The Social Sciences Department provides students with opportunities to gain professional experience, explore career pathways, and engage beyond the classroom through internships, academic partnerships, and student activities.
Missouri Southern has partnered with the University of Missouri–Kansas City School of Law to create a streamlined pre-law pathway. Qualified students can apply to UMKC’s innovative “90+” program, beginning law school after just three years of undergraduate study. First-year law credits count toward MSSU degree completion, saving time and reducing costs while fast-tracking entry into a legal career.
Political Science internships provide students with hands-on experience across a wide range of professional settings, including faculty-led research, city management offices, political parties and campaigns, county agencies, law firms, and law enforcement organizations. Students may also pursue full-semester placements in Jefferson City during the spring, gaining immersive exposure to state government in action. The Legislative Internship, in particular, offers a unique opportunity to work full time within the Missouri General Assembly during a legislative session, allowing students to observe firsthand how laws are crafted while building valuable professional networks that can help launch their careers.
Contact Dr. Nicole Shoaf at Shoaf-N@mssu.edu for more information.
Overview:
The Accelerated Master's in History program allows qualified MSSU students to begin graduate coursework while completing their undergraduate degree. Through this partnership with Missouri State University, eligible students can apply graduate-level history courses toward both their undergraduate and master's degrees, helping them save time and tuition while preparing for advanced study.
Eligible majors:
Additional requirements:
Contact Dr. Megan Bever at bever-m@mssu.edu for more information.
The purpose of Phi Alpha Honor Society is to provide a closer bond among students of social work and promote humanitarian goals and ideas. Phi Alpha fosters high standards of education for social workers and invites into membership those who have attained excellence in scholarship and achievement in social work (phialpha.org, 2020).
Requirements for membership include:
Please visit https://phialpha.org/ to learn more about the national Phi Alpha Organization.
For more information or any further questions please contact Phi Alpha Honor Society advisor Jannette Eldred, Eldred-J@mssu.edu.
We are a professional society whose mission is to promote the study of history through the encouragement of research, good teaching, publication and the exchange of learning and ideas among historians. We seek to bring students, teachers and writers of history together for intellectual and social exchanges, which promote and assist historical research and publication by our members in a variety of ways.
Meetings and Membership
Applicants must have completed at least 12 credit hours in History (4 courses) with a GPA of at least 3.25 and have an overall GPA of 3.0 or better. Membership is notlimited to History majors. For a one-time application cost of $50, initiates receive a lifetime membership and a one-year subscription to the award-winning journal The Historian.
For more information contact Dr. Will Mountz, mountz-w@mssu.edu.
The Social Work Club League of Lions is established to form a cohesive group for the social interaction of the social work students at Missouri Southern State University, to have a student organization to promote the study of social work, and to increase interest and participation in the social work program. It provides a permanent student society to help organize and promote volunteer activities on campus and in the community.
Students in the social work major are encouraged to be involved in the League of Lions.
Requirements for membership include:
For more information or any further questions please contact LOL Club advisor Ethan Potter, potter-e@msu.edu.
For over 50 years, Model United Nations has provided MSSU students the opportunity to learn about the work of the most important international organization ever devised, to explore current global issues, and to understand the positions taken by different UN members on these issues. Each year, our students participate as delegates from a UN member state at the American Model UN in Chicago.
Preparation for the conference includes researching complex and timely issues, such as the Israel/Palestine question, international responses to global health crises, bacteriological and chemical weapons, promotion of new and renewable sources of energy, and/or minimizing the impact of natural disasters. Students learn about the nature and urgency of these topics and about some of the proposed solutions.
They also write position papers that reflect the policies and interests of the country they represent. At the conference itself, our delegates must persuade others that these positions offer effective solutions to the problems at hand. Because they play the role of diplomats, they must negotiate with students representing other UN members, build consensus, and forge resolutions that reflect common interests. Our delegates participate in conferences with students from universities across the nation and, in some cases, from overseas.
To prepare for their work at the conferences, their first year participating, students must enroll in INTS 308 (offered each fall semester). The course is repeatable, or veteran MUN delegates may participate in the conference as MUN Club members.
Missouri Southern's Model UN team has won awards for outstanding delegation, exemplary position papers, and several of our students have brought home the award for outstanding delegate. This is a unique, exciting, and rewarding immersive learning experience, open to students from all majors!
For more information about our origins and hear testimony about the benefits of MUN from MSSU faculty and students, check out this special edition of Newsmakers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZvfQNTyw0YU
Meetings and Membership
Contact:
The Political Science Association is a non-partisan student organization dedicated to fostering civic engagement and promoting active citizenship among the campus community. Through events, discussions, and service opportunities, the organization encourages students of all backgrounds and perspectives to become informed, involved participants in political and civic life. The PSA serves as a welcoming space for dialogue, collaboration, and leadership development.
Contact Dr. Nicole Shoaf, Shoaf-N@mssu.edu for more information.
The Pre-Law Pride Student Organization supports students interested in pursuing careers in the legal field, including law school and paralegal pathways. The group provides resources, programming, and mentorship opportunities designed to help members navigate the law school application process, develop essential skills, and explore various legal career options. Through workshops, guest speakers, and networking events, Pre-Law Pride equips students with the tools and confidence needed to take the next steps toward a successful legal career.
Contact Dr. Nicole Shoaf, Shoaf-N@mssu.edu for more information.
