B.A. in Social Science: What It Is and How It Can Advance Your Career
The Bachelor of Arts in Social Science degree program is an interdisciplinary program designed for students seeking a broad foundation in the social sciences. The Social Science major provides a broad foundation in history, political science, psychology, and sociology. The Undergraduate College at National Louis University offers the program.
What Is a B.A. in Social Science?
When students complete a Social Science program, they are exposed to different ways of studying society, human behavior, and human institutions. This interdisciplinary program combines the best of several social science disciplines. Students gain research skills, learn to analyze data, understand different perspectives on social phenomena, and develop strong writing and communication skills. These skills apply to a wide variety of careers and to graduate school.
The B.A. in Social Science is offered in the Undergraduate College at National Louis University, alongside other programs in the Social and Behavioral Sciences area, including the B.A. in Applied Behavioral Sciences, the B.A. in Psychology, and the B.A. in Criminology and Criminal Justice. This means that students who elect to major in Social Science can choose from several programs of study, either interdisciplinary or single-discipline, depending on their interests and goals.
Why Pursue a B.A. in Social Science?
There are many reasons why a person would choose to pursue a B.A. in Social Science. A student may choose this degree because they want to learn more about society and human behavior but have not yet decided on a single discipline to study, such as sociology, political science, or economics. By majoring in Social Science, a student can explore many different social science disciplines and how they relate to other disciplines, for example, history and psychology, and how they interact with political systems to affect issues in society.
Many of our students who earn a B.A. in Social Science also pursue graduate studies, including law school, public policy, and social work. A degree in Social Science is a strong starting point for students looking to pursue graduate studies because they build research, analytical, and writing skills while completing the degree.
Interdisciplinary social science programs can also serve as a "pre-major" for students entering college who aren't quite sure what they want to do. Through their coursework, such a student can get a feel for whether they are more psychology-oriented, politically oriented, or societally oriented, and choose electives and potential career paths that fit their newly discovered interests.
Key Questions About This Degree
How is this different from choosing a single social science major, like sociology or political science?
An interdisciplinary degree like the B.A. in Social Science can never match the depth of a single major, such as sociology. A single-discipline major has time to develop a discipline's major theories in greater detail and a specific methodology for testing hypotheses. The B.A. in Social Science is an "additive" rather than a subtractive degree. It adds several major disciplines and perspectives and attempts to examine the relationships among them. It is ideal for students who are still exploring several interests. It is not for students who are ready to specialize early in their college career.
What career paths does this degree typically prepare students for?
While most Social Science Bachelor's Degree graduates choose to enter the workforce immediately after graduation, others go on to further study, specifically in Law, Public Policy, Social Work, or Education.
Does this degree prepare students for graduate school?
It does. Interdisciplinary research helps to improve research, writing, and analysis skills. Graduates can attend graduate school for public policy, social work, or law after finishing a bachelor's degree in Social Science.
Can I pair this degree with a specific concentration or minor?
Some programs let students add a minor or concentration to their degree for more focus. The student can then take additional courses within that concentration and complete a minor.
Career Outcomes
The BLS reports that within the Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations category, there are currently 346,000 jobs, and employment in this category is expected to continue to grow as social science-related occupations continue to be created. Research and analysis within a variety of social science-related occupations will continue to be needed as society becomes increasingly complex. We provide current data on employment, wages, and projections for these occupations through the Occupational Outlook Handbook, Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations link.
Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations from the Occupational Outlook Handbook from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Outcomes vary widely because of the degree's interdisciplinary nature and the different paths graduates choose. Many graduates use the Social Science degree as a stepping stone to further education in graduate or professional school. These include law, public policy, social work, and education, among others. In these fields, the Social Science degree's broad analytical capabilities are invaluable.
B.A. in Social Science at National Louis University
The B.A. in Social Science is an interdisciplinary option for students in the Undergraduate College at National Louis University. Related programs also offered include B.A. in Applied Behavioral Sciences, B.A. in Psychology, and B.A. in Criminology and Criminal Justice.
