Social Sciences
- Associate of Science (A.S.)
Program Snapshot
Your Learning Options
In-Person, Hybrid, 100% Online
60 Credit Hours
Estimated Time to Complete
2 years (4 full-time semesters)
In-State Tuition Per Credit Hour
$176.00 | Calculate your costs
Why Social Sciences?
Delve into the rich tapestry of human society and equip yourself with essential skills for critical thinking, analysis, and effective communication.
- Whether your passion lies in history, psychology, sociology, or other social sciences, our program provides a solid foundation.
- Pursue a versatile and flexible transfer degree and customize your academic journey to various fields within the social sciences.
- Study in a program that stands out for being cost-effective, providing excellent value for your investment in your academic and professional future.
Paying for College
We are committed to using all of the available funds to help you gain access to a college education. In fact, more than 91% of our students graduate without any educational debt. In 2023, Reynolds Community College students received over $21 million dollars in grants, loans, work-study and scholarships with the average aid awarded totaling over $4,000 per student.
Payment plans are offered to break down tuition payments. Textbook Assistance and Laptop Lending Programs are also available. Be sure to explore all the types of financial aid available as well!
Why Reynolds?
We are more than a community college.
Reynolds is the key that unlocks the door to your academic and professional success. Here you will find a safe place to start. We will help you explore, dream, succeed, try, and try again. Our amazing faculty and highly personalized advisors, your Reynolds Navigators, are well known for guiding you to discover that "aha moment.” That means an outstanding college experience, less debt, more freedom, and a solid start on your future.
Experience the advantage of small class sizes, fostering a conducive learning environment. Benefit from better one-to-one contact with instructors who are dedicated to your academic success.
Designed for seamless transfer to four-year colleges or universities, our program facilitates a smooth transition into majors such as anthropology, pre-law, history, social work, economics, and more.
Unlock diverse career pathways, laying a robust foundation in history, psychology, sociology, and beyond, empowering you to thrive in a multitude of professions and industries.
Reynolds was just such an exceptional place that helped me grow as a person with disabilities, as a student, and even now as a researcher. Skills that I use today in my life today, I learned at Reynolds.
Steph Cull
2019 Reynolds Graduate, VCU Graduate Student pursuing a health psychology doctoral degree
Class Highlights
Take a peek at some of the Social Sciences electives you can take at Reynolds.
SOC 268 - Social Problems
Dive into the heart of societal issues, exploring everything from crime and mental health to race relations and poverty through a sociological lens.
PSY 230 - Developmental Psychology
Study the development of the individual from conception to death, following a life-span perspective on the development of the person’s physical, cognitive, and psychosocial growth.
HIS 281 - History of Virginia
Examine the cultural, political, and economic history of the Commonwealth from its beginning to the present.
Program Roadmap
Get all the details on our Social Sciences program, including class sequences, admission requirements, financial considerations, and more.
Additional Program Information
PURPOSE: The social sciences are concerned with the study of human society and emphasize the role of analysis, experimentation, and the scientific method. The chief academic disciplines of the social sciences are anthropology, economics, political science, psychology, and sociology.
The Social Sciences AS degree is designed for those who plan to transfer to a four-year college or university to complete a bachelor’s degree in the social sciences. The curricula consist of courses in general education (including foreign language, natural science, and social science) typically required in the first two years of a baccalaureate curriculum in the social sciences.
PROGRAM OBJECTIVES: Students from the Science AS degree transfer into a wide variety of majors at senior institutions including, but not limited to, the following:
- anthropology
- pre-law
- history
- social work
- economics
- government/political science
- mass communications
- sociology
- psychology
- speech-language pathology
- education/Deaf studies
- ASL: interpretation/linguistics
ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS: General college curricular admission.
PROGRAM NOTES: The following high school units are strongly recommended: three units of college preparatory mathematics and two years of a foreign language.
COMPUTER COMPETENCY REQUIREMENT:Students in the Social Sciences AS degree will meet the college’s computer competency requirement by successfully completing ITE 152. Students can also meet this requirement by passing the college’s computer competency exam, administered in the testing centers on each campus, in which case they will receive college credit for ITE 152. Students not passing the computer competency exam may retake the exam only once.
TRANSFER INFORMATION: The Social Sciences AS degree lays the foundation for a bachelor of science degree in anthropology, economics, political science, psychology, and sociology. The program includes one year of coursework in the same foreign language. The Social Sciences program is designed to provide transfer paths that will match the requirements of senior institutions (four-year colleges and universities); however, senior institutions differ in their requirements, so students are strongly urged to work with their assigned advisor and to acquaint themselves with the requirements of the major department in the college or university to which they plan to transfer.
Students should understand that the line between the humanities and social sciences is not always clear and that some colleges and universities award BA degrees in what are usually considered the social sciences. Each student admitted to the program is assigned an academic advisor to help plan the appropriate course of studies to transfer to the student’s choice of a four-year college or university. Students who complete the program generally transfer as juniors.
NOTE TO PROSPECTIVE TEACHERS: Students who wish to be licensed to teach in Virginia should earn a baccalaureate degree in a liberal arts, science, or mathematics field. Students should consult with their advisor regarding elective choices that match their desired teaching endorsement area(s). While enrolled at the community college, students should prepare for and successfully complete Praxis Core (Reading, Writing, and Mathematics), the initial teacher licensure examination.
