College of Behavioral & Social Sciences

The College offers undergraduate programs of study in Anthropology, Child Development, Criminal Justice, Economics, Geography and Planning, International Relations, Legal Studies, Public Administration, Multicultural and Gender Studies, Political Science, Psychology, Public Health and Health Services Administration, Social Science, Social Work and Sociology.

Graduate programs of study include Anthropology, Applied/School Psychology, Marriage and Family Therapy, Political Science, Psychological Science, Public Administration, Social Science, and Social Work.

Our Mission

The College of Behavioral and Social Sciences is committed to the scholarly pursuit, dissemination, and practical application of knowledge focused on human behavior in the social and physical environment. As teachers and scholars, we express this commitment by striving for excellence in teaching, learning, research, and service.

Our general education, undergraduate and graduate programs prepare students to be knowledgeable in the methods and scope of the behavioral and social sciences, to be skilled in their respective disciplines, and to be prepared to undertake a lifelong path of learning and service to their community.

Engaged in both theoretical and applied research, faculty and students work together on various projects. For example, Anthropology students are involved with the excavation of archaeological sites; Child Development majors complete more than 250 hours of community-based supervised work with children and families; students in Economics assist with surveys to determine, for example, the costs and benefits of increasing water releases from dams, many work as interns for organizations, such as the Center for Economic Development (CED) which often turn into full-time jobs; and Geography students create a variety of maps using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology.

Public Health and Health Services Administration students provide health services to diverse community groups; Multicultural and Gender Studies students participate in campus forums and work with student and community organizations to promote diversity and social justice; students majoring in one of the degree programs offered in Political Science and Criminal Justice are actively involved in local, regional, and national activities and competitions; Psychology students are involved in research projects ranging from neuroscience to cross-cultural influences on human behaviors; Social Science students utilize an interdisciplinary approach to developing secondary school social science curricula and to problem solving in policy and career centers; Social Work students assist agencies in direct service provision, needs assessment and program evaluation; and Sociology students often engage in hands-on research projects in their research methods courses.

Students are also provided internship opportunities in a variety of local, state, national, and international settings. They also participate in a variety of student clubs and organizations across majors.