BA in Organizational Sciences
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?
Visit the GW Career Services site to learn more about the paths our alumni have taken with a degree in organizational sciences.
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
Students majoring in Organizational Sciences may be considered for departmental honors. The program includes a required graduate seminar or an independent research project.
BA in Organizational Sciences Course Requirements
Our degree empowers students to explore other areas of study while earning their BA in Organizational Sciences. Of the 120 credits required to graduate, for OS majors:
- 45 credits must come from required Org Sci courses
- 42-44 must come from GPAC requirements
- Leaving 32-40 credits that students can potentially use to obtain a second major or minor, all while still pursuing a BA in Org Sci.
The BA program is flexible in terms of how students use those 32-40 credits to obtain their degree.
Code | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
Required | ||
COMM 3170 | Organizational Communication | |
ECON 1011 | Principles of Economics I | |
or ECON 1012 | Principles of Economics II | |
ORSC 1109 | Introduction to Organizational Sciences * | |
ORSC 2046 | Global Organizations | |
ORSC 2544 | Industrial/Organizational Psychology | |
ORSC 4161 | Research Methods in Organizational Sciences | |
ORSC 4197W | Senior Research Seminar | |
STAT 1053 | Introduction to Statistics in Social Science | |
Five courses (15 credits) selected from the following: | ||
ORSC 2116 | Leading Change | |
ORSC 2123 | Negotiation and Conflict Resolution | |
ORSC 2143 | Leadership and Performance | |
ORSC 2560 | Group Dynamics | |
ORSC 3141 | Strategy in Organizations | |
ORSC 3159 | Extreme Decisions | |
ORSC 3165 | Organizational Network Analysis | |
ORSC 3190 | Special Topics | |
ORSC 3195 | Occupational Health Psychology | |
ORSC 4195 | Independent Study | |
MGT 3305 | Human Capital Sustainability | |
Two courses (6 credits), both of which must be in the same department, selected from the following: | ||
AMST 2010 | Early American Cultural History | |
or HIST 2010 | Early American Cultural History | |
AMST 2011 | Modern American Cultural History | |
or HIST 2011 | Modern American Cultural History | |
AMST 2020 | Washington, 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 2320 | U.S. Media and Cultural History | |
or HIST 2320 | U.S. Media and Cultural History | |
AMST 2490 | Themes 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 2520 | American Architecture I | |
or AH 2154 | American Architecture I | |
AMST 2521 | American Architecture II | |
or AH 2155 | American Architecture II | |
AMST 2533 | Material Culture in America | |
or ANTH 2533 | Material Culture in America | |
AMST 3900 | Critiquing Culture | |
AMST 3901 | Examining America | |
ANTH 2008 | Foundations of Anthropological Thought | |
or ANTH 2008W | Foundations of Anthropology | |
ANTH 3501 | Anthropology of Development | |
ANTH 3502 | Cultural Ecology | |
ANTH 3503 | Psychological Anthropology | |
ANTH 3506 | Politics, Ethnicity, and Nationalism | |
ANTH 3513 | Anthropology of Human Rights | |
or ANTH 3513W | Anthropology of Human Rights | |
ANTH 3531 | Methods in Sociocultural Anthropology | |
ANTH 3601 | Language, Culture, and Cognition | |
or LING 3601 | Language, Culture, and Cognition | |
ANTH 3802 | Human Cultural Beginnings | |
or ANTH 3802W | Human Cultural Beginnings | |
COMM 2120 | Small Group Communication | |
COMM 2140 | Nonverbal Behavior | |
COMM 3171 | Professional Communication | |
COMM 3173 | Communication in a Mediated World | |
COMM 3174 | Intercultural Communication | |
COMM 3176 | Issues and Image Management | |
ECON 2136 | Environmental and Natural Resource Economics | |
ECON 2157 | Urban and Regional Economics | |
ECON 2158 | Industrial Organization | |
ECON 2159 | Government Regulation of the Economy | |
ECON 2169 | Introduction to the Economy of China | |
ECON 2170 | ||
ECON 2180 | Survey of International Economics | |
ECON 3142 | Labor Economics | |
ECON 3165 | Economics of Human Resources | |
ECON 3191 | Game Theory | |
GEOG 2127 | Population Geography | |
GEOG 2133 | People, Land, and Food | |
GEOG 2134 | Energy Resources | |
or GEOG 2134W | Energy Resources | |
GEOG 2140 | Cities and Societies | |
or GEOG 2140W | Urban Geography | |
GEOG 2141 | Cities in the Developing World | |
GEOG 2148 | Economic Geography | |
GEOG 3143 | Urban Sustainability | |
or GEOG 3143W | Urban Sustainability | |
HIST 2321 | U.S. History, 1890-1945 | |
HIST 2340 | U.S. Diplomatic History | |
or HIST 2340W | U.S. Diplomatic History | |
HIST 2440 | The American City | |
or AMST 2440 | The American City | |
HIST 3033 | War and the Military in American Society from the Revolution to the Gulf War | |
or AMST 3324 | U.S. Urban History | |
HIST 3324 | U.S. Urban History | |
or AMST 3324 | U.S. Urban History | |
HIST 3351 | U.S. Social History | |
or AMST 3351 | U.S. Social History | |
HIST 3366 | Immigration, Ethnicity, and the American Experience | |
or HIST 3366W | Immigration, Ethnicity, and the American Experience | |
HIST 3611 | History of Modern China | |
HIST 3621 | History of Modern Japan | |
PSC 2216 | The American Presidency | |
PSC 2217 | Executive Branch Politics | |
or PPPA 2117 | Executive Branch Politics | |
PSC 2218 | Legislative Politics | |
or PSC 2218W | Legislative Politics | |
PSC 2219 | Political Parties and Interest Groups | |
PSC 2224 | Issues in Domestic Public Policy | |
PSC 2228 | Media, Politics, and Government | |
PSC 2229 | Media and Politics | |
PSC 2334 | Global Perspectives on Democracy | |
PSC 2337 | Development Politics | |
PSC 2439 | International Political Economy | |
PSC 2442 | International Organizations | |
PSC 2449 | International Security Politics | |
PSYC 2012 | Social Psychology | |
PSYC 2014 | Cognitive Psychology | |
PSYC 3125 | Cross-Cultural Psychology | |
SOC 2104 | Contemporary Sociological Theory | |
or SOC 2104W | Contemporary Sociological Theory | |
SOC 2105 | Social Problems in American Society | |
SOC 2161 | Sociology of Complex Organizations | |
SOC 2163 | Sociology of Education | |
SOC 2168 | Economic Sociology | |
SOC 2173 | Social Movements | |
SOC 2175 | Sociology 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.