Associate in Science in Social Sciences

Division of Social Sciences — Curriculum Code: 0710

Will Earn Upon Program Completion: Associate in Science (A.S.) Degree

Why major in Social Sciences?

This program provides you with a foundation for majoring in areas such as sociology, psychology, pre-law, social work, gerontology, anthropology, counseling, political science, or urban studies at a four-year college or university. The curriculum parallels the first two years at a four-year institution. The program is best suited for those interested in human behavior and in helping individuals and communities.

If I major in Social Sciences, can I transfer to an upper-division college or university?

The curriculum prepares you for transfer to upper-division colleges and universities to pursue a bachelor’s degree. Students should consult the catalog of the college or university to which they plan to transfer upon graduating from ECC in order to select courses at ECC that they can apply toward a bachelor’s degree in the area of social science they choose.

Are there any requirements I must satisfy before I start taking courses in my major?

Based on your placement test scores, you may have to take developmental courses in reading, English, and/or mathematics before taking the core curriculum courses in your major.

How long will it take for me to complete this degree?

If you do not need developmental course work and you register for an average of 16 credits each semester, you can complete the degree in two years. You may shorten the amount of time by taking courses in the summer sessions.

Where should I direct specific questions about this program?

Call the Division at (973) 877-3250.

Upon completion of this program, graduates will be able to:

Demonstrate knowledge of diverse cultures and social structures;
Identify and explain psycho-social factors that influence human behavior;
Recognize and discuss social and political trends within a society;
Demonstrate proficiency in conducting formal research (including using appropriate technology to collect and analyze relevant data, using critical thinking skills to analyze content, and communicating effectively with accurate discipline-specific vocabulary) on varied topics within the Social Science disciplines; and
Recognize, describe, and/or demonstrate the skills, professional conduct, and ethical behaviors that must be adhered to in Social Service occupations.

GENERAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS:

(33 credits)

Written & Oral Communication (6 credits)

ENG 101 and ENG 102 (two 3-credit courses)

Quantitative Knowledge & Skills/Scientific Knowledge & Reasoning (12 credits)

Choose one math course and a lab science sequence or two math courses and one lab science course from the following:

Math: MTH 100, MTH 101, MTH 103, MTH 113, MTH 119, MTH 120, MTH 121, MTH 122, MTH 127, MTH 221, or MTH 222 (one or two 4-credit courses)

Lab Science: BIO 101 – BIO 102, BIO 103 – BIO 104, BIO 121 – BIO 122; CHM 101 – CHM 102, CHM 103 – CHM 104; PHY 101 – PHY 102, PHY 103 – PHY 104, or PHY 113 – PHY 114 (one or two 4-credit courses)

Society & Human Behavior (6 credits)

Choose two of the following courses: ANT 101, ANT 105; ECO 101, ECO 102; POL 101, POL 104; PSY 101, PSY 102, PSY 219; SOC 101, SOC 108, or SOC 219 (two 3-credit courses)

Humanistic Perspective (6 credits)

Choose one of the following literature courses: ENG 205, ENG 208, ENG 215, ENG 221, ENG 222, ENG 232, ENG 237, ENG 238, ENG 242, ENG 250, ENG 263, or ENG 264 (one 3-credit course)

And choose one of the following art or music courses: ART 100, ART 101, ART 102; MUS 100, MUS 108, MUS 109, or MUS 117 (one 3-credit course)

Historical Perspective (3 credits)

Choose one of the following history courses: HST 101, HST 102, HST 111, HST 112, HST 121, HST 122, HST 131, HST 132, HST 134, HST 135, HST 136, HST 137, HST 161, or HST 162 (one 3-credit course)

MAJOR COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

(15 credits)

Choose five Social Science electives – choose any five courses designated ANT, CJI, EDU, POL, PSY, REL, or SOC (five 3-credit courses)

Note: The five Social Science electives should be chosen with the following considerations:

If you plan to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Psychology at a four-year institution, it is recommended that you choose five of the following 3-credit courses as your Social Science electives: PSY 101 General Psychology I, PSY 205 Theories of Personality, PSY 209 Abnormal Psychology, PSY 211 Social Psychology, PSY 219 Child Psychology and Development, and PSY 225 Child and Adolescent Abnormal Psychology.
If you plan to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Sociology at a four-year institution, it is recommended that you choose five of the following 3-credit courses as your Social Science electives: SOC 101 Introduction to Sociology, SOC 108 Social Problems, SOC 203 Racial and Cultural Minorities, SOC 204 Urban Sociology, SOC 205 Sociology of the Black Community in Contemporary America, SOC 206 Social Stratification, and SOC 219 Sociology of the Family.
If you are undecided about which Social Science area you wish to pursue, choose five courses from a single-designated Social Science discipline or choose a combination of five courses from multiple Social Science disciplines. Two of the five courses must be 200-level Social Science courses.

ADDITIONAL COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

(15 credits)

Humanities elective – choose any course designated ARB, ART, CIN, CMS, DAN, DRA, ENG, FRN, HST, JRN, ITL, MUS, PHI, REL, or SPN (a foreign language course or REL 105 are recommended) (one 3-credit course)

Literature elective – choose any additional 200-level ENG course (one 3-credit course)

History elective – choose the HST course needed to complete the history sequence (one 3-credit course)

Choose two free electives (foreign language courses, HLT 101 and/or REL 105 are recommended) (two 3-credit courses)

Total Credits Required for Degree: 63

RECOMMENDED SEQUENCE OF COURSES:

First Semester
ENG 101 College Composition I (3 credits)
Society & Human Behavior requirement (3 credits)
Society & Human Behavior requirement (3 credits)
Free elective (foreign language, HLT 101, or REL 105 are recommended) (3 credits)

Second Semester
ENG 102 College Composition II (3 credits)
Math/Lab Science requirement (4 credits)
Art or music requirement (3 credits)
History requirement (3 credits)
Social Science elective (3 credits)

Third Semester
Math/Lab Science requirement (4 credits)
Literature requirement (3 credits)
Social Science elective (3 credits)
Free elective (foreign language, HLT 101, or REL 105 are recommended) (3 credits)
History elective (to complete the history sequence) (3 credits)

Fourth Semester
Math/Lab Science requirement (4 credits)
Social Science elective (3 credits)
Social Science elective (3 credits)
Social Science elective (3 credits)
Humanities elective (3 credits)
Literature elective (3 credits)

NOTES:
(1) The two General Education Integrated Course Goals, Ethical Reasoning & Action and Information Literacy, are both addressed by the required curriculum described above, regardless of specific choices made by the individual student.
(2) This plan assumes the completion of all required developmental courses in reading, writing, and mathematics as well as other pre- and co-requisites for some of the courses, as listed in the Course Descriptions section.