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Studies & Degrees in Human Sciences

Human sciences is the study of human beings from several disciplines at once. The term is used in more than one way, and a prospective student should check which meaning a university has in mind. In the United Kingdom it names an interdisciplinary degree that joins the biological and the social sciences. In Spanish-speaking countries, ciencias humanas usually names a faculty that groups the humanities and social sciences. In the United States the words appear mostly in colleges of health and human sciences, which teach applied fields such as nutrition, psychology and family studies.

What students learn

The best-documented example of the interdisciplinary model is the BA in Human Sciences at the University of Oxford, created in 1969. Its aim is to help students understand the connections among biological, social and cultural phenomena. Over three years students cover five core subject areas:

  • Behaviour and how it evolves
  • Human genetics
  • Humans and their environment
  • Demography
  • Humans in their social and cultural context

The first year also includes quantitative methods. Students then choose two options from a published list and write a dissertation. Teaching is by lectures and tutorials, with some practicals in the biological subjects. Oxford states that it accepts people with a wide range of academic backgrounds for this course.

In the faculty model, the student does not take a degree called "human sciences" but one of the faculty's own degrees, for example philosophy, psychology, education, linguistics or communication.

Qualifications and levels

  • Bachelor's degree. The Oxford BA takes three years. In Spain a bachelor's degree (grado) has 240 ECTS credits. The Facultad de Ciencias Humanas y Sociales of the Universidad Pontificia Comillas, on the Cantoblanco campus in Madrid, trains students in psychology, education, philosophy, international relations, translation, communication, criminology and social work, as bachelor's degrees and double degrees.
  • Master's degree and doctorate. Spanish official master's degrees have 60, 90 or 120 ECTS credits. The Comillas faculty also offers official master's degrees, its own postgraduate programmes and doctorates. In Argentina, the Facultad de Ciencias Humanas of the Universidad Nacional de San Luis lists pre-degree, degree and postgraduate programmes.
  • Integrated programmes in Japan. At Kyoto University the Faculty of Integrated Human Studies is the undergraduate department, and its courses are taught by the staff of the Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies.

Where to study it

SpainExchange lists 17 active schools for this subject. The United States has five, Spain three and the United Kingdom three; Colombia, Peru, Mexico, Argentina, Switzerland and Japan have one each.

In the United Kingdom the list includes the University of Oxford, King's College London and The University of Sheffield. In Spain it has the Universidad Pontificia Comillas de Madrid, the Universidad de Deusto in Bilbao and the Escola de l'IGOP of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona.

In Latin America the term is part of faculty names. The Facultad de Letras y Ciencias Humanas of the Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos in Lima offers degrees in art, library and information science, social communication, conservation and restoration, dance, philosophy, literature and linguistics. The Facultad de Ciencias Humanas of the Universidad Nacional de San Luis has departments of communication, education and teacher training, and arts. The Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla in Mexico and the Institución Universitaria CESMAG in Colombia are also listed.

In the United States the list has Purdue University, Northwestern University, the University of Southern California, Florida State University and the University of Northern Colorado. Purdue's College of Health and Human Sciences shows the American use of the term: its departments and schools include health and kinesiology, human development and family science, nursing, nutrition science, psychological sciences and public health. ETH Zurich has a Department of Humanities, Social and Political Sciences, and Kyoto University completes the list.

The language of instruction follows the country: English in the United Kingdom and the United States, Spanish in Spain and Latin America.

Careers

Because the field is broad, there is no single profession and no official employment statistic for "human sciences" graduates. The path depends on the degree actually taken. An interdisciplinary degree of the Oxford type develops skills in analysing data, writing and linking biological and social evidence, which are used in areas such as public health, population studies, environmental work, social research and policy. Degrees taken inside a faculty of human sciences lead to the professions of each discipline: psychologist, teacher, translator, social worker or communication specialist, some of which are regulated and require a specific qualification.

Before enrolling, compare the study plan with the career you have in mind, and ask the school what recognition the qualification has in the country where you want to work.

Frequently asked questions

Is human sciences the same as humanities?

Not always. In the Oxford sense it combines biological and social sciences, with subjects such as genetics and demography. In Spanish-speaking universities, ciencias humanas is close to humanities and social sciences and names a faculty with several separate degrees.

Do I need a science background to study human sciences?

It depends on the programme. Oxford states that it accepts people with a wide range of academic backgrounds and that the first year is designed to put everyone on an equal footing. Check the entry requirements of each university.

How long does a degree in human sciences take?

The BA at Oxford takes three years. In Spain, the bachelor's degrees taught in faculties of human and social sciences have 240 ECTS credits, and official master's degrees have 60, 90 or 120.