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What is a social science?
The social sciences - Anthropology, Economics, History, Psychology, and Sociology - explore the human condition both in groups and among individuals. We offer a number of ways to answer the question "why do people do that?"Because there may be many reasons, there are many ways to examine the question. Each member of our faculty comes from a different background and training, and each of us answers the question in a different, yet complimentary, way. By taking a variety of courses in the social sciences, students learn many different ways of looking at people and the world.
Why take social science at Morrisville State College?
We offer an experience few other colleges in New York state can match. Our classes are small (averaging no larger than 35 students) and all courses are taught by the professors - we don't have teaching assistants which you will find teaching many classes in most large colleges and universities. Students can get to know their professors and we offer a great deal of academic support for students who desire it. Because we are a teaching school, not a research institution, our faculty spend their time teaching classes and interacting with students, not hidden in laboratories. Unlike many smaller schools, we have a full residential program: students live in residence halls on campus and get the full college experience. Because our students are drawn from all over the state, nation, and world, our campus is diverse - meaning that students can have a truly cosmopolitan education in the heart of rural New York state.What degree do I get when I graduate?
After a typical two-year course of study, those who successfully complete all of the requirements for the social science major will receive an associate of arts degree (typically abbreviated "A.A.").Why are all the different social science
fields (economics, sociology, psychology, history, etc.) in the same SOCS course category?
At Morrisville State College we combine a broad range of fields into one Social Science department, whereas at larger schools each discipline typically has its own department. This benefits the students at Morrisville by providing a wide variety of experience in multiple areas, each which is connected in many ways to the others. In addition to these reasons, it is also true that some courses cross disciplinary boundaries. It is difficult to classify some courses as fitting one category or another.What do I do after I graduate with a social science degree?
Mostly, we prepare students for transfer to colleges which offer bachelor degrees in the social sciences. Since most four year programs don’t have a general social science degree, you’ll have to choose a specific discipline (psychology, sociology, history, economics, etc) that you want to pursue further. Generally, a bachelors degree in social science shows that you have learned how to read, write, reason, communicate, and think, which is a good beginning for just about any career—in fact, this is the whole point of the liberal arts.Why do I have to take math and science courses to get the degree?
Math and science courses are required because:
1. The Morrisville State College and SUNY guidelines regarding general education require math and science learning;
2. The social sciences are allied to the natural sciences; students will need more in-depth exposure to scientific concepts to see how natural science methods relate to social science methods;
3. Math teaches logical, abstract thinking; also, most social sciences require some exposure to statistics. Math is the necessary building-block to start on that path.
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