Students discuss findings at an easel displaying a poster

Social and Behavioral Sciences

Soka’s concentration in Social and Behavioral Sciences (SBS) strives to understand human lives, behaviors, and institutions in their social, historical, and cultural environments.

Examine Society and the Human Condition

The concentration embraces an interdisciplinary approach to examining the human condition, incorporating perspectives from anthropology, economics, political science, psychology, and sociology. SBS courses provide students with theoretical and methodological tools to examine and address social issues and concerns from multiple comparative perspectives. Students with a declared SBS concentration are required to take at least five SBS courses, one of which must be a course in Methods of Social and Behavioral Sciences, and three of which must be in the 300 or 400 level.

When Social and Behavioral Sciences students graduate, they will be able to:

  1. Articulate an understanding of social scientists’ theories, concepts, and views
  2. Critically evaluate social scientists’ theories and perspectives
  3. Formulate insightful questions and apply social scientists’ theories and methods to investigate various aspects of the social world
  4. Communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, in a manner appropriate to the social sciences
  5. Share their work with others in a manner that reflects an active engagement in their local and global communities
Group photo of Soka's Pi Gamma Mu chapter

Pi Gamma Mu

Soka’s Pi Gamma Mu chapter is the social science honor society’s third in California.

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Highlights

View highlights of the concentration, including guest speakers, field trips, and conferences.

Jianmin Shao 2017

Alumni Perspectives

Read testimonials from alumni of the SBS program.

A professor with two students.

Our Faculty

Meet the SBS faculty.

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