Associate Professor Matthew R. Keller, Director
The B.A. in markets and culture provides students the opportunity to learn about the world’s marketplaces from an interdisciplinary vantage in the social sciences. Students receive a firm grounding in the principles of markets, the values and history of commerce, the social bases of economic behavior, and business concepts and practices while gaining an understanding of the multiple institutions and cultures that shape the world’s markets.
Prior to declaring a major in markets and culture, students must achieve a grade of C or better in SOCI 2377 . Students must receive at least a C- in all remaining required courses and meet a minimum GPA of 2.000 in all courses counted toward the major. Students are encouraged to choose their electives using one of the three areas of concentration presented below. Students who earn a second major in Spanish, German, French, or World Languages will automatically satisfy the elective requirements for the MKCL major. Students who earn a minor in languages where there is no option for a major at SMU will automatically satisfy the elective requirements for the MKCL major. Only one independent study course (SOCI 4393 or SOCI 4396 ) may be taken for a grade and applied toward the major.
Departmental Distinction
The department offers graduation with distinction to majors of high academic achievement. Interested students with a minimum 3.000 overall GPA and a 3.500 GPA in the major may consult with the director of undergraduate study for admission to the distinction track. If the director determines that the student has satisfied the requirements, the student may then contact a departmental faculty member to request direction of the distinction paper. The candidate’s distinction paper must be a substantial piece of independent and original research. The research will be presented and evaluated by a distinction committee comprised of at least two faculty members. Upon positive recommendation from this committee, the student will be awarded graduation with distinction. Criteria for graduating with departmental distinction include the following:
- A minimum 3.000 overall GPA at graduation.
- A minimum 3.500 GPA in required courses for the major.
- A minimum grade of A- in SOCI 4396 .
SMU Degree Requirements
An SMU undergraduate degree requires a minimum of 120 credit hours and must include completion of the University’s Common Curriculum , one major and a combination of electives and/or other majors or minors. Completion of certain majors requires more than 120 hours to finish the degree. The credit hours within this curriculum are distributed as follows: