Liberal Arts — Social/Behavioral Science

Exploring Human Behavior

Our Liberal Arts – Social/Behavioral Science program will teach you how to study human behavior and human societies. You will learn how cultures have developed, discover how economic and political systems operate, and investigate how people learn and change over time. You will also study sexuality and the experiences of minority and majority groups in societies and cultures around the world. As you progress through the program, you will be able to individualize your studies with many social science electives, such as Anthropology, Environmental Conservation, Geography, History, Political Science, Psychology, Women's studies, and Sociology. The Liberal Arts - Social/Behavioral Sciences program offers a flexible, balanced academic course of study that fully prepares you for transfer to a four-year college.

Career Options

Careers

Find your path.

Child, Family, and School Social Workers – est. salary $55,898
Healthcare Social Workers – est. salary $60,546*
Social and Human Service Assistants – est. salary $37,553

**EMSI Data, 2022; The greater Philadelphia region, PA; a percentage of people in these jobs may have a bachelor's degree or higher.
map animation where the the Community College of Philadelphia is centered, the map zooms out to show the surrounding counties highlighted representing the areas of job and career growth.
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Transfer Opportunities

Courses and Completion Sequence

The following courses and sequence of courses is designed for the optimal success and completion of the Liberal Arts — Social/Behavioral Science degree/certificate. Any alterations should be discussed with your academic advisor.

Semester 1

Course Number and Name Credits Advisory Notes Course Type
FYE 101 - First Year Experience 3 credits  In the first 12 credits, students must complete FYE 101  Major Course
ENGL 101 - English Composition I 3 credits ENGL 101 must be completed with a "C" grade or higher Writing, Research, and Info Lit 1
CIS 103 - Computer Applications & Concepts 3 credits   Technological
Competency
FNMT 118 - Intermediate Algebra or
MATH 150 - Introductory Data Analysis or
MATH 251 - Statistics for Science		 3 credits Students with a Math Placement score above 118, should not take FNMT 118
Prerequisites for MATH 251: FNMT 118 with a grade of "C" or better or MATH 150 with a "C" or better		 Quantitative Reasoning
PSYC 101 - Introduction to Psychology 3 credits Other Social Sciences options for the Directed Elective are available with coordinator approval Cultural Analysis & Interpretation
Directed Elective Social Science

In the first 24 credits, students must complete: ENGL 101, ENGL 102, CIS 103, one Mathematics, PSYC 101, SOC 101, one Humanities, and one Communication course.
Students must maintain a minimum GPA of 2.0 or higher ("C" average).

  • This program is designed for students who plan to transfer to a bachelor’s degree program after earning their associate’s degree
  • Follow this course schedule each semester and you’ll earn your associate’s degree in two years
  • Make sure you discuss your first semester schedule and your educational plan with an advisor or counselor when you register.

Semester 2

Course Number and Name Credits Advisory Notes Course Type
ENGL 102 - The Research Paper 3 credits   Writing, Research, and Info Lit 2
BLAS 101 - Introduction to Black Studies or
HUM 101 - Cultural Traditions: Ancient to the 13th Century or
HUM 102 - Cultural Traditions: 14th Century to the Present or
World Language 101: Arabic, Chinese, French, Italian, Japanese, or Spanish		 3 credits Other Humanities Pair options are available with coordinator approval Humanities Pair 1 and Pair 2 subjects must match Major Course
Humanities Pair 1
ENGL 115 - Public Speaking or
ENGL 116 - Interpersonal Communication or
ENGL 117 - Group and Team Communication or  
ENGL 118 - Intercultural Communication		 3 credits

Prerequisites:
For ENGL 115 and ENGL 117: ENGL 101, which may be taken concurrently
For ENGL 116: ENGL 101 or ENGL 114

 

 Oral Communication/
Creative Expression
SOC 101 - Introduction to Sociology 3 credits Other Social Sciences options for the Directed Elective are available with coordinator approval Directed Elective Writing
BIOL 106 - General Biology I or
CHEM 105 - Inquiry into Chemistry		 3 credits   Scientific Reasoning
Lab Science
 

In the first 24 credits, students must complete:
ENGL 101, ENGL 102, CIS 103, one Mathematics, PSYC 101, SOC 101, one Humanities, and one Communication course.
Students must maintain a minimum GPA of 2.0 or higher ("C" average)

