Education & Human Services
Concentrations in Education, Social Welfare, and Sociology prepare students for roles in schools, social services, and community organizations.
Social Science is built for students who don't want to choose just one discipline. The major combines depth in a single field — a Primary Concentration — with breadth across two more, called Secondary Concentrations, giving students a genuinely individualized program of study.
Students choose their Primary Concentration from nine fields spanning the Birdsong School of Social Science and the D. Henry Watts School of Professional Studies: Business, Criminal Justice, Education, History, Political Science, Psychology, Recreation and Leisure Services, Social Welfare, and Sociology. Two Secondary Concentrations, each requiring 8 hours at the 300/400 level, round out the program and tie back to the primary field.
The major begins with SOSCI 200, taken as early as possible, where students design their individualized plan of study and file a formal Declaration of Major with the Registrar's Office — required at least three semesters before graduation. The program concludes with SOSCI 400, a senior capstone seminar that integrates the primary and secondary concentrations into a single research project and gives students space to reflect on their next steps after graduation.
Requirements
All Social Science majors complete the shared requirements below in addition to one Primary Concentration (20 hrs) and two Secondary Concentrations (8 hrs each, from two different disciplines).
SOSCI 200
Integrated Learning in Social Science
2 hrs
SOSCI 400
Senior Seminar: Social Science
2 hrs
Secondary Concentrations
8 hours each at the 300/400 level from two of the following disciplines: Business · Criminal Justice · Education/Special Education (does not lead to Teacher Certification) · History · Political Science · Psychology · Recreation and Leisure Services · Social Work · Sociology
16 hrs
Research Course
At least one course designated as a "research course," taken in either the primary or secondary concentration. Research courses include: SW 325, 347, 352, 353, 412, 417, 418, 426, 428, 433, 450, 460 · INST 482 · MBE 334 · POLS 265 · PSY 210 · SOC/CJ 350 · SOC 345, 351, 480. Prerequisites or consent may be required for some of these courses.
4 hrs
Social Science Electives
Any level, any social science discipline
6 hrs
Total Hours Required
50
*Core requirements total 50 hours; combined with the 20-hour Primary Concentration, the major totals 70 hours. Alternative coursework must be approved by a faculty advisor.
A total of 20 semester hours in the primary discipline is required; at least 16 hours must be at the 300/400 level.
MBE 101
Introduction to Business
4 hrs
MBE 301
Principles of Management: A Project Approach
4 hrs
MBE 316
Marketing Principles*
4 hrs
MBE 315
Managing Diversity in Organizations
4 hrs
MBE 400
Seminar in Managerial Ethics
4 hrs
Total Hours Required
20
*Some courses may have prerequisites; see individual course descriptions. Alternative coursework must be approved by a faculty advisor.
A total of 20 semester hours in the primary discipline is required; at least 16 hours must be at the 300/400 level.
CJ 100
Introduction to Criminal Justice
4 hrs
CJ 301
Criminology
4 hrs
CJ 350
Introduction to Social Research
4 hrs
CJ 387
Criminal Law
4 hrs
CJ 488
Senior Capstone
4 hrs
Total Hours Required
20
*Alternative coursework must be approved by a faculty advisor.
A total of 20 semester hours in the primary discipline is required; at least 16 hours must be at the 300/400 level.
EDUC 225
Characteristics of the Learner
4 hrs
EDUC 319
Content Area Reading & Writing
4 hrs
EDUC 321
Literary Development & Assessment
4 hrs
SPED 371
Foundations/Legal/Ethical Issues in Special Education
4 hrs
INST 482
Issues in Education
4 hrs
Total Hours Required
20
*This concentration does not lead to Virginia teacher certification. Students seeking teacher certification should consult the Education Department before declaring this major. Some courses may have prerequisites; alternative coursework must be approved by a faculty advisor.
A total of 20 semester hours in the primary discipline is required; at least 16 hours must be at the 300/400 level.
HIST 351
Advanced Topics in World History
4 hrs
Total Hours Required
20
*Source materials list only one required course against the 20-hour total for this concentration. Remaining hours not yet specified — pending confirmation from Academic Affairs. Alternative coursework must be approved by a faculty advisor.
A total of 20 semester hours in the primary discipline is required; at least 16 hours must be at the 300/400 level.
POLS 239
American Political Thought
4 hrs
POLS 335
American Government
4 hrs
POLS 343
Public Administration
4 hrs
POLS 348
International Human Rights
4 hrs
POLS 373
Conflict Management
4 hrs
Total Hours Required
20
*Alternative coursework must be approved by a faculty advisor.
A total of 20 semester hours in the primary discipline is required; at least 16 hours must be at the 300/400 level.
PSY 205
Lifespan Development
4 hrs
PSY 313
Clinical Neuropsychology
4 hrs
PSY 321
Industrial/Organizational Psychology
4 hrs
PSY 373
Child Development
4 hrs
PSY 388
Cognition
4 hrs
Total Hours Required
20
*PSY 101 or 102 is required prerequisite. They can be included as lower social science electives.
*Alternative coursework must be approved by a faculty advisor.
A total of 20 semester hours in the primary discipline is required; at least 16 hours must be at the 300/400 level.
