Studies & Degrees in Social Sciences
Social Sciences Study Programs
Social sciences study society and the way people behave and influence the world around them. That is the definition used by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), the public body that funds this research in the United Kingdom. The field is a family of disciplines, not a single one. The ESRC lists, among others, sociology, economics, politics and international studies, psychology, social anthropology, human geography, demography, education, social policy, social work and social statistics.
What these disciplines share is their method. Students learn to ask a question about society, to collect evidence and to analyse it. Quantitative research uses surveys, records and censuses to describe whole populations. Qualitative research uses in-depth interviews and participant observation to understand how people think and act. A degree in social sciences therefore combines theory courses with research methods and statistics, and usually ends with a research project.
Qualifications and levels
- Associate degree (United States). Community colleges offer two-year degrees in social science designed for transfer. Northeast Community College in Nebraska, for example, has a Social Science Associate of Arts in which students complete the first two years and then transfer to a four-year school.
- Bachelor's degree. In the United States a bachelor's degree is usually completed in four years of full-time study, with a major such as sociology, political science or anthropology. Some universities offer an interdisciplinary degree: the University of Washington runs Integrated Social Sciences as an online programme. In Spain a bachelor's degree (grado) has 240 ECTS credits. Spanish regulations group degrees by field of knowledge, and one field covers social sciences, social work, labour relations and human resources, sociology, political science and international relations. The Universidad de Navarra, for instance, offers a four-year, 240 ECTS Grado en Relaciones Internacionales, and the Universidad de Cádiz teaches Trabajo Social and Gestión y Administración Pública at its Jerez campus. In the United Kingdom, London Metropolitan University offers a BSc (Hons) in Sociology that covers globalisation, social inequality, identity, and ethnicity and race.
- Master's degree. Spanish master's degrees have 60, 90 or 120 ECTS credits. One example is the Máster en Políticas Sociales y Acción Comunitaria of the Escola de l'IGOP, an official degree awarded by the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona and organised with the universities of Girona, Lleida and Vic. It has 60 ECTS credits and is taught in a blended format.
- Doctorate. A PhD is the usual route into university teaching and research.
Where to study it
The directory lists 212 schools for social sciences. Most are in the United States (85), followed by Spain (22), the United Kingdom (18), Australia (10), Brazil (6), Germany (5) and France (5). There are also schools in Chile, Argentina, Mexico, Canada and Switzerland.
Courses are normally taught in the language of the country: English in the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia, Spanish in Spain and Latin America. Some Spanish universities also teach in a co-official language or in English, so check the language of each programme. When comparing schools, look at which disciplines the degree includes, how much training in research methods and statistics it gives, whether it has internships, and whether the qualification is an official degree in its country.
Careers
Social science graduates work in public administration, social services, non-governmental organisations, market and opinion research, human resources, education, journalism and international organisations. The research and analysis skills are general, so many graduates work in jobs that do not carry the name of their discipline.
Research posts usually ask for a postgraduate degree. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, sociologists typically need a master's degree to enter the occupation. The Bureau projects employment of social scientists and related workers in the United States to grow 4 percent from 2025 to 2035. The outlook differs by discipline: sociologists are projected to grow 4 percent, while political scientists are projected to decline 2 percent. These are small occupations and the figures apply only to the United States.
Frequently asked questions
Which subjects belong to the social sciences?
The ESRC lists sociology, economics, politics and international studies, psychology, social anthropology, human geography, demography, education, social policy and social work, among others. Universities draw the line in different places, so check which disciplines a degree includes.
How long does a degree in social sciences take?
An associate degree at a US community college takes two years and a US bachelor's degree usually four. In Spain a bachelor's degree has 240 ECTS credits, which is four years, and a master's degree has 60 to 120 ECTS credits.
Do I need mathematics to study social sciences?
You need to be ready to work with data. Quantitative research relies on surveys, records and censuses, and degree programmes include courses in research methods and statistics.
Do I need a master's degree to work in social sciences?
Not for every job, but research posts usually require one. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics states that sociologists typically need a master's degree to enter the occupation.