Human Behavior & Social Thought

The Global Health major offers rigorous scholarly and applied experiences designed to embolden future leaders to achieve the level of critical thinking, analysis, and application essential to improve worldwide social, environmental, and health outcomes. Specifically, students apply structurally competent, collaborative, multidisciplinary perspectives to the understanding, assessment, and intervention of sustainable strategies necessary to effectively address current and future global health issues within local, national, and global arenas.

Pre-professional program for students interested in going to law school.

Individual Studies (IVSP) students enjoy broad academic freedom and flexibility to pursue their degrees in ways that best suit their intellectual interests and passions. Under the guidance of a faculty mentor and the IVSP staff, students create their own unique, interdisciplinary majors that approach important issues, questions, and problems from a range of disciplines and perspectives. 

The public leadership minor empowers student to think critically about the solutions needed for a range of pressing problems, examining such issues as democratization and human rights, crime and punishment, diversity and affirmative action, and poverty and inequality. In addition to exploring the issues, you will engage in critical questions and learning about leadership for the public good and effective citizenship.

The nonprofit leadership and social innovation minor gives you the tools to engage in hands-on learning to enhance your knowledge of local, national and global issues. Students will examine different approaches to social impact and study the role of the nonprofit, non-governmental and social sectors, in addition to social innovation, leadership and nonprofit management skills.

Health happens in families! Family Science students explore social determinants that shape health and well-being for family members. The major offers excellent training in scientific methods to understand how families function as systems, and how social institutions can enhance family health. Students learn to promote health equity for all families through applied research, policy and program analyses, and internships.

This program supports students in their efforts to use technology in the service of the greater good, to apply and expand their creativity, and to engage in rapid development and prototyping grounded by rapid evaluation and assessment. Students participate in hands-on studio courses in user-centered design, technology development, and cross-disciplinary communication preparing them to become leaders in a range of career fields.

Social data science encompasses all elements of the data life cycle, including measure conceptualization, data gathering, management, manipulation, analysis, presentation, archiving, and re-use. This program combines the expertise of BSOS and INFO faculty members to prepare students to effectively, ethically and efficiently create high quality information products, such as datasets, visualizations, and models, about human activity and behavior.

This curriculum blends theory, practical skills, and hands-on learning with industry professionals, preparing our graduates to apply their skills directly and immediately in their careers. Students learn skills in technical areas such as database design, information architecture, data analytics, and cybersecurity alongside the social sciences, leadership, and the humanities. Graduates are prepared to address the growing and unique needs of information professionals who understand complex social and organizational issues.

The Bachelor of Science Degree in Human Development (HD) is designed to support student learning about the mechanisms of growth and change across the lifespan. With areas of focus in developmental science, educational psychology and statistical methodology, HD majors will explore the biological, social, emotional, and cognitive processes of learning and development from conception to old age in diverse social and cultural contexts.

The Neuroscience major exposes students to rigorous training in the interdisciplinary study of brain and behavior through courses in mathematics, biology, chemistry, physics, and psychology. The Neuroscience major prepares students for a broad range of career paths including: scientific research, medicine, clinical psychology, allied health professions, or science-related government, nonprofit, or private sector employment.

The Global Terrorism Studies Minor focuses on exploring the origins and motivations of terrorism based on theoretical understandings of individual and group behavior. Students also explore the impacts of the threat of terrorism on individuals and communities as well as strategies for preventing, deterring, mitigating, and responding to terrorist threats.

The Law and Society Minor is an interdisciplinary and experiential program designed to help students understand law in order to critically analyze it and use it as an instrument of change. Coursework will challenge students’ assumptions about law and its function in society, encouraging them to think creatively and critically in coursework, internships, research and other field work.

Demography is the interdisciplinary study of human populations. Changes in population processes have helped to shape many of the most pressing problems facing the world today. Demographic processes are fundamentally linked to the lives of individuals, families, communities, and nations. Training in demographic analysis provides students with important tools and perspectives for understanding social and economic changes locally and globally.

Sociology is the study of social order and the causes and impacts of social change on society and its institutions, organizations, and groups. The major prepares students for graduate programs and eventual careers as sociologists in teaching, research, and policy development or as a basis for careers in fields including law, social work, public policy, and human resource management.

