Social Sciences
UMA’s Social Science program provides students with a curriculum and supports to increase their knowledge and skills in the social sciences. The program offers courses supporting UMA’s General Education requirements and in depth training for social science majors. The program is committed to supporting institution wide research literacy and engaging in applied social science research projects. The program delivers its curriculum using a range of hybrid designs, to students on campuses and at a distance.
Degree Offered: B.A.
About
UMA's Social Science program provides students with a curriculum and extracurricular support to develop their knowledge and skills in the social sciences. The program offers courses supporting UMA's General Education requirements and in depth training for social science majors. We are committed to supporting institution wide research literacy and engaging in applied social science research projects. To meet student needs, we deliver curriculum with range of designs to students on campuses and at a distance.
A degree in Social Science from UMA qualifies you for important careers requiring decision making, problem solving, evaluation, research, and written or oral communication. Many of our graduates advance to leading roles in government, business, education, social services, and other fields.
Graduates of UMA's Social Science program have well-developed organizational and interpersonal skills. These skills, along with the related skills listed below, have served our students well as they prepare for careers as teachers, lawyers, social workers, college administrators, and much more.
Others cap the baccalaureate degree with graduate study, yielding opportunities in law, clinical psychology, social sciences, research, college teaching, and much more. Indeed, the Social Science curriculum provides a solid foundation on which ambitious students may build and succeed.
Social Science Careers You Can Seek
Social Science majors develop a wide range of skills which they utilize in a variety of occupational areas. The list below showcases a sampling of occupations pursued by our Social Sciences majors. Some positions may require additional specific training.
Education/Research |
Human Services |
| Market Research Interviewer Learning Disabled Student Consultant College Recruiter Adult Education Director Career Counselor Teacher (special education, elementary, secondary educator)* Professor** Statistician** Program Evaluator | Program Director Pregnancy Counselor Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor Director of Client Services Domestic Violence Victim Advocate Academic Mentor Recreation Department Director Elder Services Coordinator Attorney** Mental Health Rehabilitation Coordinator* |
Business |
Communications |
| Radio Advertising Account Executive Employment Advisor Web Journalist Travel Guide Financial Advisor* Organizational Consultant Retail Management Federal/State Employee/Civil Servant | Lobbyist Social Media Consultant Arbitrator Peace Corps/VISTA Volunteer Museum Guide/Director Technical Writer Probation/Parole Officer Journalist/Reporter Organizational Program Analyst |
*With additional certification. **With advanced degree.
Academics
What is Social Science
What is Social Science?
"Social science" is a term whose origin can be traced back to early efforts to classify the sciences, dividing them into the philosophy of science and three branches (natural sciences, social sciences and the formal sciences). The sciences and related STEM disciplines constitute a major portion of curriculum of contemporary universities. The term "social science" was itself was accepted into contemporary academe at the emergence in the first half of the 19th century.
The social sciences encompass multiple fields of scholarship, research and professional preparation. While debate about 'the definitive list' is endless in any system of classification, the social sciences have in common three basic components: i) a shared history; ii) a commitment to the use of scientific methods; and iii) a focus upon aspects of human nature. Social science research focuses upon the study of societies, cultures, social organizations and the behavior and mind of individuals. Social science disciplines are cornerstones of academic journals, professional organizations and academic institutions to which practitioners belong.
At the conceptual level, social sciences overlap with but are distinguishable from i) behavioral sciences, ii) organizational sciences and iii) cognitive or information sciences. Each of these constructs historically emerged subsequent to the recognition of the social sciences even as the nature of scholarship and scientific inquiry, social systems and academe have evolved.
Common to nearly all definitions of the social sciences are sociology, anthropology, communications, economics, history, political science and psychology. More inclusive lists have included disciplines as varied as journalism, jurisprudence, law, education, geography, linguistics, criminology, developmental studies, and demography. At the heart of debates about the boundaries of all scientific disciplines are the basic questions of 1) when does inquiry become scientific investigation; and 2) when does applied research become 'action research'? These debates invigorate research and teaching in the social sciences.
Augusta
The central campus of the University of Maine at Augusta is located in our state's capital city, placed conveniently near the Augusta Civic Center and a vital commercial district. The Social Science program offers a variety of in-person courses that, in combination with our online and Interactive Television (ITV) offerings, allow students to obtain their B.A. in Social Science while maintaining an active life in Central Maine.
