Social Science

Bachelor of Arts 

The Social Science Program addresses the interests of students who are drawn to the social science area of the Liberal Arts curriculum. These students wish to combine exploration of the breadth of the subject area with not only sufficient depth of inquiry, but also with the structure for systematic study provided by a major.

This choice of approach to learning may emerge from one, or more, objectives. A student may have identified the desired area of study, but would like to have more knowledge of the range of social science, before making a choice of a single discipline for concentration later in graduate school. Another student may be preparing to teach and would find it valuable to be able to bring knowledge of perspectives, methods, and concepts of a variety of social science disciplines into schools at various levels, therefore being a more attractive candidate for a position, and, subsequently, a more effective teacher in the classroom. This background would also be seen as valuable for students contemplating other professions, as well: social work, community service, law, city and regional planning, medicine, and business, to name but a few. Thus, the Social Science major might be chosen as a single field for focus in an undergraduate education; or, may be combined with another major or minor.   

The Major in Social Science

The major in Social Science leads to the degree of Bachelor of Arts. The program is interdisciplinary in character and, thus, offers students the opportunity to invest initiative and creativity in a combination of social science disciplines - ordinarily three in number. These disciplines include anthropology, economics, history, linguistics, political science, psychology, and sociology. Students work individually to plan the course of study, in conjunction with the Director of the Program, who currently serves as Faculty Advisor.

Required Courses

Academic programs vary in their requirements. Students should consult with their faculty advisor and the Academic Guidebook to review the Academic Planning Form pertinent to their program of study. In addition, students should review course descriptions regarding any prerequisites for required courses. Graduation requirements include a minimum of 120 credit hours, although some academic programs may require additional credits. Please refer to the Academic Resources section of the catalog for more information. Information regarding the new Core Curriculum, which takes effect with the Class of 2016, is available at http://www.providence.edu/academic-affairs/core-curriculum.

The major requires a minimum of ten courses chosen from among the social science disciplines; and requires maintenance of a minimum GPA of 2.0.

These 10 courses must include a research methods course (either Economics 214, Political Science 102, Psychology 201, History 100, or Sociology 209), a theory course (either Anthropology 401, Economics 309; 484, Political Science 341; 342; 343; 344; 348; 480, Psychology 481; 486, or Sociology 403; 417), and the Social Science Capstone Seminar (SSC 480).

At least six courses must be at the upper-division level, designated in the Social Science Program as offered at the 300-400 level.

For descriptions of courses other than SSC 480- Social Science Capstone Seminar, please see the section for each constituent discipline in the Undergraduate Catalog.