Associate of Arts | 61 credits

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Program Description
The A.A. in Social & Behavioral Sciences is a “general transfer degree” designed to function as the default degree for all students in the “Social & Behavioral Sciences Area of Study” if a declared major program hasn’t been selected.

The degree serves students by providing structured guidance toward developing knowledge and skills in the social and behavioral sciences, including research skills and language skills. It prepares them to declare a major at SLCC or upon transfer to a university. The degree can fulfill two or three foundational courses or some other requirement in a major program at a university, along with ample flexibility to fulfill general elective requirements.

Other benefits of this general transfer degree are: 

• It may act as an exploratory degree for students who may be unsure about a specific program or programs,
• It can work as a way for students who have changed majors from another school to move into the Social & Behavioral Sciences “Area of Study” more readily.

Students will be assessed according to how well they achieve the following learning outcomes:  

1. Demonstrate an understanding of science as a way of knowing about the social world.  
2. Apply disciplinary theories, concepts, and methods to increase understanding of human behavior, social interaction, and social institutions.  
3. Explain the diverse ways in which humans organize, structure, rationalize, and govern their societies and cultures over time.  
4. Demonstrate fundamental skills in research, such as rigorous and ethical scientific thinking, how issues are objectified for study, how data is collected and analyzed, and how new understandings of social phenomena are achieved, evaluated, and disseminated. 

Disciplines that make up this Social and Behavioral Sciences degree include:

• Anthropology
• Economics
• Education
• Ethnic Studies
• Family and Human Studies
• Political Science
• Psychology
• Social Work
• Sociology

Career Opportunities
Occupations in the social sciences account for 4.6 million jobs nationally with a median salary of $64,000. Around 90 percent of all social sciences students majored in political science, economics, sociology, anthropology, and international relations. Two-thirds of graduates with a social science degree work in management, business and financial operations, education, and legal occupations. Conversely, one-third of these graduates work in many different sectors, which speaks to the versatility and widespread need for workers with social science backgrounds and degrees. People with social science degrees tend to be highly educated with nearly 60 percent of them working in occupations that require a bachelor’s degree or higher; 44 percent of whom hold advanced degrees (compared to 37 percent in all fields).

Most of the top-employing occupations for workers with social science degrees are projected to see growth (2020-2030): Post-secondary educators (24%), financial managers (17%), management analysts (14%), lawyers (9%), education administrators (8%), service and entertainment managers (7%), elementary teachers (7%), accountants and auditors (7%), social workers (6%). Only one top-employing occupation is projected to see a decrease (chief executives, -6%).

The labor market outlook for Salt Lake County, where the vast majority of SLCC students reside, shows that jobs in high demand are also ones that tend to be occupied by workers who hold degrees in the social and behavioral sciences. The top three major occupational groups fit these criteria:

• Office/administrative support
• Management 
• Sales

Other notable major occupational groups include:

• Business/financial operators
• Community/social services
• Education/training/library
• Life/physical/social science
• Legal

High-demand jobs that social and behavioral science graduates occupy include:

• Customer service representatives
• Accountants and auditors
• Retail salespersons
• Stock clerks and order fillers
• Secretaries
• Wholesale sales representatives
• First-line supervisors and managers
• General and operations managers

At the state-wide level, jobs and sectors that are projected to experience growth in the short term that graduates with social and behavioral science degrees occupy are:

• Management
• Business and financial operations
• Life/physical/social science
• Community and social services
• Legal
• Education
• Sales
• Office/administrative support

Transfer/Articulation Information
This degree has no equivalent at partner universities because the nature of the degree is for “general transfer” to universities. Nevertheless, the degree is acutely attuned to the program requirements at various universities and can fulfill at least two or three foundational courses or some other requirement in a major program at a university.

Estimated Cost for Students
Tuition and student fees: http://www.slcc.edu/student/financial/tuition-fees.aspx
Books: $35 to $125
Supplies: $0 to $20
Course Fees: $0 to $50