Academic Catalog

General Studies: Social Science

Program Description

The Social Science major is recommended for transfer students as it provides a basic foundation for subsequent specialization in many liberal arts fields of study. The value of the degree is now recognized by business and industry as it requires a variety of skills demanded in business, education, health, law, and government, as well as the social services.

Learn more about the program on the Business and Social Sciences website.

Program Learning Outcomes

  • Students will be able to identify connections and linkages between specific fields of study, events, and ideas and larger studies of specific themes, developments, and topics in anthropology, economics, geography, history, political science, psychology, and sociology.
  • Students will be able to critically analyze a variety of primary and secondary sources in the fields of anthropology, economics, geography, history, political science, psychology, and sociology and draw scholarly interpretations from them.

Career Opportunities

The General Studies student should market educational accomplishments as a collection of career transferable skills in communication, the global arena, public service, problem solving, production, and personnel management. Courses in statistics, business principles, computer science, and language arts should be taken as elective units to increase marketability of the graduate to potential employers.

Award Type(s)

  • AA = Associate in Arts Degree

Units Required

  • Major: 30

Additional Information

Note: Students having difficulty in attaining an associate degree because of timing or availability of classes should consult with a counselor to submit a petition for course substitution.

Associate Degree Requirements

English Proficiency
Select one of the following:
ENGL 1ACOMPOSITION & READING5
ENGL 1AHHONORS COMPOSITION & READING5
ESLL 26ADVANCED COMPOSITION & READING5
or equivalent
Mathematics Proficiency
College-level math course at or above the level of Intermediate Algebra

A minimum of 90 units is required1 to include:

  • Completion of one of the following general education patterns: Foothill General Education, CSU General Education Breadth Requirements or the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC)
  • Core courses (30 units)
1

Additional elective course work may be necessary to meet the 90-unit minimum requirement for the associate degree.

Note: All courses pertaining to the major must be taken for a letter grade. In addition, a grade of "C" or better is required for all core and support courses used for the degree.

