Social Science Division

Degree Programs in the Social Sciences

The Division of Social Sciences offers baccalaureate degree programs in Business, Economics, Environmental Studies, Geography, History, Political Science, Sociology, and Social Sciences. Within Business, students may complete concentrations in Accounting, Economics, Finance, Management, and Marketing. In the Social Science program, a student may choose to combine concentrations of courses in two social science fields other than Business, e.g. history and political science, anthropology and sociology, or economics and geography, or to cluster course selections around a self-designed theme, e.g. ethnic studies, the American City, etc. The Business program is designed to emphasize the study of business fields within the context of the social sciences, with each Business student completing a core of Business and Business-related skills courses in addition to the social science core of courses before completing their chosen concentration.

A student may choose to also complete the requirements for a second major resulting in conferral of a dual degree, e.g. Bachelor of Arts in History and Political Science, or an additional 18-credit minor in any social science field except Business. Business majors have the option of completing requirements in two concentrations, e.g. Accounting and Finance. Students wishing to complete a baccalaureate degree in Anthropology or Religious Studies may take course work in those fields at Pitt-Johnstown but will have to relocate to the Pittsburgh campus to complete the appropriate degree requirements.

Recognizing that an understanding of any society requires broader perspectives that can be gained by study in all of the social sciences, all baccalaureate degree programs in the Social Sciences, including Business, require completion of a core of introductory courses across all social science fields, many of which offer international and applied perspectives. Two academic programs in the Social Sciences – the baccalaureate degree program in Environmental Studies and the Certificate Program in International Studies – require extensive interdisciplinary course work. Moreover, students in Environmental Studies are required to complete a field internship. Other fields in the Social Sciences, especially in Business, offer internship experiences as well. All students are encouraged to consider appropriate study abroad opportunities with the Director of International Studies.