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Online Education Guide

Guide to College Majors in Social Science

What is Social Science?

A Social Sciences degree prepares students for a career in any field that deals with social aspects of human behavior. Many students who pursue an undergraduate degree in social sciences eventually specialize in disciplines like anthropology, sociology, psychology, history, geography, and political science. Social sciences degrees offer undecided students the opportunity to gain broad experience in a set of skills that easily transfer to any of these career concentrations.

As a social scientist, your activities will likely include studying various aspects of social and human relationships. This research is a meaningful way of measuring the dynamic changes of social and cultural relationships. Social scientists use this data to support business efforts or to bolster government social programs.

Skills of Successful Social Sciences Majors

Regardless of the specialties they eventually pursue, social sciences majors develop a common set of core skills that form the cornerstone of successful careers. In today's career landscape, where professionals often shift their focus every seven to ten years, these key principles provide social services majors with a tremendous amount of career flexibility.

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• Management skills. Social sciences professionals must often motivate themselves to stay on top of multiple projects at once. Aside from working in small teams, social sciences graduates must prepare themselves for a variety of leadership roles and responsibilities. During their degree programs, social sciences majors learn the best management practices from businesses, nonprofit organizations, and government agencies. They can translate these skills into success in the field, especially since most social sciences majors find themselves managing staffs of researchers and assistants fairly early in their careers.
  
  
• Planning and organizational skills. Most social sciences professionals juggle multiple responsibilities at their jobs. Many projects overlap, and social sciences majors will learn the value of looking ahead to new tasks and programs before current responsibilities have been completed. Quality social sciences degree programs immerse students in real world scenarios that allow them to develop powerful time management and task processing skills. By understanding how to structure their work days more effectively, social sciences professionals can use more of their talents to focus on solving problems instead of juggling administrative busywork.
  
  
• Writing and reporting skills. Regardless of their eventual specialty, social sciences majors must learn to write clearly and efficiently for a variety of audiences. Researchers must be able to report their findings in traditional academic reports. Professionals at government agencies must catalog their findings using specialized forms. Many businesses set their own standards for internal reporting and project tracking. And all social sciences careers require professionals to write clear communications to clients and other members of the general public. Social sciences majors spend a fair amount of their degree programs refining their writing skills, to prepare themselves for careers that require heavy amounts of composition.
  
  
• Ability to recognize trends and patterns. Social scientists in every discipline must be able to see patterns in sets of abstract data. To the untrained eye, these pinpoints of information might represent isolated crimes, disconnected business plans, or unrelated births or deaths. To trained social scientists, this information can pinpoint the effects of security measures, tax plans, and health initiatives. By identifying key trends, social scientists can anticipate future behaviors. As a result, they can develop plans to encourage or inhibit those behaviors, depending on the focus of their programs.
  
  
• Strong critical thinking skills. Though social scientists can rely on the body of research and precedent in their specialties, most professionals work on the cutting edge of new theories. To properly prioritize tasks and identify patterns, social sciences majors must develop the ability to process information critically and quickly. Therefore, many social sciences degree programs expose students to courses in logic and reasoning as well as more practical-sounding classes in business management and creative problem solving.
  
  
• Oral communication skills. Social scientists, especially those who pursue management and academic careers, must be able to express themselves clearly in front of committees, classes, and policy boards. By developing powerful presentation and debate skills, social sciences majors can prepare themselves to effectively defend their research findings while inspiring audiences to take action on key social issues.
  
  
• Interpersonal and communications skills. In addition to communicating in front of large groups, social sciences majors must learn to speak effectively with individuals. Professionals should be able to probe research subjects for additional information and insight without sounding like interrogators. At the same time, managers must learn to use language that inspires and motivates their teams.
  
  
• Skills in modern data and analysis technology. Social science majors learn to take full advantage of new computer systems that speed up the process of collecting and processing research data. Social scientists can perform polls and surveys online, reducing the expense of conducting surveys by hand. They can tabulate results and create powerful presentations using off-the-shelf software applications. Specialists can even use custom database tools to analyze information and highlight critical trends.
  
  
• Grant writing skills. Many social sciences professionals must continually justify the existence of their positions or their programs by applying for funding from government agencies or from private foundations. Social sciences majors learn how to present proposals for new funding and renewals for existing programs. By learning powerful writing techniques, students understand how to tell compelling stories to grant reviewers.
  
