The Bachelor of Arts in Social Science is designed for you if you have a broad interest in the behavioral and social sciences or plan to pursue a California secondary school teaching credential. This interdisciplinary program includes courses from disciplines in the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences and the History Department, giving you a well-rounded foundation in understanding people, societies, and institutions.

You can choose from two options depending on your career goals: multidisciplinary studies is a broad approach if you want to become a teacher, and specialization studies allows you to choose a more focused area within the social sciences.

The option in multidisciplinary studies provides a solid liberal arts foundation in the social sciences through courses in anthropology, economics, geography, political science, and history. This option also provides a waiver for the California Subject Examinations for Teachers (CSET) and California Basic Educational Skills Test (CBEST) examinations for those pursuing secondary teacher preparation programs.

Information for prerequisites and other admission requirements to teaching credential programs is available through the School of Education.

The option in specialization studies consists of 21 units from a selected area of concentration. The 20 different areas of concentration (AoC) include all the disciplines within the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences, plus history. Areas of study and topics include career and life planning, environmental studies, family relations, and more. This option gives you the flexibility to dive deeper into a subject you’re passionate about while still enjoying the interdisciplinary nature of the social sciences.

Advising Requirement

Advising is mandatory for this program. Consult your department advisor or program coordinator for information.

E-advising Tools

Use the interactive e-advising tools designed to help students graduate within four years. These tools can be accessed through the Student Center in the Portal.

Grading Requirement

All courses taken to fulfill program course requirements must be taken for a letter grade except those courses specified by the department as credit/no credit grading only.

Some courses require a minimum grade to progress in the program. Minimum grade requirements, including those listed on course requisites, are considered graduation requirements.

Course Requirements for the Major: 43 units

Completion of the following courses, or their approved transfer equivalents, is required of all candidates for this degree. Courses in this program may complete more than one graduation requirement.

Major Option Course Requirements

Select at least one of the following options to complete the major course requirements.

The Option in Multidisciplinary Studies: 21 units

Available online to off-campus students.

The Option in Specialization Studies: 21 units

Areas of Concentration: 21 units

Select an area of concentration for 21 units (12 units minimum at the upper-division level).

Alternative Dispute Resolution: 21 units

Anthropology: 21 units

Available online to off-campus students.

Asia: 21 units

California: People, Places, and Cultures: 21 units

Career and Life Planning: 21 units

Available online to off-campus students.

¹

SOSC 489 should be taken for three units and may only be counted once for this requirement.

Child Development: 21 units

Available online to off-campus students.

Community and Organizational Leadership: 21 units

Available online to off-campus students.

Economics: 21 units

Environmental Planning: 21 units

Available online to off-campus students.

Environmental Studies: 21 units

¹

ECON 365 or SOCI 420 may be used to satisfy this requirement if not used above.

Family Relations: 21 units

Available online to off-campus students.

Geography: 21 units

Gerontology: 21 units

Students wishing to be awarded the Gerontology Certificate must complete three units of SOSC 489 as part of their nine units of electives, and have an overall grade point average of 2.5 in their certificate courses.

Available online to off-campus students.

Health Science: 21 units

For students in the credential program, EDTE 451, PHHA 265, PHHA 370, and NFSC 303 satisfy the requirements for a supplemental authorization in health.

History: 21 units

International Relations: 21 units

¹

No more than six units of INTR 340A and INTR 340B may be counted.

Multicultural and Gender Studies: 21 units

Political Science: 21 units

Psychology: 21 units

Public Administration: 21 units

Internship Policy

With approval from the appropriate academic advisor, students may enroll in an internship course for academic credit. Internships are typically taken for three units and are permitted or required in about half of the social science depth fields, all minors, and the social science MA program. In some cases, internships may be repeated for credit.

General guidelines for undergraduate and graduate social science and special program internships:

1. Must be at appropriate class standing.
2. Complete the required coursework before starting the internship.
3. Work approximately 135 hours for every three units of credit.
4. Submit a written proposal to the faculty supervisor that includes:
   1. Job duties and educational objectives of the internship.
   2. Demonstration that the host agency/location accepts the intern and that the duties are acceptable.
   3. An evaluation of the intern's work by the agency/location supervisor.
5. Submit a paper of adequate length to the faculty supervisor describing the internship and its relevance to the student’s academic program.

Graduate internships require graduate standing and demonstration that the quality of experience merits graduate-level credit and fits into the overall graduate program.

Electives Requirement

To complete the total units required for the bachelor's degree, select additional elective courses from the total University offerings. Consult with an advisor to help select courses that provide breadth to your University experience and possibly help satisfy credential, professional, or graduate school prerequisites or support completion of a minor.

See Bachelor's Degree Requirements for complete details on general degree requirements. A minimum of 39 units, including those required for the major, must be upper division.

General Education Requirements: 43 units

See General Education and the Class Schedule for the most current information on General Education requirements and course offerings.

