School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts
The School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts (SSHA) is dedicated to providing depth within a broad range of outstanding undergraduate and graduate programs that prepare students for varied roles as responsible, informed citizens and leaders. Research and academic programs encourage intellectual growth; preparation of students for marketable, challenging careers and professions; the values of lifelong learning; and civic responsibility, public service and understanding in a global society.
SSHA serves regional, state, national and international communities as a multi-interdisciplinary partner within a research-intensive public university committed to innovative and substantive research, excellent teaching and student-focused learning.
The SSHA students at UC Merced have a unique opportunity to connect directly with faculty in a small classroom setting - typically an experience found only at private colleges. The collaborative atmosphere opens up numerous opportunities for students to partner with faculty members who are at the cutting edge of their fields on a number of undergraduate research topics. We offer research and academic programs in Anthropology, Cognitive Science, English, Political Science, Sociology and more.
At SSHA, you'll have the opportunity to:
Social sciences are specialty areas within liberal arts which examine societal conditions and critical aspects of human behavior. At UC Merced SSHA, specific areas of study include undergraduate programs such as economics and psychology—in addition, graduate programs such as public health and sociology. By taking social science classes in college, students can build a strong analytical foundation and develop the advanced problem-solving abilities needed to pursue a wide variety of professional opportunities across key sectors anticipated to grow with increasing populations.
Are you interested in career opportunities that examine human behavior, history, and culture? Earning your social science degree at UC Merced SSHA can help unlock your potential.
The skills you learn as a social science major are directly translatable to a wide variety of work environments, ensuring this educational path remains valuable to future employers. Throughout your social science courses at UC Merced SSHA, you’ll learn to refine crucial analytical skills, researching skills, critical thinking, and improve overall communication to solve problems which directly influence societal outcomes. As a social science major, you’ll gain the essential knowledge you need to become a difference maker and help improve your world.
Human behavior is always evolving—understanding our collective history is a central component to improving societal outcomes and creating a better world for future generations. Humanities education provides essential information about society, details which shed light on the ways in which we communicate and provide useful context for addressing key issues of the day that impact the future. For anyone seeking to build a better world, the importance of studying humanities cannot be overstated.
When you choose to study humanities with UC Merced SSHA, you gain an essential framework for life. Your education helps you develop broad skills that emphasize communication, creative thinking, problem solving, emotional intelligence, collaborating with others, and overall cultural awareness. By studying the humanities, you gain the ability to serve important roles in public service, non-governmental organizations, and other corporate sectors. Whether you dream of social work, teaching, or other related fields, your humanities education with UC Merced SSHA gives you tools you need to succeed.
