Beginning in Fall Semester 2015, The College of the Liberal Arts is set to offer five new bachelor’s degrees for both residential and World Campus students. The new degrees offered will be B.S. in Social Data Analytics, B.A. and B.S. in Global and International Studies, residential and online B.S. in Political Science, and online B.S. in Integrated Social Sciences.

The Social Data Analytics Major will help students prepare for a career using big data to help solve social and political issues. In blending Data analytics skills with social science knowledge, students will be ready to tackle any problem at hand. Courses in the social sciences, along with statistics, mathematics, computer science, and information science will allow students to best prepare for their future careers in the data analytics field.

The Global and International Studies Major draws from principles used throughout humanities and the social sciences to help students understand the various issues humans face in our world. Global perspectives, international study, and foreign language study are all emphasized to best prepare students. Students within this major may select one of six options: Global Conflict, Human Rights, Wealth and Inequality, Health and Environment, Culture and Identity, or their own unique option.

The Political Science Major is similar to the one offered on Penn State’s main campus, in that it primarily focuses on the scientific and applied aspects of political science. Students within this program must also complete courses in statistics, research design, social science methods, and advanced political science.

The Integrated Social Sciences Major captures every element of the social sciences, requiring students to grasp concepts of its content, theories, and methodologies. Courses in Anthropology, Communication Arts and Sciences, Economics, Political Science, Psychology, and Sociology will help students fully understand the entire spectrum of the social sciences. A final capstone project will test students, challenging them to document the integration of themes and principles learned within the program.

“I’m very pleased we can offer these new opportunities for our students, degrees that combine the virtues of a liberal arts degree with specific preparation for a global world of instant communication, problems that need new ideas and scalable solutions, and issues that cry out for better understanding of cultural differences,” said Susan Welch, Dean of the College of the Liberal Arts.