Social and Behavioral Sciences Degree
Higher education for the adult learner is more important than ever! To respond to this need, Linfield College is proud to offer a bachelor’s degree in Social and Behavioral Sciences for the adult student with the option of taking all of the classes required online. This degree program employs a variety of delivery formats to overcome barriers you encounter in accessing higher education – work schedules, proximity to a college, responsibilities to family. You can complete all of the courses in the social and behavioral sciences degree through online classes or a combination of on-campus and online classes. This allows you to achieve your educational goals via the technological innovations available to us.
Program Overview
Why Choose Linfield College?
Expected Competencies Upon Completion of a Social Sciences Degree Program
Required Courses
Planning for the Major
Frequently Asked Questions
Contact Us
Online Social Science Degree Program Overview
The skills and knowledge that you will gain through this multi-disciplinary Social Science Degree provide excellent preparation for careers in many high demand fields:
- Education and Teaching
- Human Services
- Counseling
- Law Enforcement
- Human Resources
- Health Care
- Public Service
- Public History Field
Linfield's Social and Behavioral Science Degree also prepares students for graduate degree programs such as Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT), Masters in Counseling, Master of Social Work (MSW), Master in Education (M.Ed.), Law School (JP Programs), Master of Public Administration (MPA) or a master's degree in a Social Science field such as History, Anthropology and Sociology. Your bachelor’s degree in the Social and Behavioral Sciences could also be the stepping stone to a doctoral degree.
Linfield offers courses applicable to the major in Economics, History, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology/Anthropology, and selected courses in the field of Human Resource Management from the Business Department. Because of Linfield’s strong liberal arts tradition, courses focus on the historical, theoretical, and philosophical foundations of each field. You will apply major theoretical approaches and methodologies of social scientists in a capstone senior project. The techniques taught in the Social Sciences emphasize learning how to learn and how to express yourself clearly and accurately.
Why Choose Linfield College?
Linfield is one of the oldest colleges in the West and was chartered in 1858. The college is fully accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities as an independent, not for profit institution, and has consistently earned high rankings by such organizations as U.S. News and World Report's “America's Best Colleges," Barron's Guide and The Princeton Review.
The Division of Continuing Education (DCE) was launched in 1975 by Linfield College. Today you can earn a Linfield College Bachelor's degree with a choice of seven majors through this division. DCE's Adult Degree Program seeks to provide you with an affordable and convenient way to obtain your bachelor's degree.
The advantages of Linfield's adult degree program are:
- Desirable faculty to student ratio of 1 : 14
- Convenient methods of class delivery (online, 1 evening per week or a hybrid of both)
- Affordable costs, comparable to state schools
- Academic advising support and financial aid assistance
- Superior research and library assistance
Expected Competencies Upon Completion of a Social Science Degree Program
In successfully completing a major in Social and Behavioral Sciences, a student will have:
- the disposition to think critically and responsibly about the world and the place of humans as social beings within it.
- the sociological imagination to see the connections between individual lives and the social forces which impact them.
- an awareness of the major issues, problems and questions that have provoked the emergence of the human sciences of the past two centuries.
- the skills in oral and written discourse to allow effective communication of that knowledge to others, both inside and outside academic contexts.
- the ability to access, organize, scrutinize critically and analyze knowledge about humans as social beings and about the social groups to which humans belong and from which they derive their social identities.
Planning for the Major: Consult with your Academic Advisor
Selecting Your Fields of Study
In this multidisciplinary major, you have the opportunity to select two or three academic departments as your fields of study. You will learn how social science professionals formulate and answer questions in your chosen fields. Personal interests, career and educational goals will help you decide which departments to select with guidance from your Academic Advisor.
Research Methods and Research Project
The senior research project is a valuable springboard for one’s career. The project is generally completed during the spring semester of your senior year. It is an opportunity to work independently in conjunction with a faculty member. Students who are interested in the field of history are advised to take HIST 285 Methods of Historical Research, as early as possible in their degree program. All other Social and Behavioral Sciences majors will take SOAN 308, Social Research Methods in their senior year.
Throughout the major you will have the opportunity to work with one of the Linfield College research librarians, which is a strength of this program.
In preparation for the senior research project, you will find that certain topics in your courses pique your curiosity. It is possible that these topics may be the foundation for your senior project. Some examples of past senior research projects are:
Reentry after Relapse - A study of how Alcoholics Anonymous groups receive returning members.
Social Pretense in the Kindergarten Classroom: 'More than Child's Play' - An examination of the development of children’s social competence and its link to pretend social play.
Head Start’s Indigenous Nonprofessionals - A study that focuses on the experiences of a group of nine teachers as a West Coast Head Start who find themselves required by federal mandate to obtain a college degree in order to maintain their current job status.
Lasting Memories: Quilting - An analysis of how needlework has acted as a voice for women and how quilts chronicled women’s reactions to social, economic and political happenings in their lives.
Leaving the Castle: Community Living in the Senior Years - A review of the benefits and drawbacks of moving to an age segregated community.
Panopticon in the Workplace - A research project to determine if and how video surveillance in the workplace acts as a social control of workers.
The Future of Unions in the United States from the Perspective of Union Organizers, Officials and Members
American Privateers : the Strategy That Won the American Revolution"
High School Social Networks : Are You In or Out?
Japan, the West, and the Ideals of Empire
Stepparent-stepchild relationships : the Perfectly Untied Bow
And the Beat Goes On: A Qualitative Study of a Community Band
Research courses are scheduled as follows:
History
Research Methods: HIST 285 Introduction to Historical Methods (5 cr.), fall semester.
