Applied Social and Cultural Studies
James Roche, J.D.
Assistant Director, School of Social and Behavioral Science
jroche@une.edu
Mission
The mission of the Applied Social and Cultural Studies program is to offer a vigorous and exciting broad-based liberal arts education with an emphasis on cultural, global, and political dynamics. The programs provide a combination of theoretical, scientific, practical, and experiential approaches to understanding and solving human problems. Issues of gender, race, class, and culture, as well as hands-on learning, are emphasized throughout the curriculum. Our goal is to graduate students with marketable skills that prepare them for careers in a variety of public and social services and/or for graduate study in related areas.
Major Description
The Bachelor of Arts with a major in Applied Social and Cultural Studies is an interdisciplinary degree that allows students to integrate coursework from sociology, anthropology, political science, psychology, communications, and other related fields of study. The major emphasizes social science methods and ways of knowing, while introducing students to a variety of social science disciplines. Within the Applied Social and Cultural Studies degree, students will also pursue a concentration in one (1) of the three (3) particular content areas.
In addition to the interdisciplinary approaches to the social sciences, there are two (2) unique elements to this program. First, students complete a one-hundred and twenty (120)-hour internship. This helps students to engage in experiential learning, apply social science to the real world, undertake career explorations. Second, upper-level students participate in a semester-long applied sociological experience. One (1) option is an internship with a minimum of three-hundred and sixty (360) hours of engagement to be selected from a variety of area schools, agencies, and programs. A second option is for a student to study abroad. While studying in a foreign society and culture is important, in and of itself, the primary focus of this requirement is for students to take courses and engage experientially in a way that helps students develop their areas of interest. Therefore, there needs to be an integrated social science experience that drives the study abroad learning as well as the opportunity to explore a new society and culture for this to be a successful experience and approval of the program is required.
Overall, this program will provide students with a strong foundation for understanding today's social issues and problems. Students will also have a wide range of skills and experiences that will enhance their future educational and career opportunities as well as enable them to be more active and aware citizens.
Curricular Requirements
| Nor’easter Core Requirements | Credits |
|---|---|
| Total Credits | 40 |
| Program Required Courses | Credits |
|---|---|
| SOC 268 – Practice of Social Research | 3 |
| SOC 270 – Classical Social Theory or SOC 280 – Contemporary Social Theory | 3 |
| SOC 300 – Internship | 3 |
| SOC 370 – Applied Field Methods | 3 |
| Applied Capstone Experience (see below) | 9–16 |
| Four (4) Courses from Applied Concentration (see below) | 12 |
| Total Credits | 33–40 |
| Select Three (3) of the Following Courses: | Credits |
|---|---|
| ANT 101 – Introduction to Anthropology or ANT 102 – Cultural Anthropology | 3 |
| PSC 105 – Introduction to Political Science | 3 |
| PSY 105 – Introduction to Psychology | 3 |
| SOC 150 – Introduction to Sociology | 3 |
| Total Credits | 9 |
| Open Electives (as needed to reach 120 credits) | Variable |
| Minimum Total Required Credits | 120 |
|---|
Please note: While some courses can fulfill both core and program requirements, the credits earned do not count twice toward