Social & Behavioral Sciences, B.A

The Social & Behavioral Sciences program will prepare you with an understanding of the concepts and principles of classical and contemporary social theories; the ability to collect, manage, and analyze qualitative and quantitative data; a strong knowledge base of at least one area of concentration; and effectively apply appropriate theories and methods to the study of social problems.

Educational Objectives

Our comprehensive approach to the field will introduce and expose you to multiple cultural perspectives, scholarly theories, and research methods to empower you to find innovative ways to solve problems. 

Our customizable curriculum will allow you to shape your courses and overall learning experience around your unique academic and career goals.

Our individualized capstone research project will provide you with the opportunity to design your own project, with guidance from faculty mentors, that will demonstrate your knowledge and skills in an area you find personally meaningful and relevant.

Our areas of concentration in Anthropology, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Political Economy, Social History, and Native American Studies will integrate a robust range of perspectives to your studies and enable you to pursue a deeper understanding in whichever areas you’re most interested in.

Complete all of the following Social Theory and Application courses:

• STAT 100 - Introduction to Statistics Units: 3
• SBS 300 - SBS Major ProSeminar: Theory Units: 4
• SBS 328 - Social Science Theory Module Units: 3
• SBS 400 - Senior Capstone Seminar I Units: 3
• SBS 402 - Senior Capstone Seminar II Units: 3

Complete one of the following Research Methods courses:

• SBS 321 - Survey Research in the Social Sciences Units: 3   ***
• SBS 362 - Research Methods: Qualitative Emphasis Units: 4
• SBS 366 - Research Methods for SBS: Quantitative Emphasis Units: 4

**This course may be double counted only in the Sociology concentration 

Complete one of the following Social Scientific Writing courses:

• SBS 363 - Historical Methods Units: 3 ***
• SBS 377 - Academic Publishing in the Social Sciences Units: 3
• GS 362 - Global Literatures Units: 3

***This course may be double counted only in the Social History and Native American Studies concentrations

Complete one of the following Social Science Breadth courses:

• SBS 304 - California Indian Societies Units: 3
• SBS 320 - Archaeology of Colonialism Units: 3
• SBS 322 - Asian American Women’s History Units: 3
• SBS 335 - Digital Ethnographies Units: 3
• SBS 345 - Cultural Anthropology Units: 3
• SBS 350 - Domination and Resistance: US since 1880 Units: 3
• SBS 356 - People, Places, & Environment: An Introduction to Geography Units: 3
• SBS 364 - The Japanese Internment Camps Units: 3
• SBS 386 - Social and Political Histories of California Units: 3
• SBS 389 - Environmental History of California Units: 3
• SOC 312 - Sociology of Gender Units: 3
• SOC 317 - Social Movements Units: 3
• SOC 320 - Labor and Labor Movements Units: 3
• SOC 399 - Contemporary Immigration in Global Perspective Units: 3

ANTHROPOLOGY MINOR

Complete all of the following courses:

• SBS 101 - Introduction to Anthropology Units: 3
• SBS 335 - Digital Ethnographies Units: 3
• SBS 345 - Cultural Anthropology Units: 3
• SBS 379 - Tattoos, Makeup and Burkas Units: 3

Complete one of the following courses:

• SBS 326S - Museums in the Public Sphere Units: 4
• SBS 384S - Anthropology of Education: Cultural Contexts of Bilingual Education Units: 3
• SBS 484S - Anthropology of Space. Landscapes and Regions Units: 4

Complete one of the following courses:

• SBS 316 - Visual Methodologies in the Arts and Sciences Units: 4
• SBS 325 - Art of the Aztec Empire Units: 4
• SBS 333 - Forensic Anthropology Units: 3
• SBS 346 - Anthropology of Time and Power Units: 3
• SBS 348 - Maya Civilization Units: 4
• SBS 355 - Archaeological Thought and Practice Units: 3
• SBS 383 - African Civilizations Units: 3-4
• SBS 388 - Crisis and Development in Mexican Society Units: 3

GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS CONCENTRATION

Complete both of the following courses:

• SBS 361 - Introduction to GIS Units: 3
• SBS 371 - GIS Applications for the Social Sciences and Business Units: 4

Complete two of the following courses, not previously taken:

• BUS 437 - Applied Logistics Units: 4
• CST 363 - Introduction to Database Systems Units: 4
• ENVS 332 - Intro to GIS/GPS Units: 4
• ENVS 436 - Remote Sensing Units: 4
• GS 351 - Global Econ: Theory & Ethics Units: 3
• SBS 321 - Survey Research in the Social Sciences Units: 3
• SBS 356 - People, Places, & Environment: An Introduction to Geography Units: 3
• SBS 362 - Research Methods: Qualitative Emphasis Units: 4
• SBS 366 - Research Methods for SBS: Quantitative Emphasis Units: 4
• SBS 375 - Crime Analysis and Mapping Units: 3

POLITICAL ECONOMY CONCENTRATION

Complete all of the following courses:

• GS 318 - Quantitative Reasoning in Global Perspectives Units: 3
• GS 339S - Sweat/Service/Solidarity SL Units: 5
• GS 342 - Economic Thought: History and Contemporary Interpretations Units: 3
• GS 351 - Global Econ: Theory & Ethics Units: 3

Complete one of the following courses:

• GS 317 - Global Migrant Workers: Ethnic Experiences, Resistance, and Empowerment Units: 4
• GS 325 - Geography of International Development Units: 3
• GS 350 - Global Gender Issues Units: 4
• GS 379 - Ethics of Corporate Social Responsibility Units: 3
• SBS 381 - US in Vietnam and Asia-Pacific: Peoples, Colonization, Conflicts, Resources Units: 4

