The online Bachelor of Arts in Social Science is designed for students with a broad interest in the behavioral and social sciences and those interested in pursuing a California secondary school teaching credential. This interdisciplinary program has courses from disciplines in the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences and the History Department. Students can choose from two options depending on their career goals: multidisciplinary studies is a broad approach for those who want to become teachers, and specialization studies allows students to choose a more focused area within the social sciences.
The option in multidisciplinary studies. This option provides a solid liberal arts grounding in the social sciences with 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, which are required 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.
All 43 units within the major are offered fully online through Chico State. Transfer students must complete all lower-division General Education requirements before starting the program.
The option in specialization studies. This is a 43-unit major that builds on social science core requirements to focus on one of seven areas of concentration offered fully online to distance education students. Areas of concentration offered fully online are anthropology, career and life planning, child development, community organizing for social change, environmental planning, family relations, and gerontology.
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.
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.
SOSC 489 is required for students pursuing the Gerontology Certificate.
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.
Transfer students accepted into this degree completion program generally will have completed all lower-division General Education Requirements.
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) is a graduation requirement and may be demonstrated through satisfactory completion of four Writing (W) courses, two of which are designated by the major department. See Writing and Math Requirements for more details on the four courses. The first of the major designated Writing (W) courses is listed below.
SOSC 303W Cultural Concepts: Human Social Evolution (W)
The second major-designated Writing course is the Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GW) (EO 665). Students must earn a C- or higher to receive GW credit. The GE English Composition (1A) requirement must be completed before a student is permitted to register for a GW course.
This Social Science BA online degree completion program is designed for students who transfer with lower division requirements completed and want to finish their college requirements and bachelor’s degree in an online format. All lower division General Education can be taken at any California community college and may not be offered online at Chico State. Only 70 units from community colleges will count towards the 120-unit requirement for the BA degree.
Online degree completion students who have completed their General Education and American Ideals/Institutions requirements before transferring to Chico State and who enroll in classes full time can easily finish their BA in social science in two years. Note that some online courses are offered only once a year, so careful planning is crucial. All students must meet with a Social Science advisor each semester for mandatory advising.
