A degree in any one or more of our four majors or two interdisciplinary minors equips you with a broad liberal arts perspective as well as specific skills and areas of knowledge about individual and societal behaviors, interactions and processes, values and social institutions, and important socioeconomic and sociopolitical issues of the day. Because the social sciences are so integral to a quality education that prepares students for a fulfilling life, a number of our courses are approved for the university’s Marquette Core Curriculum, which all students are required to take. Also, many of our courses are integral to many interdisciplinary majors and minors, such as International Relations, Family Studies, and African American Studies. Many of our courses also have a service learning component.  You can find out more about all of our degree programs in the Social and Cultural Sciences brochure.

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Experiential Learning

We also offer a Multidisciplinary Internship Program for qualifying students. These experiential learning opportunities allow the student to contribute to the community while also gaining important skills, knowledge, and contacts that better prepare him or her for the next career stage.

Interdisciplinary Minors



  Why study the Social and Cultural Sciences?

We surveyed seniors in Anthropology, Criminology and Law Studies, Sociology, and Social Welfare and Justice and asked them what they appreciated about majoring in one of the social and cultural sciences.  A sampling of their answers are provided below.

  • "Professors who are educated and passionate"
  • "My classes are relatively small"           
  • "Opportunities to get involved in the community"
  • "This major let me find my passion"
  • "My classes are a safe space"
  • "This department has been one of the highlights in my academic experience. Every single professor in the department has made me feel seen and confident in my voice and knowledge.”
  • "The professors"
  • "Students are valued here"
  • "Opened my eyes and mind"
  • "Giving back to the community and helping others around me"
  • "My studies have provided me with a better moral compass"
  • "This major has provided me with a blueprint of what I want this world to look like and skills to achieve that vision"
  • "Diverse curriculum"
  • "My classes have had brilliant content"

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Benefits of a Liberal Arts Education

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