Understand Yourself and the World Around You
Explore the social, psychological, and cultural ways in which individuals develop and interact with the world around them when you complete a degree in Social Science. The interdisciplinary approach to looking at people and social systems gives majors a broad understanding of the world from the individual, social, local, national and international perspectives. As a result, you graduate with the ability to think critically about the challenges the world faces and become part of the solutions that are needed.
The historical and cultural understanding, communication skills, and practical applications through internships makes our Social Science graduates valuable candidates for a variety of jobs:
- Social Services
- Law
- Government
- Law Enforcement
- Education
- Graduate Studies in Political Science, Sociology
& Psychology
Develop your ability to analyze the society and create change.
Program Requirements
(In addition to Warner Pacific Core Studies Requirements)
Social Science Core Courses
40-42 credits: 18 credits in residence, 27 credits upper division.
PSY 140/141 | General Psychology | 3 credits
PS 140 | Introduction to Politics and American Government | 3 credits
SOC 140 | Principles of Sociology | 3 credits
EC 203 | Economics | 3 credits
SS 393 | Research Methods and Applied Statistics
OR EDPSY 395 | Observation, Assessment, and Evaluation | 3-4 credits
Select one from the following courses
SS/PS 355 | Issues in International Relations | 3 credits
SOC/HIS 340 | Race and Ethnic Relations | 3 credits
SOC/PS 345 | Social Problems and Public Policy | 3 credits
SOC/TH 470 | Christian Social Concern | 3 credits
SOC 382 | Marriage and Contemporary Family Issues | 3 credits
Electives in HIS, EC, PSY, PS, SOC, SS, SW, HD, URB | 22-23 credits
(may include up to 10 credits duplicated with Business Administration major, chosen with advisor)
Major Competencies
- Articulate principles of individual human behavior and their subsequent impact on the social organization, cultural patterns, and social institutions.
- Explain the process(es) of quantitative and qualitative research approaches in the formation of public policy, nationally as well as internationally.
- Analyze the relationship(s) between individual economic units, overall economic principles, and the various institutions and issues of government.
- Describe the basic concepts, theories, models, and vocabulary necessary to understand social science.
- Critically evaluate social science research, integrating the following: scientific method, various research designs, and the construction of researchable questions.
- Experience “hands-on” learning and contextual networking the field of social science.
- Identify the major issues of the field of social science and observe how these influence both self and others.
- Analyze differences between structures and practices of various worldviews as they relate to social science.
- Explore the implications of ethical challenges for their discipline.
- Demonstrate information literacy by applying appropriate internet and library resources in the development of research papers and presentations.
- Discuss the complexities of national origin, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, disabilities, and cultural relations and how these social divides challenge people as they seek to live and work respectfully with all persons.
- Synthesize concepts learned into a holistic view of persons and their interacting systems.