Social Science Studies (BA)

Students pursuing a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Social Science Studies will understand how various social science disciplines structure and advance knowledge, raise and answer analytical questions, and deal with competing theories within specific fields. Emphasis is placed on developing critical awareness of the different methodologies applied to questions about society, social interaction, and human subjectivity. Students work closely with their advisers to plan a program that satisfies the required competencies in a chosen area of focus and in the social science disciplines. Students participate in a capstone during their final semester, demonstrating the incorporation of their chosen disciplines into a project, presentation, and paper. This program is available fully online as well as face-to-face.

Please see the UNLV College of Liberal Arts, Interdisciplinary Degrees web page for information about department programs, faculty and facilities. Degree worksheets and 4/5 year plan for the major are available on the UNLV Degrees Directory.

Learning Outcomes

1. Understand the value of interdisciplinary inquiry.
2. Identify the theories, methods, and critical perspectives of at least two academic disciplines in the social sciences.
3. Apply the theories, methods, and critical perspectives of at least two academic disciplines in the social sciences.
4. Synthesize the theories, methods, and critical perspectives of at least two disciplines in the social sciences into a developed plan of research and analysis.
5. Apply a synthesized plan of research to a single problem or set of problems concerning contemporary society.
6. Communicate ideas clearly in written and oral form.
7. Build an intellectual foundation to support continuous learning.