Individuals, Institutions, and Cultures: To understand complex social systems, graduates of SMU will explore contemporary efforts to document and analyze the interaction of individuals, cultures, and institutions that shape economic, political, and social experiences.

To this end, students take two courses from the Individuals, Institutions and Cultures Pillar.

Individuals, Institutions, and Cultures: Student Learning Outcomes

Level one
1. Students will be able to identify the types of interactions and influences that arise between or among individual, social, cultural, political, or economic experiences.
2. Students will be able to summarize basic empirical phenomena in the study of individual, social, cultural, political, or economic experiences.

Level two
1. Students will be able to analyze different theoretical or interpretive perspectives in the study of individual, social, cultural, political, or economic experiences.
2. Students will be able to evaluate critically the research outcomes and theoretical applications in the study of individual, social, cultural, political, or economic experiences.

IIC courses come from such fields as Advertising, Anthropology, Art History, Economics, Engineering, Ethnic Studies, History, Political Science, Psychology, Religious Studies, Sociology, Theater, and Women’s and Gender Studies.