  
• Research skills. Social sciences majors develop some of their most important research skills during their undergraduate degree programs. Students learn how to collect data from groups of people using polls and surveys. They also develop key skills for working with focus groups and individual respondents. Social sciences professionals must balance the material they get from their own personal research with the results and findings from previous studies. By learning how to focus their energy on finding answers to new problems, social scientists can launch influential careers.

Trends for Social Sciences Careers

Under significant pressure from a population of aging baby boomers, local, state, and federal governments have been increasing spending for social programs. Therefore, despite the keen competition for existing jobs, social sciences professionals will enjoy strong job demand over the next ten years.

Preparing for a Social Sciences Degree

Because a degree in social sciences requires a significant amount of time-consuming research, many academic advisors encourage students to reduce their course load whenever possible. Current high school students can accomplish this by enrolling in advanced placement courses in key subjects such as history, literature, or mathematics. By earning college credit for high school work, students can reduce the number of courses on their roster each semester, while still graduating on time.

Professionals already working in the social sciences field may be able to translate some of their work experience into college credit by completing independent study projects under the supervision of a professor. By keeping a journal of tasks performed and insights gained on the job, students can sometimes eliminate the need to sit through redundant introductory courses. Not all colleges and universities offer the opportunity to earn credit for life experience in social sciences, so you should investigate your options with program admissions counselors.

Finding the Right Social Sciences Program

If, like most social sciences majors, you have not yet decided on your specialty, look for colleges and universities that offer significant flexibility in choosing classes over the course of your degree program. You will not want to find yourself committed to taking courses unrelated to your career later in your program, especially if you decide to focus on a particular specialty early on in your first or second year as an undergraduate.

Many colleges and universities offer social sciences majors the ability to transfer their credits to more specialized degrees. Be sure to understand your options for transferring course credits between majors or between institutions, if necessary. As long as your program is accredited by state and national educational organizations, you can be assured that your previous work will not have to be repeated if you change programs.

New learning technologies allow students with unprecedented access to experienced social sciences faculty. Prospective social sciences students no longer have to settle for specialties offered at their local colleges or universities. Depending on your interests, you can participate in classes offered by schools across the country or around the world.

Start your search for the ideal social sciences degree program by getting clear about the amount of time you can spend on your course work each week. Some programs allow you to watch prerecorded lectures on videotape or via streaming online video. Other faculty present their lectures live through local videoconferencing facilities or via streaming Internet broadcasts. Degree candidates interact with faculty and other students using online bulletin boards, chat rooms, and conference calls. Students submit their assignments to faculty via e-mail. In many cases, online and distance learning students enjoy more interaction with professors than many students enrolled in traditional, campus-based programs.

Investigate the ways that you can integrate course lectures, discussions, and homework into your schedule. Then, use those requirements to narrow down the list of social sciences degree programs to the handful that meet your needs.

Grants and Scholarships

Many government agencies and nonprofit organization offer tuition reimbursement benefits to social sciences professionals who want to pursue advanced degrees in their spare time. Part time online and distance learning programs allow these professions to develop advanced skills without sacrificing their annual salaries or opportunities for career advancement.

A growing number of colleges and universities participate in scholarship programs that reward social science majors who agree to spend some of their career working in underserved urban or rural areas. When applying for a degree program, check with your prospective school's financial aid counselor to learn about all of the opportunities to offset your educational costs.

Additional Scholarship Informaton:

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Career Education in Social Science

Undergraduate and Graduate degree and certificate programs

Diplomas, Certificates, and Associate Degrees

Associate Degree programs provide recent high school graduates and mid-life career switchers with the core skills required for entry-level positions in social sciences. Because many employers seek job candidates with a bachelor's degree or higher, many colleges and universities encourage their students to roll credits from an associate's degree into their formal four-year programs. Social sciences majors can often qualify for new jobs with an associate's degree with the understanding that they will earn a bachelor's degree in their field during the first few years at their new employers.

Bachelor's Degree

Social sciences majors also participate in a wide variety of arts and humanities courses. This exposure to world culture provides students with critical cultural references that they will frequently use to relate to clients and colleagues during their careers.

Depending on the student's skill level and the policies of the institution, many full-time students can complete their bachelor's degrees in social sciences in less than four years. Part-time students often finish their required course loads in five or six years by working year-round and taking advantage of summer sessions and concentrated residency programs.

