Public Affairs & Social Sciences Graduate Programs

Public Affairs and Social Sciences Graduate Programs

Whether you are interested in serving your community as a whole or counseling individuals Public Affairs and Social Sciences Graduate Programs offer an array of ...

fascinating academic disciplines. Social science is focused on society and the relationships between people within their society. Public Affairs programs are concerned with issues such as policy development and analysis, economics and government, public health and concerns of society. Choosing to earn a graduate degree in any of the Public Affairs and Social Sciences  fields may give you the opportunity to research, refine your knowledge, improve your analytical and leadership skills to take you to the next level of study or career.

Political Sciences Graduate Programs Information

Public Affairs and Social Sciences Graduate Programs: Basics

Public Affairs and Social Sciences Graduate Degree Programs are available as graduate certificates, masters and doctorate degrees. Graduate level education often requires completion of an internship and thesis or dissertation, depending on the level of study. Each Public Affairs and Social Sciences Graduate degree offers more advanced and in-depth study, and a curriculum appropriate to that subject and could require a specific undergraduate degree.

DID YOU KNOW? Coursework in statistics, program management and policy analysis is considered helpful if you aspire to work in social and community services management[i]

Types Of Graduate Degrees & Programs

It is easiest to find the 'right' Public Affairs and Social Sciences Graduate degree if you search by masters, PhD or Grad Certificate, first choosing your subject from the directory within the larger context of Graduate Programs.

Masters Degrees: If you are approaching grad school with an undergraduate degree, a masters program typically provides an opportunity to concentrate on an area of interest. Choose your subject from the directory to review listings in that category. For instance, if you select public Administration and Policy, some of the listings might include: Master of Public Administration (MPA) or Master of Public Policy and Administration: Concentration in Social Change Leadership.

Doctorate Degrees: Going further, doctorate Public Affairs and Social Sciences programs tend to be research-focused and/or clinical practice degrees such as the PhD or Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Psychology.

Graduate Certificates: Post-master’s graduate certificates allow grads to fine tune specific skill-sets and may be attractive to currently working students as a way to boost credentials. Some of your many options may include: Graduate Certificate in Public Administration, Advanced Conflict Resolution Practice Graduate Certificate, Counseling, 6th year and Graduate Certificate of Completion in Human Factors Psychology.

What Are Social Sciences Graduate Programs?

Contemporary social science grad students analyze how human behavior can create ripple effects in behavior, economics and environment.If you visualize ‘Social Sciences’ as a tree, the main branches include[ii]:

  • Economics, economic development
  • Political Science
  • Human Geography
  • Demography
  • Sociology
  • Humanities (ie. Anthropology, archaeology, jurisprudence, psychology, history and linguistics)

Is Psychology a Social Science?

Some aspects of psychology are but as a whole, psychology is considered a behavioral science. Graduate Psychology programs include:

Psychology

  • Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)
  • Clinical Psychology
  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Community Psychology
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Forensic Psychology
  • Holistic Psychology
  • Organizational Psychology
  • Social & personality
  • Sports psychology

Counseling Psychology

  • Art Therapy
  • Career Counseling
  • Counseling & Therapy
  • Marriage and Family Counseling
  • Rehabilitation Counseling
  • Substance Abuse Counseling

Educational & School Psychology

  • Educational Psychology
  • School Counseling
  • School Psychology

What are Public Affairs Graduate Programs?

Public Affairs graduate programs prepare students to serve society as well, but through public service, civic engagement, politics, communications, and non-profit areas. These programs offer leadership and decision-making skills to equip graduates to operate in the public interest, as well as address social needs and concerns. If you are looking for a graduate degree in a Public Affairs field, you might review:

  • Conflict & Peace Studies
  • Emergency Management
  • Environmental Management/policy
  • Human Services
  • International Relations
  • Non-profit Administration
  • Political Science/military
  • Public Administration and Policy (Government, labor relations. Public administration, public policy)
  • Public Health (Bioethics, epidemiology, health education & communication, international health, occupational health and safety)
  • Urban Affairs & Planning (urban studies)

Choosing a Public Affairs and Social Sciences Graduate Program Format

Whether you hope to attend traditional classes on campus or prefer to find online degree programs available in public affairs and social sciences, GradSchools.com has some useful search tools.If you have narrowed down your subject, chosen your degree level, you can then click through on the program format that aligns with your lifestyle. Certainly, not all Public Affairs and Social Sciences Graduate programs are going to be available in both formats. Human centered programs typically require on-campus visits, so distance-learning may not be offered. However, online learning is becoming more and more mainstream, and many graduate schools actually offer both formats. 

Click through either online, campus or hybrid. Hybrid is sometimes referred to as partially online as there are some onsite requirements but most of the courses are offered remotely. A great way to find graduate schools with the type of social science or public affairs graduate degree you seek is by location. Use the city, state or country tabs for a full selection of colleges and universities in your preferred area.

Accreditation

Both Program and Institutional accreditation are important, and should play a role in selecting a graduate program in social sciences or public affairs. There are different agencies committed to this process. You can check the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA)[iii]. In the case of Public Affairs Graduate Programs, you can also check with NASPPA[iv]

Take the Next Step

Whether you are interested in the behavioral and social sciences, want to specialize in neuroscience, gerontology or public policy, a graduate degree may help shape your future professional life. Public Affairs Social Science Graduate programs offer you the opportunity to move away from more generalized study, and potentially prepare you for a bright future in any number of possible career paths.

Sources: [i] bls.gov/ooh/management/social-and-community-service-managers.htm | [ii] en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_science | [iii] chea.org/public_info/index.asp| [iv] accreditation.naspaa.org

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