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| Social Sciences |
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The Social Science disciplines span the major dimensions of human experiences, locally and globally. As a social scientist, you learn the cultural, economic, geographic, historical, political, psychological and social dimensions of our society, along with other cultures and countries. Learning how social scientists think enhances skills of observation, description, synthesis and interpretation. You will better understand human behavior and the social dimensions of the world, acquiring skills useful in law, government, diplomacy and many other careers.
Faculty members of the nationally ranked Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs - each of whom also holds a dual appointment within the College of Arts and Sciences - provide academic instruction in the social sciences to all undergraduates on campus.
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Graduate Academic Programs
For graduate programs in the social sciences, visit the Maxwell School at Syracuse University.
University-wide course catalogs and graduate admissions information are available from the Graduate School at Syracuse University.
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Graduate Programs in the Social Sciences |
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 Anthropology (M.S. and Ph.D.)
Graduate study in historical archaeology combines the theory and techniques of anthropological archaeology with the use of documentation and oral history. The department offers a strong program focusing on Africa and the African diaspora. The Maxwell setting provides access to interdisciplinary issues of historical archaeology, such as museum studies, environmental topics, historical preservation, and policy planning. Anthropology here is primarily a Ph.D. program. A master's degree is earned as a step toward a doctorate.
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 Economics (M.A. and Ph.D.)
The Graduate Program reflects the Department's focus on research in Labor Economics, Public Economics, International Trade and Urban/Regional Economics. Graduates of Economics lead a wide variety of careers in business and government, including management, consulting, research and policy analysis.
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 Geography (M.A. and Ph.D.)
We welcome applications from students interested in pursuing the M.A. or Ph.D. degree in Geography, with an emphasis in biogeography and/or geomorphology, and those interested in applying GIS and remote sensing to biogeographic and geomorphic research questions.
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 History (M.A. and Ph.D.)
The M.A. degree can be a terminal degree or an introduction in research and reading before pursuing the Ph.D. The objectives of this program are to develop basic analytic techniques, to broaden knowledge in the student's specialty, and to offer research experience in an area chosen by the student and his or her advisor. The department of History offers the Ph.D. degree to students interested in research and teaching. The primary focus is on original research and historical thought and writing. The program of study leading to the Ph.D. consists of these elements: Completion of coursework, mastery of research tools, the completion of qualifying examinations in three fields, and preparation of a dissertation, usually in the major fields.
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 International Relations (M.A.-I.R.)
The Professional M.A. Program combines a broad academic experience with training aimed at preparing students for positions in the public and private sectors, including global information policy. The Ph D. Track prepares scholars in disciplinary and inter-disciplinary perspectives on global socio-economic structures and processes, and on their local counterparts. These programs attract students from around the world and utilizes the resources of various Maxwell academic departments, multidisciplinary research programs, and the Global Affairs Institute.
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 Political Science (M.A. and Ph.D.)
Our graduate program is small (about 12 entering students each year), which encourages faculty-student collaboration and a strong sense of community. Department faculty are quite diverse in their theoretical and methodological approaches. Unlike many institutions which have prestigious public policy or public administration programs housed in separate schools or institutes, Maxwell's Public Administration program, ranked number one in the country for several years, shares faculty, courses, space and the Maxwell tradition with the six disciplinary departments in the school, including Political Science. Maxwell is genuinely and easily interdisciplinary; we encourage our students to take courses and work with faculty in other disciplines. The majority of Political Science Ph.D. students have faculty from other department s serving on their dissertation committees. Thus, for example, if your intellectual interests bridge political science and history, or anthropology, or economics, or geography, or international relations, or public administration -- our program, set within the Maxwell School, may appeal to you. |
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 Public Administration (EMPA, M.P.A., and Ph.D.)
The Maxwell School's Masters and Doctoral programs in Public Administration prepare individuals for careers as managers and policy analysts in government agencies and organizations closely associated with the public sector. The curriculum is designed to insure that all graduates understand the political, economic and social context of public administration. Students achieve competency in organizational design and analysis, and in management and administrative techniques, while applying qualitative and quantitative methods to public policy issues.
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 Social Science (M.S.Sc. and Ph.D.)
Maxwell’s Social Science Program was established in 1946 as the nation’s first interdisciplinary doctoral program in the social sciences. It continues to be an innovative center for creative scholarship for students whose interests do not easily fit within one discipline. Social science doctoral candidates develop programs of study with emphases such as gerontology, conflict resolution, women’s studies, Native American studies, the environment, and peace studies. |
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 Sociology (M.A. and Ph.D.)
The Sociology Department at Syracuse University offers core training in sociological issues, theory, and practice. The Department also provides opportunities for joint degrees or collaborative study with numerous multi-disciplinary research centers at the prestigious Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. These include the Center for Policy Research, the Global Affairs Institute, the Alan Campbell Public Affairs Institute, and the Program on the Analysis and Resolution of Conflicts. Graduate students develop substantive areas of specialization in one or more areas of faculty expertise. Graduate training is organized around the major area of inequalities in health and social policy. Students receive intensive training in the three following areas: Qualitative Methods and Feminist Methods, Inequality Studies, and Aging, Life Course, and Social Policy. |
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