A degree in any one or more of our majors 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 socio-economic and socio-political issues of the day. Because the social sciences are so integral to a quality education that prepares you for a fulfilling life, many of the courses we offer are approved for the university’s core of common studies, which all students are required to take. Also, many of our courses are integral to many of the interdisciplinary majors and minors (taken from the 2008 Undergraduate Bulletin) that Marquette University offers, such as Family Studies, African American Studies, and Peace and Justice.
We offer four undergraduate majors:
Many of our students double major in two of our majors, or they combine one of our
majors and another major outside the department, such as in the professions of education, business, communications, or a health-related field such as physical therapy. One might ask how a Social and Cultural Sciences major could possibly benefit a pre-med student. Here’s one answer. Rather than merely treating a disease, a doctor with an undergraduate major in one of the above disciplines will better understand the individual patient as a whole person and the institutional processes of the medical establishment. For instance, s/he will better understand why certain populations are more at-risk for certain diseases, how the research and treatment of diseases are impacted by race, class and gender; how a patient’s cultural background will affect his/her acceptance of treatment; how patient-doctor interactions are influenced by power and inequality.
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. Many courses have a service learning component.
If you have any questions regarding our department, please contact us.
Social and Cultural Sciences Majors
Check out our suggested curriculum for our four majors:• Anthropology
• Criminology and Law Studies
• Social and Welfare Justice
• Sociology