REC 207
Leadership and Management of Sport, Recreation and Leisure Services
4 hrs
REC 406
Historical, Cultural and Professional Dimensions of Sport, Recreation and Leisure
4 hrs
RT 311
Recreational Therapy: Mental Health Conditions
4 hrs
RT 312
Recreational Therapy Management & Organization
4 hrs
RT 314
Planning, Implementing, and Evaluating Recreational Therapy
4 hrs
Total Hours Required
20
*Some courses may have prerequisites; see individual course descriptions. Alternative coursework must be approved by a faculty advisor.
A total of 20 semester hours in the primary discipline is required; at least 16 hours must be at the 300/400 level.
REC 207
Leadership and Management of Sport, Recreation and Leisure Services
4 hrs
REC 406
Historical, Cultural and Professional Dimensions of Sport, Recreation and Leisure
4 hrs
SRM 340
Sport, Recreation, and Facility Management Principles
4 hrs
SRM 341
Sport & Recreation Program and Event Principles
4 hrs
SRM Elective
One of: SRM 343 Administration of Campus Recreation · SRM 344 Outdoor Recreation and Education · SRM 345 Ropes Course and Group Facilitation Methods · SRM 346 Commercial Sport and Recreation · SRM 347 Fitness Instructor Training · SRM 348 Maui Sea to Sky: The Impact of Adventure Travel on Culture and the Environment
4 hrs
Total Hours Required
20
*Some courses may have prerequisites; see individual course descriptions. Alternative coursework must be approved by a faculty advisor.
A total of 20 semester hours in the primary discipline is required; at least 16 hours must be at the 300/400 level.
SOC 100
Introduction to Sociology
4 hrs
SOC 345
Foundations of Sociology
4 hrs
SOC 350
Introduction to Social Research
4 hrs
SOC 353
Applied Sociology
4 hrs
SOC 488
Senior Capstone
4 hrs
Total Hours Required
20
*Alternative coursework must be approved by a faculty advisor.
Courses
Social Science has only two courses of its own — SOSCI 200 and SOSCI 400 — because the major's real coursework happens inside whichever Primary and Secondary Concentrations a student chooses. See the Requirements section for the full list of concentration tracks and their required courses.
SOSCI 200 is where the individualized plan of study comes together, and should be taken as early as possible — ideally in a student's first semester in the major. SOSCI 400 closes out the program with a senior research project that draws on both the primary and secondary fields.
SOSCI 200
2 credits
Integrated Learning
An introduction to the Social Science Major. Students will explore the spectrum of social science disciplines, integrate these with Social Science approaches to learning, and translate their understanding into integrative electronic portfolios. Prerequisite: SOSCI majors or consent. Offered every semester.
SOSCI 400
2 credits
Integrating the Social Sciences
Capstone course for Social Science Majors. Students complete a research project that integrates their primary and secondary areas of concentration. Prerequisite: SOSCI majors or consent. Offered intermittently.
Career Outcomes
Career outcomes for Social Science majors vary widely by Primary Concentration — the list below reflects the breadth of the major rather than a single path.
Criminal Justice & Public Administration
The Criminal Justice and Political Science concentrations support careers in law enforcement, government, and public administration.
Business & Management
The Business concentration, paired with relevant secondary fields, prepares students for management and organizational roles.
Recreation, Therapy & Sport Management
The Recreation and Leisure Services tracks prepare students for careers in recreational therapy or sport and recreation facility management.
Faculty
Thomas Liverman
Associate Professor of Criminal Justice
Chair of Sociology and Criminal Justice
Michelle Vachris
Professor of Management, Business and Economics
Director of Management, Business, and Economics Programs
Clair T. Berube
Associate Professor of Education
Director of Education Programs
Richard Bond
Associate Professor of History
Chair of History
Leslie A. Caughell
Associate Professor of Political Science
Chair of Political Science
Benjamin D. Dobrin
Professor of Social Work
Director of Social Work and Human Services
Sandra Ewell
Student Success Coach
Coordinator of Comprehensive Liberal Studies
Frank Futyma
Lecturer in Management, Business, and Economics
Drian Glyde
Assistant Professor of Management, Business ,and Economics
Dean, Global Campus
Anna Harrington
Assistant Professor Psychology
Craig Jackson
Associate Professor of Psychology
Dean, Birdsong School of Social Science
Shalyn Lapke
Assistant Professor of Management, Business, and Economics
Malcolm Lively (Malcolm)
Associate Professor of Education
Bill McConnell
Batten Professor of Education ,Dean, D. Henry Watts School of Professional Studies
James Moskowitz
Batten Lecturer in Political Science
,Interim Director of Men's and Women's Tennis
Coordinator of NATO Partnership
Taryn Myers
Professor of Psychology
Chair of Psychology
Modupe Oshikoya
Associate Professor of Political Science and Coordinator of International
Studies
Arthur Pantelides
Associate Professor of Management, Business and Economics
Antje Schwennicke
Associate Professor of Political Science
Coordinator of NATO Partnership
Lauren Stephens
Assistant Professor of Sport & Recreation Professions
Jeffrey G. Toussaint
Associate Professor of Sociology/Criminal Justice
Garrett Wood
Assistant Professor of Management, Business, and Economics
Director of Management, Business, and Economics Programs