Liberal Arts and Sciences/Social Sciences A.A. – Honors Concentration

School: Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
Academic Dept: Social Sciences
HEGIS: 5649

Important Note about Program Requirements

The requirements listed below are for students entering into this program from Fall 2025 to Summer 2026. Students who entered the program during a prior semester will find their specific requirements listed in the Catalog under which they entered. Archived Catalogs are accessible through the dropdown menu above.

Program Description

The Liberal Arts and Sciences: Social Sciences A.A. Honors concentration at SUNY Westchester Community College provides high-achieving students in the Honors College with an in-depth exploration of the social sciences. Through an interdisciplinary honors curriculum, students develop critical thinking, analytical, and research skills while studying subjects such as archaeology, world politics, and sociology. This program prepares students for transfer to competitive four-year institutions and careers in education, law, business, government, and social advocacy.

Program Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this program, a student will:

Demonstrate an understanding of key concepts and fundamental theoretical principles in at least three different social science disciplines, as well as the similarities and differences across disciplines.
Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of research methods used in the social sciences.
Demonstrate an understanding of the historical context of the development of the disciplines studied.
Demonstrate an understanding of the contemporary world and one’s place in it.

Program Note

PRIOR ADMISSION TO THE HONORS COLLEGE IS REQUIRED FOR THE SOCIAL SCIENCES HONORS CONCENTRATION. FOR MORE INFORMATION AND APPLICATION GUIDELINES, VISIT THE HONORS COLLEGE WEB PAGE.

Program Requirements

60 credits are required for the degree:

General Education - 34 credits
Required Degree Courses - 26 credits

General Education Requirements - 34 Credits

Communication - Written and Oral (3 credits): ENG 101H - Writing and Research - Honors
Humanities (3 credits): ENG 102H - Writing and Literature - Honors
Mathematics (and Quantitative Reasoning) (3 credits): choose from this category of general education courses
Natural Sciences (and Scientific Reasoning) with Lab (4 credits): choose from this category of general education courses with lab
Mathematics (and Quantitative Reasoning) OR Natural Sciences (and Scientific Reasoning) (3 credits)
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Social Justice (3 credits): choose from ANTHR 101 - Cultural Anthropology , ANTHR 120 - Native People of North America , SOC 101 - Introduction to Sociology , SOC 101H - Introduction to Sociology - Honors , SOC 102 - Sociology of Families , SOC 103 - Social Problems OR SOC 206 - Race and Ethnicity in the U.S.
Social Sciences (6 credits): ANTHR 102H - Intro to Archaeology - Honors
US History and Civic Engagement (3 credits): choose from this category of general education courses
World History and Global Awareness (9 credits): choose from this category of general education courses and POLSC 111H - Introduction to World Politics - Honors and ENG 227H - Contemporary Global Literature - Honors

Where specific courses are not listed within the categories above, courses must be selected from the list of all general education courses .

Required Degree Courses - 26 credits

ART 109H - Art of the Modern World: Fifteenth Century to Present - Honors
COMM 109H - Speech Communication - Honors , COMM 109 - Speech Communication , COMM 110 - Speech Communication for Non-Native Speakers , OR COMM 111 - Voice and Diction
FILM 110H - Cinema Studies - Honors
Liberal Arts Category I (6 credits): select TWO courses from the following disciplines
- Anthropology (ANTHR), Economics (ECON), Geography (GEOG), History (HIS), Political Science (POLSC), Psychology (PSYCH), Sociology (SOC)
Free Electives (11 credits): select any college course(s)

Program Map

The program map is a recommended semester-by-semester schedule of courses based on degree requirements and serve as a general guideline to help students complete their program in two years. Although designed for full-time enrollment, these are easily adaptable for part-time study. For additional, individualized guidance, students should review Degree Works and consult an Academic Counselor or Faculty Advisor to ensure they are on track to complete their program.

Semester 1

Course	Credits
ANTHR 102H - Intro to Archaeology - Honors	3
ENG 102H - Writing and Literature - Honors	3
FILM 110H - Cinema Studies - Honors	3
Mathematics (and Quantitative Reasoning) Gen. Ed. Course	3
POLSC 111H - Introduction to World Politics - Honors	3
Semester Total Credits	15

Semester 2

Course	Credits
COMM 109H - Speech Communication - Honors , COMM 109 - Speech Communication , COMM 110 - Speech Communication for Non-Native Speakers , OR COMM 111 - Voice and Diction	3
ENG 101H - Writing and Research - Honors	3
Liberal Arts Category I: One of TWO courses from ANTHR, ECON, GEOG, HIS, POLSC, PSYCH OR SOC	3
Natural Sciences (and Scientific Reasoning) Gen. Ed. Course OR Mathematics (and Quantitative Reasoning) Gen. Ed. Course	3
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Social Justice Gen. Ed. Course: ANTHR 101 - Cultural Anthropology , ANTHR 120 - Native People of North America , SOC 101 - Introduction to Sociology , SOC 101H - Introduction to Sociology - Honors , SOC 102 - Sociology of Families , SOC 103 - Social Problems OR SOC 206 - Race and Ethnicity in the U.S.	3
Semester Total Credits	15

Semester 3

Course	Credits
ENG 227H - Contemporary Global Literature - Honors	3
Liberal Arts Category I: One of TWO courses from ANTHR, ECON, GEOG, HIS, POLSC, PSYCH, OR SOC	3
World History and Global Awareness Gen. Ed. Course	3
Free Electives	6
Semester Total Credits	15

Semester 4

Course	Credits
ART 109H - Art of the Modern World: Fifteenth Century to Present - Honors	3
Natural Sciences (and Scientific Reasoning) Gen. Ed. Course with Lab	4
US History and Civic Engagement Gen. Ed. Course	3
Free Electives	5
Semester Total Credits	15

Minimum Total Credits: 60

Transfer Opportunities

Westchester Community College is committed to facilitating a smooth transfer process to ensure that graduates of the college are prepared to transfer with junior status, and are able to complete a bachelor’s degree within two years of full-time study upon transfer. View 4-year institutions’ transfer agreement information by program here.

Career Opportunities

Visit Career Coach to explore career paths, job descriptions, salary trends, and job trends.

Visit the Career Services page for more career resources.