Learn to understand humans in a wide variety of contexts with one of the 5 Best Online Master’s in Social Sciences
Social science degrees vary widely in content. Some are devoted to family and children studies, while others focus more on the liberal arts, with a mix of history, political science, anthropology, and geography. While these programs may not seem alike, they share one broad category: they focus on humans and human relationships.
What Is a Master’s in Social Sciences Degree?
Social sciences programs stand somewhere between liberal arts and social work programs. The course offerings are diverse, like most liberal arts programs. Additionally, students study the social sciences through the scope of common liberal arts subjects like anthropology and gender studies.
However, just like most social work programs, a social sciences program stresses engagement with people. While the liberal arts help us to understand humans as individuals and as a society, the social sciences emphasize working with humans and improving their conditions. Thus, a master’s in social sciences blends action with understanding. Interesting, right?
How Much Can You Earn with a Master’s in Social Sciences Degree?
Unlike engineering or computer science degrees, a master’s in social science degree is versatile. Hence, a graduate isn’t restricted to a single sector of the job market. Yet, most social science graduates focus on social service, teaching, and public administration jobs.
Below, we’ve listed the average salaries for several social sciences-related jobs, as reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Social Workers earn an average of $49,470 per year
- Social and Community Service Managers make an average of $65,320 per year
- High School Teachers earn an average of $60,320 per year
What Is Required for a Master’s in Social Sciences Degree?
According to the Admissions Departments of Social Sciences programs, most schools expect students to have the following to gain admittance:
- An undergraduate degree
- A 2.5 GPA or higher
- Letters of recommendation from job supervisors, academic professors, or both
- GRE scores, but this does vary
Graduate coursework requirements depend on the program. Expect anywhere from ten to 20 classes, which will each require your commitment and many hours of studying. While it’s possible to coast through undergraduate school, you should expect your graduate program to be much more challenging.
What Are the Best Master’s in Social Sciences Degrees?
OSR uses six data points: three school-wide and three program-specific. For school-wide, OSR uses Student Satisfaction, Admission Rates, and the number of programs the school offers online. For program-specific, OSR checks the Median Debt of graduates from that program, how many degrees are offered within that program’s umbrella department, and what percentage of students at that school graduated from that department.
The six statistics are displayed by each school. The sliding bar under each statistic represents how that school compares to other US institutions. “Not reported” means a school did not release that information to the US Department of Education. A more detailed description of the OSR process can be found on the methodology page.
Now let’s check out the 5 Best Online Master’s in Social Sciences!
