Dec 19, 2025  
2025-2026 SLCC General Catalog 
  
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2025-2026 SLCC General Catalog

Social & Behavioral Sciences: AS

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Associate of Science | 60 credits

Program Website
Academic Advising

Program Description
The A.S. 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. It prepares them to declare a major at SLCC or upon transfer to a university. The degree offers several emphases or “tracks” that students may choose from, which 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.

The degree’s emphases/tracks mirror other full degree programs in the social and behavioral sciences to give students even more incentive towards declaring a major. A few of these emphases provide students direction in emerging programs that do not yet have a formal degree.

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

Transfer/Articulation Information
Please refer to the Student Resources section of the SLCC University Transfer webpage.

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

General Education Requirements

Complete all General Education courses. Refer to Notes for program-specific requirements and recommendations.

  

Courses that meet General Education requirements may be used to meet program requirements where indicated. If this option is chosen, students must complete additional program or elective courses to meet the total credit hour requirement. Please meet with an academic advisor to discuss options.

Program General Education Notes

RECOMMENDED:

American Institutions (AI):

Quantitative Literacy (QL):

Humanities (HU) ​​​​​​:

Life Sciences (LS) ​​​​​:

Physical Sciences (PS) ​​​​​​:

Social Science (SS) ​​​​​​:

Program Requirements

Complete one of the following emphasis areas.

General Social & Behavioral Science Emphasis (33 credits)

Required Courses (12 credits)

Pathways Course (1 course)

Choose one of the following “Pathways” courses:

Research Foundations Course (1 course)

Choose one of the following “Research” courses:

Exploration Courses (2 courses)

Choose any two courses at the 1000-level or higher with the following prefixes:

  • ANTH, ECON, EDU, ETHS, FHS, POLS, PSY, SOC, or SW.

 

General Electives (21 credits)

Choose any combination of courses 1000-level or above from any discipline to reach the minimum credit hours needed for the program of study.

 

ANTHROPOLOGY (ANTH) Emphasis (33 credits)

Required Courses (12 credits)

Pathways Course (1 course)
Research Foundations Course (1 course)

Choose one of the following “Research” courses:

Anthropology Emphasis (2 courses)

General Electives (21 credits)

Choose any combination of courses 1000-level or above from any discipline to reach the minimum credit hours needed for the program of study.

ECONOMICS (ECON) Emphasis (33 credits)

Required Courses (12 credits)

Pathways Courses (2 courses)

Complete both “Pathways” courses:

Research Foundations Course (1 course)

Choose one of the following “Research” courses:

Economics Emphasis (1 course)

Choose one of the following:

General Electives (21 credits)

Choose any combination of courses 1000-level or above from any discipline to reach the minimum credit hours needed for the program of study.

EDUCATION (EDU) Emphasis (33 credits)

Required Courses (12 credits)

Pathways Course (1 course)
Research Foundations Course (1 course)
Education Emphasis (2 courses) - 1 Core + 1 Depth

General Electives (21 credits)

Choose any combination of courses 1000-level or above from any discipline to reach the minimum credit hours needed for the program of study.

 

ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE STUDIES (ENVS) Emphasis (34 credits)

Required Courses

Pathways Course (1 course)

Choose one of the following “Pathways” courses:

Research Foundations Course (1 course)

Choose one of the following “Research” courses:

ENVS Emphasis (6 courses) - 1 Area I + 3 Area II + 2 Area III

ENVS Electives (12 credits)

ETHNIC STUDIES (ETHS) Emphasis (33 credits)

Required Courses (12 credits)

Pathways Course (1 course)
Research Foundations Course (1 course)

Choose one of the following “Research” courses:

Ethnic Studies Emphasis (2 courses) - 1 Experience + 1 Depth
Experience Courses

Choose one of the following “Experience” courses.

