Social Sciences Program

The Social Sciences major’s multidisciplinary focus and emphasis on developing sound research and writing skills prepares students for a wide variety of positions in the public and private sectors. In addition to preparing students for graduate school in one of the specific social sciences emphases, the Social Sciences major can prepare students for careers in the non-profit sector, human services, law, politics, journalism, cultural resource management, and business. When taken as part of an integrated secondary education program, is designed to prepare students for teaching certification in Idaho.

The Social Sciences degree offers four areas of emphasis. Students have their choice among Anthropology, Political Science, and Sociology, or History for Secondary Education certification. Anthropology involves the cross-cultural study of human beings and their way of life through time. Political Science focuses on political behavior and political institutions at the local, state, national, and international levels by examining governments, power, and policies. Sociology focuses on how the social world operates, from the micro-level of everyday interactions in small groups such as families to the macro-level of processes in social institutions such as the economy, religion, politics, and education.