Social Sciences, A.S.

The Associate of Science degree in Social Sciences will serve as a meta-major for students seeking four-year degrees in social science fields. It fulfills general education and introductory level core requirements that are transferrable to specific baccalaureate programs at four-year colleges and universities.  Students graduating with an A.S. in Social Sciences follow a specific concentration and direct their scholarship at the two-year level towards four-year degrees in one of the following fields in the social sciences:  Economics, Education, Global Studies, Political Science, Psychology, and Sociology.  Each concentration leads to building specific career-related skills based on tailored coursework and advised choice of credit-bearing electives. 

The degree offers sound preparation for students who wish to enhance critical thinking and problem-solving skills, writing skills, and an awareness of social context to be applied to practical work experiences.  The skills mastered through the completion of an A.S. in Social Sciences will aid students in future studies, in the workplace, and in positioning themselves for success within their chosen career fields.  The objectives of the degree program are to prepare graduates to:

• Analyze and evaluate information from quantitative and/or qualitative sources to solve problems in conventional and innovative ways.
• Demonstrate effective expression of ideas in writing and through discussion to general and specialized audiences.
• Describe how diverse perspectives might affect interpretations of problems in politics, society, and human relationships.
• Identify basic terminology, practices, and the scope of specific fields of study within social sciences.