The courses we are teaching live on the Augusta campus in the Spring of 2013 include:
COM 101: Public Speaking
COM 102: Interpersonal Communication
COM 104: Communication in Groups and Organizations
EDU 380: Literacy and Technology Across The Curriculum (VC)
PSY 100: Introduction to Psychology
PSY 308: Human Development (iTV)
PSY 345: Problems and Interventions in Childhood (iTV)
PSY 400: Abnormal Psychology (iTV)
SOC 101: Introduction to Sociology
SOC 201: Social Problems
SOC 370: Sociology of Culture
SSC 294: Global Understanding
Additional program coursework can be completed online, at our companion Bangor campus, in the statewide centers of the University College system, or through our ITV system.
Bangor
Although the central campus of the University of Maine at Augusta is located in our state's capital city, we also maintain a strong presence on our 43-acre Bangor campus. The Social Science program offers a variety of in-person courses that, in combination with our online and Interactive Television (ITV) offerings, allow students to obtain their B.A. in Social Science without leaving the Queen City.
Our specific in-person course offerings at Bangor vary from semester to semester. The courses we are teaching live on the Bangor campus in the Spring of 2013 include:
COL 100: Introduction to the College Experience
COM 101: Public Speaking
COM 102: Interpersonal Communications
PSY 100: Introduction to Psychology
PSY 308: Human Development
SOC 101: Introduction to Sociology
SOC 201: Social Problems
Additional program coursework can be completed online or through our ITV system.
Online
The Social Science Program is pleased to offer a full complement of courses delivered online to match students' demanding schedules. Online courses in the Spring of 2013 include:
COL 214: Professionalism in the Workplace
COM 102: Interpersonal Communication
COM/PSY 205: Forms of Social Influence
COM/SOC 375: Social Networks
EDU 387: Teaching the Exceptional Child in the Regular Classroom
PSY 100: Introduction to Psychology
PSY 302: Psychology of Childhood
PSY 304: Psychology of Adolescence (Mini-session)
PSY 308: Human Development
PSY 364: Psychology of Men and Boys
PSY 400: Abnormal Psychology
SOC 101: Introduction to Sociology
SOC 289: Sociology in Film (Mini-session)
SOC/JUS 316: Criminology
SOC 340: Sociology of Minorities
SOC 360: Sociology of the Family
SSC 110: Human Sexuality
SSC 317: Leadership Seminar
SSC 320: Research Methods in Social Science
SSC 420: Social Science Senior Project
Statewide
The Social Science Program delivers courses to statewide centers beyond Bangor and Augusta, both through Instructional Television (ITV) and in person.
ITV courses are available every semester in each of our disciplines. In-person and videoconference courses being taught at Centers and Sites during Spring 2013 include:
ANT 102: Cultural Anthropology (live; Rockland)
ANT 289: Oral History (VC; Rockland, Rumford, Saco)
COM 101: Public Speaking (live; Rockland)
COM 102: Interpersonal Communications (live; Bath/Brunswick, Rockland, Rumford, South Paris)
COM 104: Communication in Groups and Organizations (live; Ellsworth)
COM 305: Argumentation and Debate (live; Rockland)
EDU 380: Literacy and Technology Across the Curriculum (VC; Bath/Brunswick, Rockland, Rumford, Saco, South Paris, Ellsworth)
HON 300: Critical Thinking (VC; Bath/Brunswick, Rockland, Rumford, South Paris)
PSY 100: Introduction to Psychology (live; Bath/Brunswick, Rockland, South Paris VC; South Paris)
PSY 310: Psychology of Personality (VC; Bath/Brunswick, Ellsworth, Rockland, Rumford, Saco, South Paris)
PSY 400: Abnormal Psychology (live; Bath/Brunswick)
SOC 101: Introduction to Sociology (live; Bath/Brunswick, Ellsworth, Rumford)
SOC 201: Social Problems (live; Rockland)
SSC 362: Death & Dying (live; Rumford)
Learning Outcomes
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Social Science students will better understand the standard of accomplishment expected of them, helping them to succeed in their studies,
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Social Science faculty will continue to focus on the core set of achievements we expect of our students when designing courses, and
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Prospective employers will better understand the capabilities of Social Science graduates from the University of Maine at Augusta.