Core and Support Courses

Core Courses
Select any combination of 30 units from at least five departments:30
Anthropology
INTRODUCTION TO PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY
HONORS INTRODUCTION TO PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY
CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY
HONORS CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY
PATTERNS OF CULTURE
WORLD PREHISTORY: THE RISE & FALL OF EARLY CIVILIZATIONS
FIRST PEOPLES OF NORTH AMERICA
MAGIC, SCIENCE & RELIGION
PERSPECTIVES FROM AFRICA
INTRODUCTION TO ARCHAEOLOGY
HONORS INTRODUCTION TO ARCHAEOLOGY
APPLIED ANTHROPOLOGY
Economics
PRINCIPLES OF MACROECONOMICS
PRINCIPLES OF MICROECONOMICS
POLITICAL ECONOMY
HONORS POLITICAL ECONOMY
POLITICAL ECONOMY
HONORS POLITICAL ECONOMY
THE GLOBAL ECONOMY
Geography
PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY
HUMAN GEOGRAPHY
INTRODUCTION TO ECONOMIC GEOGRAPHY
WORLD REGIONAL GEOGRAPHY
Global Studies
INTRODUCTION TO GLOBAL STUDIES
GLOBAL ISSUES
History
WORLD HISTORY FROM PREHISTORY TO 750 CE
WORLD HISTORY FROM 750 CE TO 1750 CE
WORLD HISTORY FROM 1750 CE TO THE PRESENT
HISTORY OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION TO 800 CE
HISTORY OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION: 700-1800
HISTORY OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION 1789-PRESENT
HISTORY OF LATIN AMERICA
HISTORY OF CALIFORNIA: THE MULTICULTURAL STATE
HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES TO 1815
HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES FROM 1812 TO 1914
HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES FROM 1914 TO THE PRESENT
INTRODUCTION TO MIDDLE EASTERN CIVILIZATION
HISTORY OF RUSSIA & THE SOVIET UNION
Humanities
CULTURES, CIVILIZATIONS & IDEAS: THE ANCIENT WORLD
HONORS CULTURES, CIVILIZATIONS & IDEAS: THE ANCIENT WORLD
CULTURES, CIVILIZATIONS & IDEAS: OF EMPIRES & CONFLICT
WORLD MYTHS IN LITERATURE ARTS & FILM
HONORS WORLD MYTHS IN LITERATURE ARTS & FILM
TRAUMA & THE ARTS
HONORS TRAUMA & THE ARTS
CULTURES, CIVILIZATIONS & IDEAS: THE MODERN WORLD
HONORS CULTURES, CIVILIZATIONS & IDEAS: THE MODERN WORLD
THE SHOCK OF THE NEW: FROM THE MODERN TO THE CONTEMPORARY
GLOBAL RELIGIONS: CONTEMPORARY PRACTICES & PERSPECTIVES
HONORS GLOBAL RELIGIONS: CONTEMPORARY PRACTICES & PERSPECTIVES
ONCE UPON A TIME? THE IMMORTAL LURE OF FAIRY TALES
ON THE MOVE: THE IMMIGRANT EXPERIENCE IN LITERATURE, FILM & MULTIMEDIA
INTRODUCTION TO POPULAR CULTURE
INTRODUCTION TO POPULAR CULTURE
HONORS INTRODUCTION TO POPULAR CULTURE
HONORS INTRODUCTION TO POPULAR CULTURE
POPULAR CULTURE & UNITED STATES HISTORY
POPULAR CULTURE & UNITED STATES HISTORY
VIDEO GAMES & POPULAR CULTURE
VIDEO GAMES & POPULAR CULTURE
THE ART OF PEACE: NARRATIVE REPRESENTATIONS OF PACIFISM
Political Science
POLITICAL SCIENCE: INTRODUCTION TO AMERICAN GOVERNMENT & POLITICS
COMPARATIVE GOVERNMENT & POLITICS
HONORS COMPARATIVE GOVERNMENT & POLITICS
INTRODUCTION TO POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY/POLITICAL THEORY
HONORS INTRODUCTION TO POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY/POLITICAL THEORY
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS/WORLD POLITICS
HONORS INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS/WORLD POLITICS
Psychology
GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY
HONORS GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY
CULTURAL PSYCHOLOGY
INTRODUCTION TO BIOPSYCHOLOGY
RESEARCH METHODS & DESIGNS 1
CHILD & ADOLESCENT DEVELOPMENT
PSYCHOLOGY OF WOMEN: SEX & GENDER DIFFERENCES 2
PSYCHOLOGY OF WOMEN: SEX & GENDER DIFFERENCES
PSYCHOLOGY OF PREJUDICE & DISCRIMINATION
INTRODUCTION TO ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY
SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY 3
INTRODUCTION TO PERSONALITY PSYCHOLOGY
PSYCHOLOGY OF SPORTS
HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
HUMAN SEXUALITY
Sociology
INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY
HONORS INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY
POPULAR CULTURE
SOCIAL RESEARCH METHODS & DESIGNS 1
INTRODUCTION TO SOCIAL WELFARE
SOCIOLOGY OF CRIME
LAW & SOCIETY
ALCOHOL & DRUG ABUSE
MAJOR SOCIAL PROBLEMS
RACE & ETHNIC RELATIONS
SOCIOLOGY OF GENDER
SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY 3
ASPECTS OF MARRIAGE & FAMILY
Women's Studies
INTRODUCTION TO WOMEN'S STUDIES
WOMEN IN GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE
PSYCHOLOGY OF WOMEN: SEX & GENDER DIFFERENCES 2
Total Units30
1

The student may complete either PSYC 10 or SOC 10, but not both, to satisfy the core course requirements.

2

The student may complete either PSYC 21 or WMN 21, but not both, to satisfy the core course requirements.

3

The student may complete either PSYC 30 or SOC 30, but not both, to satisfy the core course requirements.