Liberal Arts and Sciences: Humanities and Social Sciences

Division of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies
Associate Dean: Deborah Beall

This program provides the first two years of a traditional college education leading toward such professions as law, teaching at all levels through college, journalism, psychology, international affairs, translation, political science, and many more that require a strong academic background in such disciplines as economics, English, government, history, modern and classical languages, music, philosophy, psychology, sociology, theater, and others. By following a rigorous liberal arts and sciences curriculum, graduates will develop capabilities in academic research and writing; an ability to apply scientific method and critical thinking skills to validate their own ideas and inquiries; sufficient math skills to deal with complex problems; and an awareness and appreciation of living in a culturally, racially, and ethnically diverse society. The humanities, social sciences, and liberal arts and sciences electives allow students to focus their curriculum toward a specific goal or to explore a variety of disciplines. The courses accommodate a wide range of career choices. For curricular guidance to meet transfer and career goals, consult an academic advisor or Enrollment Specialist. Additionally, you can refer to SUNY Transfer Paths at www.SUNY.edu. In a world where technology is constantly changing, students must be ready for a tomorrow where jobs change rapidly or disappear. This program provides a solid educational foundation by encouraging students to be knowledgeable about the past, but prepared for the future.

Students in this program must meet 7 of the 10 SUNY Knowledge and Skills areas, 2 core competencies (Critical Thinking and Information Literacy), and have 30 SUNY General Education credits. Please note that of the 7 Knowledge and Skills areas, the following 4 are required: Communication-Written and Oral; Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning; Natural Sciences and Scientific Reasoning; and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Social Justice. For more information on the SUNY General Education requirements please see General Education Requirements.

Graduates will have:

• Self-Direction (To Work on One’s) – The ability to independently define, plan, and complete a project in conformance with assigned criteria, locating, evaluating, integrating, and correctly documenting any necessary primary or secondary source material;
• Analytical skills (To Think) – The ability to evaluate the quality of a claim, concept or process by careful consideration of the appropriateness, relevance, and/or truth of the supporting evidence;
• Understanding of the World (To Know) – The ability to demonstrate a foundation knowledge of the Natural World, The Physical World, The Social/Cultural World, The Historical World and The Contemporary World;
• Problem Solving (To Discover) – The ability to determine the best of many possible solutions to problems, whether numerical, symbolic, ethical, linguistic, or social;
• Expressivity (To Communicate) – The ability to clearly present information through writing, speech, visual presentation, or performance;
• Understanding of Human Condition and Human Behavior (To Understand) – The ability to demonstrate a basic understanding of motive and resultant human behaviors and activities;
• Creativity (To Innovate) – The ability to devise and express original insights and/or distinctive relationships among concepts;
• World Citizenship (To Appreciate) – The ability to demonstrate fundamental appreciation of cultures other than one’s own.