American Institutions Course Requirements: 6 units

The American Institutions graduation requirement, as mandated in Title 5, Section 40404, requires that students satisfactorily complete courses in United States history, the US Constitution, and government and American ideals (including California state and local government). At Chico State, HIST 130 meets the US history requirement (US-1), and POLS 155 meets the US Constitution and government requirement (US-2) and the California state and local government requirement (US-3). POLS 155 also fulfills three units of GE Area 4, Social and Behavioral Sciences. See Bachelor’s Degree Requirements for more information.

Diversity Course Requirements: 6 units

You must complete a minimum of two courses that focus primarily on cultural diversity. At least one course must be in US Diversity (USD) and at least one in Global Cultures (GC). See Diversity Requirements for a full list of courses. Many courses taken to satisfy these requirements may also apply to General Education.

Upper-Division Writing Requirement

Writing Across the Curriculum (EM 17-009) requires you to take four Writing (W) courses, two of which are upper-division courses designated for your major. Specifically, you must:

• Take one Writing (W) course.
• Take one Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GW) course.
  • Complete a GE English Composition (1A) course before taking the GW course.
  • Earn a grade of C- or higher to receive GW credit.

See Writing and Math Requirements for details on additional writing requirements you need to complete for graduation.

Major-Designated Courses

Writing (W) Course 

• SOSC 303W Cultural Concepts: Human Social Evolution (W)

GWAR (GW) Course 

• SOSC 495W Capstone Seminar: Social Science (W)

Definition of Blended Programs

A blended bachelor's and master's degree program combines an existing Chico State bachelor's degree with an existing Chico State master's degree; the blended program allows up to 12 units of the graduate program units to be double-counted at the undergraduate level, for a minimum of 138 units to receive both degrees. Students who complete a blended program will receive both a bachelor’s and master’s degree. Upon completion of 120 semester units and with the completion of all requirements for the bachelor's degree, students in blended programs will be awarded the bachelor's degree. Upon completion of the requirements for the master's degree, students will be awarded the master's degree.

Students interested in applying to a blended program must be enrolled in a bachelor's degree program at Chico State and must meet and maintain the minimum GPA of the existing master's degree entrance requirements for all bachelor's coursework completed at the time of the application to the blended program, or show promise to reach this level as determined by the program. Once admitted to the blended program, students shall not be required to apply for admission to the master's program.

Blended BA + MA in Social Science

Eligibility

The blended BA + MA in Social Science is for highly motivated, well-qualified students. The program allows a student to apply after completing a minimum of 60 units toward their bachelor’s degree with a minimum GPA of 2.5.

Application Procedure

Application deadlines: April 1 for fall start, November 1 for spring start. 

Students who meet the eligibility criteria may submit an application for admission to the blended program. Formal application through Cal State Apply is not necessary and the student is not required to pay an application fee. GRE scores are not required. Students must meet the requirements outlined below to change to blended graduate status and continue toward the master's degree.

The blended BA + MA in social science application requires

• Statement of purpose: This statement should address 1) the area of study on which you wish to specialize and why; 2) the disciplines within the social sciences that are relevant to your area of study; 3) the way in which the MA in social science will help you achieve your career goals and future plans; 4) any special preparation relevant to your proposed area of study; and 5) any specific skills and background not already mentioned that prepare you to pursue a master's degree.
• Email addresses of  two people who will provide letters of recommendation that speak to your ability for graduate school in social science.

Grading Requirement

Once in the blended program, students must maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA during their remaining undergraduate and graduate semesters.

Transition to Graduate Status

Students can transition to the graduate program after completing all undergraduate degree requirements with a minimum 2.5 GPA in all coursework. The Office of Graduate Studies and the Graduate Coordinator will verify graduate program eligibility at the end of the semester in which the bachelor's degree is completed. Qualified students change to graduate status effective the following semester.

Requirements for Blended BA + MA in Social Science

The blended program allows the courses below to count toward both degrees. This course sequence is offered within the Career and Life Planning (CLP) area of concentration (AoC) in the BA in Social Science and Minor in Career and Life Planning. Students who take these three courses earn the National Career Development Association certified Career and Life Planning professional certificate. This certificate is required for professionals to pursue the NCDA's Global Career Development Facilitator and the Certified Career Services Provider (CCSP) certification, which allows them to work in a variety of career development settings.

Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs) are clear, measurable statements that describe how students demonstrate mastery of the knowledge, skills, and values of the discipline as appropriate to the degree. Graduates of this program are expected to achieve the following PLOs:

1. Demonstrate knowledge of the historical emergence, questions asked, and distinctive contributions of the social science disciplines to the analysis of human behavior and social issues.
2. Locate, analyze, assess, and communicate social science scholarship.
3. Assess and utilize concepts and theories from among social science disciplines to explore the varieties of social experiences encountered by those of different nations, classes, races, genders, or sexual orientations.
4. Compare, contrast, and apply research strategies from two or more social science disciplines to the analysis of human experience, a social issue, or to the solution of a real world problem.
5. Articulate the ethical implications of social science inquiry.