The Liberal Arts and Sciences curriculum is designed to provide the first two years of education for students planning to transfer to a four-year program leading to a bachelor degree. Students in the Liberal Arts and Sciences AA Social Science curriculum will have an educational background that prepares them for such professional careers as law, medicine, and education. Required courses, together with careful selection of electives, give students broadly applicable knowledge in English, mathematics, science, humanities, and the social sciences, as well as course concentration appropriate to individual needs.

Students should select the Liberal Arts and Sciences AA Social Science program if they contemplate majors requiring a strong foundation in history, psychology, sociology, political science, or government.

Curriculum

SUNY Curriculum Code: 1120

SUNY General Education Requirements: Students who intend to receive A.A., A.S., or baccalaureate degrees must satisfy SUNY and campus General Education (GE) requirements to graduate. Students should be aware that GE requirements may vary by academic program. See additional notes below, and consult with your academic advisor. For general information, see the "General Education" section of this catalog.

A.A.S. and A.O.S. degree students may not be required to fulfill General Education (GE) requirements; however, any student who may wish to transfer should complete as many GE courses as possible. Consult with your academic advisor.

Advisement Option: Social Sciences 

Degree Requirements: 62 credit hours

Notes

¹ English is by placement according to competency.

² Three credits must be in a 200-level or higher course.

³ Mathematics is by placement according to competency.

⁴ Students must take a minimum of one laboratory science.

⁵ Students must take a minimum of 6 credits of behavioral and 6 credits of non-behavioral social science courses. Behavioral social sciences include anthropology, human geography, psychology, and sociology. Non-behavioral social sciences include criminal justice, economics, government, and history.

⁶ The number of Unrestricted Elective credits will vary depending on the number of credits earned in the other areas.  A student must work closely with their advisor to determine the number of Unrestricted Electives needed to graduate

Additional Notes:

1. General Education Requirement: All students in the Humanities and Social Sciences program must take at least one course from each of the five following General Education subject areas: Mathematics, Natural Sciences, Social Sciences, Humanities, and Basic Communication. In addition, students must take at least one American History, Western Civilization, or Other World Civilizations course, and at least one Arts or Foreign Language course.

2. For this program, HONR (Honors) courses count as English, literature, humanities, or social science electives.

Admissions Requirements

To be eligible for consideration, an applicant must:

• by a high school graduate with a minimum 75% overall average or a minimum 2500 GED test score
• have 73% or higher on the Algebra Regents exam
• have 73% or higher on a science Regents exam

Student Learning Outcomes

A graduate of the Humanities and Social Sciences A.A. program (Social Sciences Option) should be able to:

1. Display a fundamental understanding of computers and computer information systems, and be familiar with common computer applications such as word processing, spreadsheets, database management, and graphics.
2. Express him/herself effectively through written and oral communication.
3. Demonstrate a knowledge of and an appreciation for literature.
4. Demonstrate an ability to manipulate college-level mathematical concepts, including mathematical circuits, planning and scheduling, linear programming, voting systems, and game theory.
5. Understand and apply the fundamental concepts of statistics.
6. Demonstrate a solid grounding in science, having taken at least two science courses, one of which must be a lab science.
7. Display an in-depth understanding of the behavioral and non-behavioral social sciences based on the six social science courses taken.
8. Discuss various areas within the humanities, based upon the courses he/she has elected to take.