SOCIAL HISTORY CONCENTRATION

Complete both of the following courses:

• SBS 315 - Growth and Conflict in the United States to 1920 Units: 3
• SBS 363 - Historical Methods Units: 3 *this course may double count with the SBS core

Complete one of the following Ethnic Histories courses:

• SBS 322 - Asian American Women’s History Units: 3
• SBS 350 - Domination and Resistance: US since 1880 Units: 3
• SBS 364 - The Japanese Internment Camps Units: 3
• JAPN 317 - Pacific Food Empires Units: 3
• HCOM 346 - African American Life/History Units: 4
• HCOM 356 - Digital Multicultural U.S. Histories Units: 4
• HCOM 365 - Chicanx Latinx History Units: 4
• HCOM 369 - Asian American History Units: 3
• HCOM 445 - Slavery & Race in the Americas Units: 4
• HCOM 451 - Transnational Migrations Units: 4

Complete one of the following Global and Transnational History courses:

• SBS 305 - Indigenous Histories Units: 3
• SBS 335 - Digital Ethnographies Units: 3
• SBS 341 - Global Crisis and Climate during the Early Modern World, 1400-1800 Units: 3
• SBS 343 - History of Capitalist Commodities and Drugs Units: 3
• SBS 354 - Rest vs West: Guns, Pirates, and Modernity Units: 3
• SBS 357 - History of Empires Through the Eyes of Interlopers and Intermediaries Units: 3
• SBS 381 - US in Vietnam and Asia-Pacific: Peoples, Colonization, Conflicts, Resources Units: 4
• HCOM 445 - Slavery & Race in the Americas Units: 4
• HCOM 451 - Transnational Migrations Units: 4

Complete one of the following History Depth courses:

• SBS 304 - California Indian Societies Units: 3
• SBS 305 - Indigenous Histories Units: 3
• SBS 325 - Art of the Aztec Empire Units: 4
• SBS 348 - Maya Civilization Units: 4
• SBS 350 - Domination and Resistance: US since 1880 Units: 4
• SBS 353 - Race, Class and Gender in the American West Units: 4
• SBS 355 - Archaeological Thought and Practice Units: 3
• SBS 378 - Revolution and People Power in the Modern World Units: 4
• SBS 383 - African Civilizations Units: 3-4
• SBS 386 - Social and Political Histories of California Units: 3
• SBS 389 - Environmental History of California Units: 3
• HCOM 346 - African American Life/History Units: 4
• HCOM 350S - Oral Hist/Comm Mem SL Units: 5
• HCOM 352 - History According To Movies Units: 3
• HCOM 354 - Critical Public Histories Units: 4
• HCOM 356 - Digital Multicultural U.S. Histories Units: 4
• HCOM 359 - Law, Politics and LGBTQ History Units: 4
• HCOM 362 - Constitutional History Units: 3
• HCOM 363 - Topics in Social History Units: 4
• HCOM 365 - Chicanx Latinx History Units: 4
• HCOM 366 - History of Religion in the United States Units: 4
• HCOM 367 - Gender and United States History Units: 4
• HCOM 368 - U.S. Civil War and Reconstruction Units: 4
• HCOM 454 - History of Victorian Britain Units: 4
• JAPN 305 - Introduction to Japanese Culture & Civilization Units: 3
• JAPN 307 - Japan-American Experience Units: 3
• SPAN 307 - History and Culture of Mexico Units: 4
• SPAN 308 - Hist/Cultr Aztlan:SW US Units: 4
• SPAN 309 - Hist & Polit Of Latn Amer Units: 4
• GS 316 - Approaches/ Global Histories Units: 4

SOCIOLOGY CONCENTRATION

Complete all of the following courses:

• SOC 100 - Introduction to Sociology Units: 3
• SBS 321 - Survey Research in the Social Sciences Units: 3 *this course may double count with the SBS core
• SBS 362 - Research Methods: Qualitative Emphasis Units: 4

Complete at least 12 units from the following courses:

• SBS 303 - Social Science Career Exploration Units: 1
• SBS 345 - Cultural Anthropology Units: 3
• SBS 375 - Crime Analysis and Mapping Units: 3
• SOC 312 - Sociology of Gender Units: 3
• SOC 315 - Marriage and Family Units: 3
• SOC 317 - Social Movements Units: 3
• SOC 320 - Labor and Labor Movements Units: 3
• SOC 325 - Sociology of Latinos Units: 4
• SOC 333 - Sociology of Deviance Units: 3
• SOC 338 - Social Psychology Units: 4
• SOC 360 - Population and Contemporary Issues Units: 3
• SOC 365 - Technology and Society Units: 4
• SOC 399 - Contemporary Immigration in Global Perspective Units: 3

NATIVE AMERICAN STUDIES CONCENTRATION

Complete all of the following courses:

• SBS 249 - Native American Societies Units: 3
• SBS 304 - California Indian Societies Units: 3
• SBS 350 - Domination and Resistance: US since 1880 Units: 3
• SBS 363 - Historical Methods Units: 3 *this course may double count with SBS core requirements

Complete two of the following courses:

• SBS 315 - Growth and Conflict in the United States to 1920 Units: 3
• SBS 323 - Southwestern Archaeology Units: 4
• SBS 325 - Art of the Aztec Empire Units: 4
• SBS 348 - Maya Civilization Units: 4
• SBS 353 - Race, Class and Gender in the American West Units: 3
• SBS 386 - Social and Political Histories of California Units: 3
• SBS 389 - Environmental History of California Units: 3
• VPA 320S - Museum Studies Units: 4

Our inspiring coastal location will provide you with distinctive opportunities to study social issues related to human interaction with the environment and the local area, such as tourism, climate change, agriculture, environmental justice, animal-human interaction, and more.