The psychology major provides an introduction to the study of human behavior, including an understanding of the neurobiological, developmental, social, and evolutionary factors influencing our thought and behavior. The program emphasizes a strong foundation in quantitative and research methods. Beyond coursework, students will have opportunities to assist with and conduct research, an important advantage in any career path.

The Minor in International Development and Conflict Management (MIDCM) is a practical, pre-professional minor program that prepares students with the theoretical frameworks and practical skills necessary to address critical global concerns, including conflict resolution, international development, and humanitarian relief.

The government and politics major prepares students to understand and interpret political science research and provides students with the tools to produce political science research through advanced training in political methodology and data analysis. The major combines philosophical and scientific concerns to emphasize such broad areas as political development, policy analysis, social justice, political economy, conflict, and human rights.

Geography concerns the relations between people and the natural world, the effects of ecosystems on human beings and vice versa, the choices people make, the effects of past actions on people today, and the effects of today’s choices on future generations. Students specializing in Geographical Sciences will be exposed to a diversity of coursework that will focus on human-environmental interactions.

Economists analyze how people make choices. and use empirical tools to test theory, analyze data, and inform ongoing decision-making. Economics students learn about the methods of analysis that economists use and about the various fields of inquiry where economists have been most productive. Majors often pursue careers or graduate degrees in business, banking and finance, government, law, or international relations.

Criminology and criminal justice encompasses the study of the causes of and responses to crime. It involves studying individual, group, and mass behavior, as well as the institutions, professions, and laws that exist to detect, control, and ameliorate the effects of crime. Major coursework includes sociology, psychology, and government, in addition to public policy and legal studies.

Anthropology is a scientific and humanistic discipline devoted to improving our understanding of human culture and diversity, including exploring relationships between past and present humans, as well as the biological and social components of our species. The major maintains a strong focus on the practical uses and applications of anthropological knowledge.

The LGBTQ minor provides students an opportunity for interdisciplinary study of the lives, experiences, identities and representations of LGBTQ people. This program provides solid grounding in the concepts and methods that define studies of sex, gender and gender identity today. Students gain familiarity with vocabulary and knowledge in critiquing key developments, along with critical reasoning and research skills.

Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies covers feminist scholarship, the history of women, and gender as a social construct. The program offers concentrations in social justice, transnational politics, race, ethnicity, bodies, genders, sexualities, arts and LGBTQ studies. These concentrations explore diverse aspects of gender, race and queer studies, fostering critical understanding and activism. Students can also design their own concentration.

The Religious Studies minor enables students to study the texts, culture, history, beliefs and practices of world religions. The minor draws from a wide range of areas including anthropology, art history, classics, English, history, Jewish studies and philosophy. The breadth requirement for coursework ensures that students have been exposed to a variety of religious traditions, periods and geographic regions.

The Religions of the Ancient Middle East major delves into the roots of biblical Israel, ancient Judaism, Christianity and early Islam. The program offers the opportunity to tackle key religious questions and explore. A capstone seminar completes the interdisciplinary journey. The Language track offers language-enhanced options, encouraging students to learn Arabic, Hebrew or Greek and apply it to research.

The Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE) major explores complex social and political questions, merging philosophy, political science and economics. PPE equips students with a diverse set of analytical tools, enabling them to tackle pressing global issues that require multi-dimensional perspectives. It prepares future leaders with knowledge in ethics, reasoning, institutional politics and economics to provide solutions to intricate problems.

The Philosophy major aims to unravel the concepts of scientific disciplines such as biology, physics and psychology and to train students on developing the skills required to clarify and critically analyze ideas and arguments, both orally and in writing. Areas of specialty are philosophy of science, cognitive studies and value theory. Graduates are well-prepared for a variety of careers.

The Communication major embraces the mission of delivering high quality education through the study of communication for the public good. The curriculum covers various aspects of human communication, preparing students for careers in numerous diverse fields. Students can study organizational communication, public relations, digital media, intercultural communication, political communication, conflict management, persuasion, rhetoric, health communication and public discourse criticism.