Organizational Studies Major

Requirements for the Major

Organizational Studies majors take twelve courses from three groups that provide: breadth, core and depth for the major. The courses include a set of four classes: one from each of the social sciences that Organizational Studies draws upon as an interdisciplinary field, one methods class and seven additional classes drawn from thematic and core courses that focus on organizational, industrial, or work-related topics. In most cases several breadth courses will have been completed by the time a student begins to take courses in the core.

1. Breadth
   Four breadth courses are required, one from each of four fields of study: economics, political studies, psychology and sociology. Breadth courses are ECON 052 PZ -Principles of Microeconomics ; POST 030 PZ -Comparative Politics , POST 020 PZ -American Politics  , or another government course relevant to the student’s interests; PSYC 103 PZ -Social Psychology ; and one course on the impact of organizations on society.
2. Core
   Students complete five core courses. Three are required: ORST 100 PZ -Organizational Theory , ORST 135 PZ -Organizational Behavior  and any statistical methods course (ECON 091 PZ , POST 091 PZ , PSYC 091 PZ , or SOC 101 PZ ).
   
   Two additional core courses are chosen from those below:
   ORST 105 PZ -Cases in Management of Organizations , ORST 110 PZ -Directed Fieldwork in Organizations , ORST 120 PZ -Politics of Organizational Culture , ORST 148 PZ -The Nature of Work , ORST 160 PZ -Corporate Social Responsibility and the Corporation , ORST 192 PZ -Negotiating Conflict , Ontario Internship program (by special arrangement), and occasional topics or seminar courses which may be selected with the adviser, such as ORST 198 PZ .
3. Depth
   In consultation with their advisers, students select three courses for depth which together represent either a single theme or provide further work in one of the breadth fields. Sample topics have included nonprofit administration, arts management, labor studies, organizational communication, finance and accounting, information technology, women and work, organizations and economic development, leadership and others. A brief rationale describing how the choice of depth courses represents the student’s theme should be filed with the adviser at the same time as the major form, i.e., no later than the fall of the junior year. Students are urged to consider courses from the five colleges and at Pitzer beyond those normally designated within Organizational Studies which integrate their topical interests. Topics can also frequently be pursued in coordination with study abroad.

Honors:

Students with exceptionally strong academic records may be invited by the field group to be considered for honors. Eligible students will be notified at the end of their junior year. Honors will be awarded based on excellence in overall academic work, work in the major, a senior thesis and an oral presentation.