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Social Science

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The Social Science department offers classes in law and society and special studies in the areas of Mexican-American, Asian, and Native American experiences.

Program Maps

A.A./A.S. Degrees

Dean Emilie Mitchell
Career and Academic Community Social and Behavioral Sciences
Phone (916) 691-7656
Email mitchee@crc.losrios.edu

Associate Degree

A.A. in Social Science

The Social Science department offers classes in law and society and special studies in the areas of Mexican-American, Asian, and Native American experiences. These classes provide an excellent background for further study.

The program includes 21 units of coursework in the following areas: anthropology, economics, geography, history, philosophy, political science, psychology, social science, or sociology.

This degree enables the student to experience a wide range of diverse social science disciplines. To verify the transferability of specific courses and their university application, please consult your CRC counselor. Students who wish to transfer to a four-year college or university should plan their programs to meet general education and lower division major requirements. All students are encouraged to consult with a counselor.

Highlights include:
* Opportunities to build a foundation for interdisciplinary studies
* Overview of theoretical, methodological, analytical, and cultural principles

Note to Transfer Students:
If you are interested in transferring to a four-year college or university to pursue a bachelor’s degree in this major, it is critical that you meet with a CRC counselor to select and plan the courses for your major. Schools vary widely in terms of the required preparation. The courses that CRC requires for an Associate’s degree in this major may be different from the requirements needed for the Bachelor’s degree.

Catalog Date: August 1, 2025

Degree Requirements

Course Code	Course Title	Units
A minimum of 21 units from the following:		21
Twenty-one (21) units must be completed in at least three different subject areas from those listed: Anthropology, Economics, Geography 310, History, Political Science, Philosophy 360, Psychology, Social Science, Sociology.
Total Units:		21

The Social Science Associate in Arts (A.A.) degree may be obtained by completion of the required program, plus the local CRC General Education Requirement, plus sufficient electives to meet a 60-unit total. See CRC graduation requirements.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this program, the student will be able to:

Identify and comprehend an individual's relationship to structures in the larger society.
Apply effective critical thinking skills to interpret sociological phenomena.
Assess the significance of important social movements in American society.
Define and identify various theoretical perspectives across the discipline of Sociology.
Comprehend how social practices facilitate the functioning of social structures as they are responsible for maintaining the society as a whole.
Analyze, interpret, and critically think about sociological ascriptions to race, gender, ethnicity, class, sexual orientation, political affiliation, and other sociological concepts.

Career Information

Instructor; Social Worker; Researcher;Criminal Justice; Social Services; Business and Corporate employment. Some career options may require more than two years of college study.

Social Science (SOCSC) Courses

SOCSC 495 Independent Studies in Social Science

Units:1 - 3
Hours:54 - 162 hours LAB
Prerequisite:None.
Transferable:CSU
Catalog Date:August 1, 2025

An independent studies project involves an individual student or small group of students in study, research, or activities beyond the scope of regularly offered courses. See the current catalog section of "Special Studies" for full details of Independent Studies.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

SLO #1: Actively engage in intellectual inquiry beyond that required in order to pass a course of study (College Wide Learning Outcome – Area 4).
Discuss and outline a proposal of study (that can be accomplished within one semester term) with a supervising instructor qualified within the discipline.
Design an independent study (to be completed individually or by collaboration of a small group) to foster special knowledge, skills, and experience that are not available in any one regularly scheduled course.
Use information resources to gather discipline-specific information.
SLO #2: Utilize modes of analysis and critical thinking to apply theoretical perspectives and/or concepts in the major discipline of study to significant problems and/or educational activities (College Wide Learning Outcome – Area 3).
Analyze and apply the knowledge, skills and experience that are involved in the independent study to theoretical perspectives and/or concepts in the major discipline of study.
Explain the importance of the major discipline of study in the broader picture of society.
SLO #3: Communicate a complex understanding of content matter of the major discipline of study (College Wide Outcome – Area 3).
Demonstrate competence in the skills essential to mastery of the major discipline of study that are necessary to accomplish the independent study.
SLO #4: Identify personal goals and pursue these goals effectively (College Wide Outcome – Area 4).
Utilize skills from the “academic tool kit” including time management, study skills, etc., to accomplish the independent study within one semester term.

SOCSC 499 Experimental Offering in Social Science

Units:0.5 - 4
Prerequisite:None.
Transferable:CSU
Catalog Date:August 1, 2025

This is the experimental courses description.