Social Science
Overview
A degree major is offered, including 18 units of university transfer-level work in addition to other graduation requirements. In addition there is an International Studies Certificate option, designed to benefit students who plan to seek careers or transfer with an international focus. The required courses will transfer as electives or lower division prerequisite for selected majors at the university level.
- Dean Kathy Sorensen
- Department Chair Pam Chao
- HomeBase People, Culture, and Society HomeBase
- Phone (916) 484-8283
- Email AskHB-PCS@arc.losrios.edu
Associate Degree
A.A. in Social Science
The Social Science degree provides an interdisciplinary approach to academic studies. The purpose of the program is for students to gain an understanding of the interconnectedness of various social and behavioral sciences. Students will study about themselves and others as members of a larger society. Topics and discussions to stimulate critical thinking about ways people have acted in response to their societies will allow students to evaluate how societies and social subgroups operate. With support from a counselor, this program can help students planning to transfer to the California State University or the University of California satisfy general education requirements and focus on transferable course work that relates to a specific major and/or individual interest.
Catalog Date: August 1, 2025
Degree Requirements
| Course Code | Course Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| A minimum of 18 units from the following: | 18 | |
| Select courses from at least 3 different disciplines. | ||
| ADMJ 300 | Introduction to Administration of Justice (3) | |
| ADMJ 302 | Community Relations: Multicultural Issues (3) | |
| ADMJ 304 | Juvenile Delinquency (3) | |
| ADMJ 320 | Concepts of Criminal Law (3) | |
| ANTH 310 | Cultural Anthropology (3) | |
| or ANTH 481 | Honors Cultural Anthropology (3) | |
| ANTH 320 | Introduction to Archaeology and World Prehistory (3) | |
| ANTH 321 | Ancient Technology (3) | |
| ANTH 330 | Magic, Witchcraft, and Religion (3) | |
| ANTH 333 | American Indians of California (3) | |
| ANTH 334 | Native Peoples of North America (3) | |
| ANTH 335 | Research Methods in Anthropology (3) | |
| ANTH 336 | Anthropology of Sex, Sexuality and Gender (3) | |
| ANTH 337 | The Anthropology of Food (3) | |
| ANTH 341 | Introduction to Linguistics (3) | |
| ANTH 370 | Primatology (3) | |
| BUS 300 | Introduction to Business (3) | |
| BUS 320 | Concepts in Personal Finance (3) | |
| or ECON 320 | Concepts in Personal Finance (3) | |
| BUS 330 | Managing Diversity in the Workplace (3) | |
| COMM 321 | Interpersonal Communication (3) | |
| COMM 325 | Intercultural Communication (3) | |
| DEAF 351 | Introduction to American Deaf Culture (3) | |
| DEAF 352 | Introduction to American Deaf Education (3) | |
| DEAF 355 | Audism and Inequality of the Deaf (3) | |
| ECE 312 | Child Development (3) | |
| or PSYC 372 | Child Development (3) | |
| ECE 314 | The Child, the Family and the Community (3) | |
| ECE 325 | Positive Guidance Strategies with Young Children (3) | |
| ECE 330 | Infant and Toddler Development (3) | |
| ECE 430 | Culture and Diversity in Early Childhood Education (3) | |
| ECON 302 | Principles of Macroeconomics (3) | |
| ECON 304 | Principles of Microeconomics (3) | |
| ECON 305 | Introduction to Economies of Africa (3) | |
| ENGLT 365 | Introduction to Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Literature (3) | |
| ETHNS 300 | Introduction to Ethnic Studies (3) | |
| ETHNS 320 | Introduction to African American Studies (3) | |
| ETHNS 330 | Introduction to Asian American Studies (3) | |
| ETHNS 350 | Introduction to Native American Studies (3) | |
| ETHNS 360 | Introduction to Chicana/o/x Studies (3) | |
| GEOG 310 | Human Geography: Exploring Earth's Cultural Landscapes (3) | |
| GEOG 320 | World Regional Geography (3) | |
| GEOG 322 | Geography of California (3) | |
| GERON 302 | Psychology of Aging: Adult Development and Aging (3) | |
| or PSYC 374 | Psychology of Aging: Adult Development and Aging (3) | |
| GERON 303 | Introduction to Social Gerontology: Aging in Contemporary Society (3) | |
| GERON 305 | Introduction to Geropsychology and the Aging Brain (3) | |
| or PSYC 375 | Introduction to Geropsychology and the Aging Brain (3) | |
| GERON 306 | Health, Wellness, and the Aging Process (3) | |
| GLST 301 | Introduction to Global Studies (3) | |
| GLST 302 | Global Issues (3) | |
| HCD 390 | Identity and Psychosocial Well-Being (3) | |
| HIST 300 | History of Europe and the Mediterranean to 1500 (3) | |
| or HIST 480 | History of Western Civilization - Honors (3) | |
| HIST 302 | History of Europe Since 1500 (3) | |
| or HIST 481 | History of Western Civilization - Honors (3) | |
| HIST 305 | Women in Western Civilization (3) | |
| HIST 307 | History of World Civilizations to 1500 (3) | |
| HIST 308 | History of World Civilizations, 1500 to Present (3) | |
| HIST 310 | History of the United States (To 1877) (3) | |
| or HIST 483 | History of the United States - Honors (3) | |
| HIST 311 | History of the United States (1865 - Present) (3) | |
| or HIST 484 | History of the United States - Honors (3) | |