ETHS Depth Courses

Choose one of the following “Depth” courses:

General Electives (21 credits)

Choose any combination of courses 1000-level or above from any discipline to reach the minimum credit hours needed for the program of study.

FAMILY & HUMAN STUDIES (FHS) Emphasis (33 credits)

Required Courses (12 credits)

Pathways Course (1 course)
Research Foundations Course (1 course)

Choose one of the following “Research” courses:

Family and Human Studies Emphasis (2 courses) -1 Core + 1 Depth

General Electives (21 credits)

Choose any combination of courses 1000-level or above from any discipline to reach the minimum credit hours needed for the program of study.

GENDER STUDIES (GNDR) Emphasis (33 credits)

Required Courses (15 credits)

Pathways Course (1 course)
Research Foundations (1 course)

Choose one of the following “Research” courses:

Gender Studies Emphasis (3 courses) - 1 Core + 1 Depth + 1 Exploration
GNDR Core Course
GNDR Depth Courses

Choose one of the following ”Depth” courses:

GNDR Exploration Courses

Choose one of the following “Exploration” courses:

General Electives (18 credits)

Choose any combination of courses 1000-level or above from any discipline to reach the minimum credit hours needed for the program of study.

 

POLITICAL SCIENCE (POLS) Emphasis (33 credits)

Required Courses (12 credits)

Pathways Course (1 course)

Choose one of the following ”Pathways” courses:

Research Foundations Course (1 course)

Choose one of the following “Research” courses:

Political Science Emphasis (2 courses) - Core + Depth
POLS Core Course
POLS Depth Course

Choose one of the following “Depth” courses:

General Electives (21 credits)

Choose any combination of courses 1000-level or above from any discipline to reach the minimum credit hours needed for the program of study.

PSYCHOLOGY (PSY) Emphasis (33 credits)

Required Courses (12 credits)

Pathways Course (1 course)
Research Foundations Course (1 course)
Psychology Emphasis (2 courses) - 1 Core + 1 Depth

General Electives (21 credits)

Choose any combination of courses 1000-level or above from any discipline to reach the minimum credit hours needed for the program of study.

SOCIAL JUSTICE STUDIES (SJS) Emphasis (33 credits)

Required Courses (15 credits)

Pathways Course (1 course)

Choose one of the following “Pathways” courses:

Research Foundations Course (1 course)

Choose one of the following “Research” courses:

Social Justice Emphasis (3 courses) - Take courses from at least two different areas.

General Electives (18 credits)

Choose any combination of courses 1000-level or above from any discipline to reach the minimum credit hours needed for the program of study.

SOCIOLOGY (SOC) Emphasis (33 credits)

Required Courses (12 credits)

Pathways Course (1 course)
Research Foundations Course (1 course)
Sociology Emphasis (2 courses)

Choose two of the following courses:

General Electives (21 credits)

Choose any combination of courses 1000-level or above from any discipline to reach the minimum credit hours needed for the program of study.

SOCIAL WORK (SW) Emphasis (33 credits)

Required Courses (12 credits)

Pathways Course (1 course)

Choose one of the following “Pathways” courses or any “SS” course:

Research Foundations Course (1 course)

Choose one of the following “Research” courses:

Social Work Emphasis (2 courses)

General Electives (21 credits)

Choose any combination of courses 1000-level or above from any discipline to reach the minimum credit hours needed for the program of study.

Time to Completion & Graduation Map

Program Learning Outcomes

Program learning outcome alignment with Student Learning Outcomes in brackets.

  • Demonstrate an understanding of science as a way of knowing about the social world.  [1,2,3,4,6,8,9]

  • Apply disciplinary theories, concepts, and methods to increase understanding of human behavior, social interaction, and social institutions. [1,2,3,4,6,8,9]

  • Explain the diverse ways in which humans organize, structure, rationalize, and govern their societies and cultures over time. [1,2,4,6,8]

  • 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. [1,2,3,4,6,7,8,9]

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