Performance and talent development

Departmental Honors in Organizational Sciences

A student taking notes in class.

Students majoring in Organizational Sciences may be considered for departmental honors. The program includes a required graduate seminar or an independent research project.

Special Honors in OS

BA in Organizational Sciences Course Requirements

Course List
Required
COMM 3170Organizational Communication
ECON 1011Principles of Economics I
or ECON 1012 Principles of Economics II
ORSC 1109Introduction to Organizational Sciences *
ORSC 2046Global Organizations
ORSC 2544Industrial/Organizational Psychology
ORSC 4161Research Methods in Organizational Sciences
ORSC 4197WSenior Research Seminar
STAT 1053Introduction to Statistics in Social Science
Five courses (15 credits) selected from the following:
ORSC 2116Leading Change
ORSC 2123Negotiation and Conflict Resolution
ORSC 2143Leadership and Performance
ORSC 2560Group Dynamics
ORSC 3141Strategy in Organizations
ORSC 3159Extreme Decisions
ORSC 3165Organizational Network Analysis
ORSC 3190Special Topics
ORSC 3195Organizational and Occupational Health
ORSC 4195Independent Study
MGT 3305Human Capital Sustainability
Two courses (6 credits), both of which must be in the same department, selected from the following:
AMST 2010Early American Cultural History
or HIST 2010 Early American Cultural History
AMST 2011Modern American Cultural History
or HIST 2011 Modern American Cultural History
AMST 2020Washington, DC: History, Culture, and Politics
or AMST 2020W Washington, DC: History, Culture, and Politics
or HIST 2020 Washington, DC: History, Culture, and Politics
or HIST 2020W Washington, DC: History, Culture, and Politics
AMST 2320U.S. Media and Cultural History
or HIST 2320 U.S. Media and Cultural History
AMST 2490Themes in U.S. Cultural History
or AMST 2490W Themes in U.S. Cultural History
or HIST 2490
or HIST 2490W Themes in U.S. Cultural History
AMST 2520American Architecture I
or AH 2154 American Architecture I
AMST 2521American Architecture II
or AH 2155 American Architecture II
AMST 2533Material Culture in America
or ANTH 2533 Material Culture in America
AMST 3900Critiquing Culture
AMST 3901Examining America
ANTH 2008Foundations of Anthropological Thought
or ANTH 2008W Foundations of Anthropology
ANTH 3501Anthropology of Development
ANTH 3502Cultural Ecology
ANTH 3503Psychological Anthropology
ANTH 3506Politics, Ethnicity, and Nationalism
ANTH 3513Anthropology of Human Rights
or ANTH 3513W Anthropology of Human Rights
ANTH 3531Methods in Sociocultural Anthropology
ANTH 3601Language, Culture, and Cognition
or LING 3601 Language, Culture, and Cognition
ANTH 3802Human Cultural Beginnings
or ANTH 3802W Human Cultural Beginnings
COMM 2120Small Group Communication
COMM 2140Nonverbal Behavior
COMM 3171Professional Communication
COMM 3173Communication in a Mediated World
COMM 3174Intercultural Communication
COMM 3176Issues and Image Management
ECON 2136Environmental and Natural Resource Economics
ECON 2157Urban and Regional Economics
ECON 2158Industrial Organization
ECON 2159Government Regulation of the Economy
ECON 2169Introduction to the Economy of China
ECON 2170
ECON 2180Survey of International Economics
ECON 3142Labor Economics
ECON 3165Economics of Human Resources
ECON 3191Game Theory
GEOG 2127Population Geography
GEOG 2133People, Land, and Food
GEOG 2134Energy Resources
or GEOG 2134W Energy Resources
GEOG 2140Cities and Societies
or GEOG 2140W Urban Geography
GEOG 2141Cities in the Developing World
GEOG 2148Economic Geography
GEOG 3143Urban Sustainability
or GEOG 3143W Urban Sustainability
HIST 2321U.S. History, 1890-1945
HIST 2340U.S. Diplomatic History
or HIST 2340W U.S. Diplomatic History
HIST 2440The American City
or AMST 2440 The American City
HIST 3033War and the Military in American Society from the Revolution to the Gulf War
or AMST 3324 U.S. Urban History
HIST 3324U.S. Urban History
or AMST 3324 U.S. Urban History
HIST 3351U.S. Social History
or AMST 3351 U.S. Social History
HIST 3366Immigration, Ethnicity, and the American Experience
or HIST 3366W Immigration, Ethnicity, and the American Experience
HIST 3611History of Modern China
HIST 3621History of Modern Japan
PSC 2216The American Presidency
PSC 2217Executive Branch Politics
or PPPA 2117 Executive Branch Politics
PSC 2218Legislative Politics
or PSC 2218W Legislative Politics
PSC 2219Political Parties and Interest Groups
PSC 2224Issues in Domestic Public Policy
PSC 2228Media, Politics, and Government
PSC 2229Media and Politics
PSC 2334Global Perspectives on Democracy
PSC 2337Development Politics
PSC 2439International Political Economy
PSC 2442International Organizations
PSC 2449International Security Politics
PSYC 2012Social Psychology
PSYC 2014Cognitive Psychology
PSYC 3125Cross-Cultural Psychology
SOC 2104Contemporary Sociological Theory
or SOC 2104W Contemporary Sociological Theory
SOC 2105Social Problems in American Society
SOC 2161Sociology of Complex Organizations
SOC 2163Sociology of Education
SOC 2168Economic Sociology
SOC 2173Social Movements
SOC 2175Sociology of Sex and Gender

*If a grade below C- is earned in ORSC 1109, the course must be repeated. Credit for the repetition will not count toward the degree.