Semester 3

Course Number and Name Credits Advisory Notes Course Type
General Elective 3 or 4 credits Transfer institutions' requirements vary. Please consult an advisor or program coordinator to select a general elective that transfers. General Elective
POLS 111 - American Government 3 credits   Directed Elective
PSYC 202 - Human Sexuality or
PSYC 205 - Psychopathology/Abnormal Psychology or
PSYC 215 - Developmental Psychology or
 PSYC 221 - Social Psychology		 3 credits   Directed Elective Psychology – Upper Level
BLAS 102 - Global Black Theory and Social Change or
HUM 101 - Cultural Traditions: Ancient to the 13th Century or
HUM 102 - Cultural Traditions: 14th Century to the Present or
World Language 101: Arabic, Chinese, French, Italian, Japanese, or Spanish		 3 credits Humanities Pair 1 and Pair 2 subjects must match Major Course
ART 103 - History of Art: Ancient to Renaissance or
ART 104 - History of Art II: Renaissance to Modern or
ART 105 - Drawing I or
ENGL 131 - Acting I or
ENGL 137 - Introduction to Theater or
ENGL 205 - Creative Writing or
MUS 103 - Introduction to Music 		 3 credits Other course options are available with Coordinator approval Major Course Arts

Students must maintain a minimum GPA of 2.0 or higher ("C" average) Meet with assigned Advisor to finalize last 15 credits based on transfer

Semester 4

Course Number and Name Credits Advisory Notes Course Type
ECON 181 - Principles of Economics - Macroeconomics or
ECON 182 - Principles of Economics - Microeconomics		 3 credits   Directed Elective Economics Social Science
SOC 212 - Sociology of Marriage and Family or
SOC 215 - Criminology or
SOC 231 - Social Problems or
SOC 233 - The Sociology of Ethnic and Minority Group Relations		 3 credits Other Social Science options for the Directed Electives are available with Coordinator approval Directed Elective Social Science Sociology – Upper Level
HIST 146 - Latino-American History or
HIST 220 - African American History to 1877 or
HIST 221 - African American History After 1865 or
SOC 115 - Women & Men in American Society		 3 credits Other American Diversity options for the Directed Electives are available with Coordinator approval
Prerequisites for SOC 115: ENGL 101 with a grade of "C" or better 		 Directed Elective Social Science American Diversity Interpretive Studies
CHEM 103 - General Chemistry I or
EASC 111 - Environmental Conservation or
PHYS 108 - Descriptive Astronomy		 3 credits CHEM 103 is a non-lab and online version of CHEM 101 Major Course Natural Science
(without lab)
ANTH 112 - Cultural Anthropology or
BHHS 101 - Introduction to Behavioral Health and Human Services or
BHHS 191 - Introduction to Trauma and Trauma-Informed Care or
GEOG 103 - Introduction to Human Geography or
GEOG 180 - Urban Geography or
GS 101- Introduction to Gender Studies or
GS 110 - Global Perspectives in Gender Studies or
GLS 101 - Introduction to Global Studies or
JUS 101 - Survey of Criminal Justice or
POLS 117 - Local/State Government and Politics or
RS 160 - Death and Dying or 
PHIL 211 - Ethical Problems		 3 credits Other Directive Elective options are available with Coordinator approval Directed Elective

Students must maintain a minimum GPA of 2.0 or higher ("C" average)

  • Congratulations, this is your final semester! Don’t forget to complete your graduation application.
  • Meet with an advisor when registering for your classes
  • Finalize your transfer plans:
  • Take advantage of our scholarship opportunities for transferring students and apply for a scholarship
  • Visit Career Connections to learn about internships and your future career possibilities

General Education Requirements:

All general education requirements necessary for graduation are met through the courses in the program as indicated above. Students who wish to take courses that differ from the general education courses indicated above must complete a course substitution request form. To access the form, login to the MyCCP portal, and in the Student tab, under Electronic Forms, click on the Records and Registration Forms link, then choose Request For Course Substitution Of Graduation Requirement link. A more detailed explanation of the College's general education requirements is also available.

View the College Catalog for More Information

Featured Career

Healthcare Social Worker

Provide individuals, families, and groups with the psychosocial support needed to cope with chronic, acute, or terminal illnesses. Services include advising family care givers, providing patient education and counseling, and making referrals for other services.

Median Salary
$53,160
For Year 2014
Number of Jobs
1,580 
in the region
10 Year Job Outlook
+16.4%
in the region

Typical Tasks

  • Collaborate with other professionals to evaluate patients' medical or physical condition and to assess client needs.
  • Advocate for clients or patients to resolve crises.
  • Refer patient, client, or family to community resources to assist in recovery from mental or physical illness and to provide access to services such as financial assistance, legal aid, housing, job placement or education.
  • Investigate child abuse or neglect cases and take authorized protective action when necessary.
  • Counsel clients and patients in individual and group sessions to help them overcome dependencies, recover from illness, and adjust to life.

How well does it pay?

New workers generally start around $36,991. Normal pay for Healthcare Social Workers is $54,770 per year, while highly experienced workers can earn as much as $77,251.

View Other Career Options

Program Information

Liberal Arts — Social/Behavioral Science

Degree Type:

Associate in Arts (A.A.)

Credits Needed to Graduate:

61

Online Learning Availability:

100% Online

Related Programs:

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