Master's Degree

Key areas of study may include graduate level social theory, social psychology, social structure, institutions and culture, social inequalities as they apply to woman and minorities, advanced research methods, written reports and thesis. Full-time social sciences majors can complete their master's degrees in about two to three years, while part-time professionals often stretch their degree programs over four to six years.

Doctoral Level Programs

Universities offering online social science degree programs:

Ellis College - Bachelor degree in social science

What can you do with a College Degree in Social Science?

Career options for aspiring social science majors

Social scientists enjoy a wide array of career opportunities depending on students' interests and preferred working conditions. Many social sciences graduates work regular hours at a desk. Others spend a great deal of time in the field, working on research projects. Most social sciences careers will involve some blend of those two extremes, allowing a graduate to choose a career that fits their own lifestyle. Some of the most common social sciences job opportunities include:

• Archeology: Social sciences graduates can join archeological teams on expeditions to uncover secrets of ancient civilizations. By leveraging their experience and insight, social sciences professionals make accurate deductions about the culture and the politics of previous eras. Not only to we gain the insight into the art and culture of an otherwise forgotten time, but we can learn about the political or social factors that caused the downfall of those kingdoms. By absorbing these lessons, we can make better choices about the fate of our own civilization.
  
  
• Education: Social sciences graduates can combine their broad range of skills with training in education issues to launch careers as excellent educators. High school teachers with social sciences backgrounds can qualify to teach a number of courses, allowing them to participate in the intellectual and emotional development of future professionals. Within the higher education community, social sciences professionals often fill staff roles at colleges and universities. They can help plan the composition of future graduating classes, or they can assist faculty members by projecting the effects of changes to curricula or fundraising programs.
  
  
• Geography: Geographers fill a multitude of roles in today's society. These social sciences professionals examine subtle shifts in our planet's surface to project the effects of population growth and development. They also provide valuable warnings of potential natural disasters, such as earthquakes and tsunamis. Many geographers work with computer programmers on innovative new systems to keep drivers from getting lost during long road trips. The same technology helps military personnel fight battles more effectively with fewer casualties.
  
  
• History: Social sciences graduates can explore a variety of careers that involve the study of past events and ancient cultures. By combining historical knowledge with compelling storytelling skills, social sciences professionals can find rewarding work as corporate historians, archivists, writers, educators, and documentary producers.
  
  
• Political Science: Many social scientists turn their attention to the study and practice of politics. In fact, social science majors who explore political science courses during their degree programs can blend that knowledge with their other skills to provide valuable advice and counsel to political candidates. Pollsters help politicians keep track of public opinion, while analysts and consultants help shape political platforms.
  
  
• Sociology: Sociologists examine the ways that social demographics affect behavior in communities. By looking at factors including religion, race, age, and gender, they can make accurate projections about the effects of laws, business plans, and social policies. Though sociologists traditionally worked in academic and research institutions, government agencies and private companies have discovered ways that sociologists can prevent needless expenses on ineffective programs.

Career Outlook

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, most people with a degree in Social Sciences "work in one or more specialties, such as social organization, stratification, and mobility; racial and ethnic relations; education; family; social psychology; urban, rural, political, and comparative sociology; sex roles and relations; demography; gerontology; criminology; and sociological practice."

The Bureau of Labor Statistics also reports that employment for social scientists is projected to grow steadily with the national average for similar positions, and starting salaries are typically higher than for professionals with comparable degrees.

Certification and Licensure

Social science majors that intend to launch careers as teachers or school advisors must earn licensure from their home state. Many colleges and universities prepare future teachers for certification processes during a student's degree program. Students who want to consider teaching at least part time after earning their degrees should check with the education board in their home state to learn about current requirements for new teachers.

In addition, many states offer amnesty programs to experienced specialists who want to teach classes in underserved urban or rural areas. By easing the requirements for teacher certification, many education boards can tap into the resources of experienced social science professionals seeking new challenges for their talents. Many career switchers can participate in programs that allow new teachers to meet certification requirements through on-the-job training and supervised co-teaching opportunities.

Many social science graduates who work at government agencies must first pass a series of background checks to gain appropriate security clearance. Though potential employers investigate job applicants for blemishes on their records, professionals who divulge any potential embarrassments early in the process can usually earn admission to the next stage of the hiring process.

Applicants for positions in public health and welfare organizations should not use drugs and should have completed any recovery programs for drug or alcohol abuse. Not only will illegal substances impair your performance as a social sciences professional, your use of them may endanger clients or research subjects who are wrestling with their own substance abuse struggles.

Explore Related Degree Programs

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