| HIST 318 | American Intellectual and Cultural History (3) | |
| HIST 320 | History of the United States: African-American Emphasis (3) | |
| HIST 321 | History of the United States: African-American Emphasis (3) | |
| HIST 323 | History of the United States: The American Indian Experience (3) | |
| HIST 325 | History of Asian/Pacific Americans (3) | |
| HIST 327 | History of the Chicano/Mexican American (3) | |
| HIST 330 | Women in American History (3) | |
| HIST 332 | Women in American History (To 1877) (3) | |
| HIST 333 | Women in American History (1865-Present) (3) | |
| HIST 340 | History of California through 1879 (3) | |
| HIST 341 | History of California: 1879 to Present (3) | |
| HIST 353 | History of the Islamic World (3) | |
| HIST 364 | Asian Civilization (3) | |
| HIST 365 | Asian Civilization (3) | |
| HIST 367 | History of Russia (3) | |
| HIST 373 | History of Mexico (3) | |
| HIST 374 | History of Latin America to 1830 (3) | |
| HIST 375 | The History of Modern Latin America and Caribbean (3) | |
| HSER 300 | Introduction to Human Services (3) | |
| HSER 330 | Issues of Diverse Populations (3) | |
| or PSYC 365 | Issues of Diverse Populations (3) | |
| INDIS 351 | Italian Life and Culture in Study Abroad (3) | |
| INDIS 353 | Spanish Life and Culture in Study Abroad (3) | |
| INDIS 355 | United Kingdom Life and Culture in Study Abroad (3) | |
| IS 305 | Introduction to Middle East Studies (3) | |
| IS 310 | Peace and Conflict (3) | |
| IS 312 | Current Global Development Issues (3) | |
| JOUR 310 | Mass Media and Society (3) | |
| JOUR 320 | Race and Gender in the Media (3) | |
| NATR 307 | Principles of Sustainability (4) | |
| NUTRI 310 | Cultural Foods of the World (3) | |
| or NUTRI 481 | Honors - Cultural Foods of the World (3) | |
| PHIL 360 | Social/Political Philosophy (3) | |
| POLS C1000 | American Government and Politics (3) | |
| or POLS C1000H | American Government and Politics - Honors (3) | |
| POLS 302 | Comparative Politics (3) | |
| POLS 304 | Introduction to Government: California (3) | |
| POLS 310 | Introduction to International Relations (3) | |
| or POLS 480 | Introduction to International Relations - Honors (3) | |
| POLS 320 | Introduction to Political Theory (3) | |
| POLS 330 | Constitutional Rights (3) | |
| POLS 342 | Women and Politics from a Global Perspective (3) | |
| PSYC C1000 | Introduction to Psychology (3) | |
| or PSYC C1000H | Introduction to Psychology - Honors (3) | |
| PSYC 305 | Psychology Applied to Modern Life (3) | |
| PSYC 320 | Social Psychology (3) | |
| PSYC 335 | Research Methods in Psychology (3) | |
| PSYC 340 | Abnormal Behavior (3) | |
| or PSYC 481 | Honors Abnormal Behavior (3) | |
| PSYC 354 | The Psychology of Family Life and Intimate Relationships in a Diverse Society (3) | |
| PSYC 356 | Human Sexuality (3) | |
| PSYC 361 | Psychology of Women in a Multicultural Society (3) | |
| PSYC 370 | Human Development: A Life Span (3) | |
| PSYC 373 | Child Psychology (3) | |
| PSYC 390 | Psychology of Death and Dying (3) | |
| PSYC 415 | Studying in London: Psychological Elements of British Life and Culture (3) | |
| SJS 300 | Introduction to Social Justice Studies (3) | |
| SJS 310 | Introduction to LGBTQ Studies (3) | |
| SOC 300 | Introductory Sociology (3) | |
| or SOC 480 | Introductory Sociology - Honors (3) | |
| SOC 301 | Social Problems (3) | |
| SOC 302 | Introduction to Social Research Methods (3) | |
| SOC 309 | Self and Society (3) | |
| SOC 318 | Introduction to Crime, Deviance, and Social Control (3) | |
| SOC 321 | Race, Ethnicity and Inequality in the United States (3) | |
| SOC 325 | Chicano Culture (3) | |
| SOC 335 | Sociology of Aging (3) | |
| SOC 342 | Gender Relations in American Society (3) | |
| SOC 350 | Sociology of Popular Culture (3) | |
| Total Units: | 18 | |
The Social Science Associate in Arts (A.A.) degree may be obtained by completion of the required program, and either (a) the Local General Education Pattern or (b) the California General Education Transfer Curriculum (Cal-GETC), plus sufficient electives for a total of at least 60 units. See ARC graduation requirements.
Student Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this program, the student will be able to:
- apply critical thinking skills in evaluating sociological, historical, and psychological phenomena.
- demonstrate an understanding of the theories and methods employed in the social and behavioral sciences.
- evaluate how societies and social groups operate.
- develop a personal interpretation about issues and matters under study.
- identify and explain various forces that interact to shape events and social occurrences.
- define and describe issues and events within an interdisciplinary perspective.
Social Science (SOCSC) Courses
SOCSC 299 Experimental Offering in Social Science
- Units:0.5 - 4
- Prerequisite:None.
- Catalog Date:August 1, 2025
This is the experimental courses description.
SOCSC 495 Independent Studies in Social Science
- Units:1 - 3
- Prerequisite:None.
- Transferable:CSU
- Catalog Date:August 1, 2025
SOCSC 499 Experimental Offering in Social Science
- Units:0.5 - 4
- Prerequisite:None.
- Transferable:CSU
- Catalog Date:August 1, 2025
This is the experimental courses description.