Learning Outcomes for UMA Social Science Majors
General Education Outcomes
As a graduate of the University of Maine at Augusta, you will be able to:
- write clearly and effectively in multiple forms
- speak effectively in diverse settings and in a manner appropriate to different audiences
- find, evaluate and use information from digital and non-digital sources
- use digital technologies and demonstrate digital literacy
- comprehend and competently apply quantitative concepts and analytic tools
- apply scientific methods and knowledge to solve practical and theoretical problems
- demonstrate understanding of the elements of at least one area of the fine arts
- demonstrate knowledge of the role language and culture play in shaping societies
- demonstrate understanding of cultural diversity and the limitations of your own cultural perspective
Social Science Outcomes
- articulate the defining characteristics of social sciences within the scientific community
- describe the professional standards of the social sciences and articulate a developing professional identity
- communicate effectively using the language of the social sciences
- understand and apply the theoretical perspectives of the social sciences
- engage in research in at least one of the social sciences
- demonstrate insight regarding, and apply problem-solving strategies to, the behavior of individuals and small groups
- assess the sociocultural contexts that influence individual and collective behavior and collaborate effectively across social and cultural divides
Program News
Professor Lake-Corral to Present Research on Culture and Pedagogy at ASA 2013
Assistant Professor Lorien Lake-Corral will be presenting at a regular session at the 108th annual conference of the American Sociological Association this August in New York City. Dr. Lake-Corral will be presenting her research on the presentation of 'culture' in introductory sociology textbooks and the pedagogical and canonical implications of her findings.
ABSTRACT
This paper reports the...
Read More » The health care system is one of the most influential institutions of our times. If you want to know more about how the field of modern medicine grew to be so powerful, from a sociologist’s perspective, then the upcoming class in the “Sociology of Medicine” is for you. The course will examine the social context of health and illness: who gets sick, who gets help, and how some social pro...NEW SOCIAL SCIENCE COURSE IN FALL 2013:
SOC 330: SOCIOLOGY OF HEALTH AND HEALTH CARE
Matters in Maine: Social Problems in Our Own Backyards
Kate Turcotte, a Sociologist and Assistant Professor of Social Science at UMA, has been working for over a year with Social Science major Sarah Holland as well as students in her Social Problems courses on a collaborative research project called "Matters in Maine." The goal of this project: document how Maine residents in the Augusta and Bangor areas are weathering the continued economic downturn and how they feel they ha...
Read More »Cynthia Dean Named 2012 Baker Scholar
The Maine Writing Project announces that Social Science program faculty member Cynthia Dean has been named the Maine Writing Project Baker Scholar for 2012:
"The Baker Scholar is awarded to a Maine Writing Project teacher-consultant who exemplifies thoughtful teaching, inspired scholarship, and important contributions to the Maine Writing Project community.
Cynthia Dean joined the Maine Writing Project in 2004. ...
Read More »New Publication for James Cook: "Gender, Voting and Cosponsorship in the Maine State Legislature"
Cook, James. 2011. "Gender, Voting and Cosponsorship in the Maine State Legislature." New England Journal of Political Science 6.1: 2-30.
Abstract: The prediction that women in politics ought to support bills deemed "women-friendly" more often than men is methodologically questionable, relying on operationalizations of womenfriendliness that at times break with women's own articulation of their...
Read More »A Meritorious Achievement Award for Professor Lorien Lake-Corral
At the beginning of the Fall semester of 2012, faculty at the University of Maine at Augusta applauded Assistant Professor of Social Science Lorien Lake-Corral for her outstanding service to the university community. Provost Joseph Szakas explained why Prof. Lake-Corral has earned UMA's Meritorious Achievement Award for the year:
"Despite being at UMA for only two years, Lorien has already made many positive contri...
The Social Science Program is currently developing a program advisory committee. The committee will periodically consider the program and make recommendations for improving it. The membership of this group will include students, graduates and interested community members.
Individuals interested in contributing to the program by being an active member of this group are encouraged to contact the program coordinator, Assistant Professor Lorien Lake-Corral (lorien.lakecorral@maine.edu) or Profes...
Read More »The Global Understanding Course
The faculty have been researching the means of offering a course that allows students to work with other students internationally online. The goals of the course include developing skills in the area of perspective taking and global citizenship. This project has been supported by the Office of the Provost. A classroom is being redesigned to allow for both group and one to one international collaboration. It is being undertaken by Professor Ken Elliott in colla...
Read More »