Senior Project: HIST 490 Research Project (5 cr.), spring semester.
Sociology & Anthropology
Research Methods: SOAN 308 Social Research Methods (3 cr.), fall semester.
Senior Project: SOAN 490 Research Project (4 cr.), spring semester
Projects will be based on a literature search and will include observations, interviews or experimentation by the student.
Other Considerations: Statistics and Computer proficiency
The research methods class will include information on the interpretation of statistical findings. While not required, a course in statistics (MATH 140 Introduction to Statistics) through Linfield, or an approved transfer course following your intermediate algebra course, would be useful. If you are considering future graduate work, you are strongly advised to consider adding both college algebra (MATH 161) and statistics (MATH 140) to your bachelor’s degree program.
No course is required in computer skills. However, your educational and professional career will be enhanced by learning microcomputer applications.
Frequently Asked Questions about Linfield’s Bachelor's Degree in Social and Behavioral Sciences
How much will the degree cost? Will it be worth it to me?
A bachelor’s degree in Social and Behavioral Sciences from Linfield College will boost your marketability, confidence and professional standing. For more information on cost, visit the Tuition Cost area of our website.
How does the Linfield Adult Degree Program compare to other colleges in regards to tuition costs for completing my degree?
You will find that the Linfield Adult Degree Program tuition is extremely competitive in tuition costs when compared to both public colleges and other private schools. Information on tuition comparison can be found on our Tuition Comparison page.
Can I get financial aid assistance?
Linfield College works with all students to provide assistance in obtaining financial aid including various types of Federal loans, grants and scholarships. Most admitted students in the Adult Degree Program are working and therefore attend college on a part time basis. You will find that the financial aid award usually covers your cost of tuition, fees, and books. Many employers offer full or partial tuition reimbursement. Please remember to ask your employer if they provide a benefit for continuing education.
Can I receive credit for previous college work?
Absolutely! Most academic college classes that you have taken from an accredited community college or four year college or university; for which you received a grade of “C” or higher, will count towards your bachelor’s degree. Our academic advisors will review all transcripts and will work with you to transfer as many credit as possible.
What about experience? I own my own business—shouldn’t that count for something?
We have a program that awards credit for knowledge gained on the job or through volunteer activities called credit for prior learning (CPL). You will work closely with an instructor to decide what courses you will challenge and assemble a portfolio to present prior learning demonstrated through experience. Your academic advisor can tell you more about this program.
Can I complete my degree online?
Yes! If you choose to take all your classes online this option is available to you.
I’ve never taken an online class. What is that experience like?
We recommend that you read the Guide to Online College for Adults. Here is a summary of what to expect in Linfield's online classes:
- Online courses are perfect for students with schedules that demand flexibility.
- Online classes will require you to post assignments by a certain time each week. You can do most of the work on your own schedule.
- You will have separate links for submitting homework, group discussion, and personal communication with your instructor, and tests are done online.
- With Internet access you can work from anywhere in the world. This is an ideal program for those who travel.
- Expect to spend the same amount of time in an online class as you would in a face-to-face class, and expect to adhere to similar homework deadlines.
A fee is charged for each online course in addition to tuition. Once you register and pay the fee, you will sign up for a Linfield computer account (if you have not taken any online classes previously with Linfield DCE).
Isn’t online learning new? What experience does Linfield have in this delivery format?
The Linfield degree completion program is designed for adult students. Linfield has been delivering online classes for over ten years. Many of our instructors were involved in the early design of online learning and have valuable expertise. Online classes provide plenty of communication between you, your professor and class members.
Can I complete my Social and Behavioral Sciences degree with a blend of on campus and online classes?
Yes. Linfield's Adult Degree Program offers classes that meet on campus for face to face and hybrid learning (combining classroom instruction with online), giving adult students more personal access to Linfield's strong teaching faculty.
You recognize the value of interactive learning and your life demands a flexible class schedule; so you can have it both ways by blending an evening class and an online class.
What are the evening classes like?
Adult students enjoy the small class size at Linfield, with an enviable 14 to 1 ratio between students and professor. You will enjoy plenty of interaction, through discussion, lecture, and guided instruction so that you get all the benefits of college learning as an adult. Classes that meet once per week for 3 hours are designed to fit into your busy schedule and start at 6:00pm.
If I choose to complete my degree entirely online, will it be the same as a “regular” Linfield degree, even if I do it through the Internet?
Whether you take a combination of on-campus and online classes or all online classes, your completed bachelor’s degree is identical to the fully accredited and highly regarded bachelor’s degrees awarded by Linfield College to students who attend classes on the McMinnville and Portland, Oregon campuses..
The diploma shows the Linfield College bachelor’s degree awarded, for example, Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, or Bachelor of Science in Nursing. The transcript records the courses and credits earned and does not show how the courses were delivered, whether online, on campus, or hybrid.
You and your family are invited to participate in your commencement ceremony, held on the McMinnville, Oregon campus each May and December.
What are the General Education requirements in a Linfield bachelor’s degree?
The general education is called the Linfield Curriculum and stresses wide exposure to the ways that educated individuals, be they scientists, artists, entrepreneurs, teachers, or ethicists, engage ideas, articulate choices and assert opinions. The Linfield Curriculum consists of an Inquiry Seminar (college writing), seven courses in the Modes of Inquiry, two courses in Diversity Studies, and a Writing-Intensive course in each major. Courses taken to satisfy the Linfield Curriculum also complete requirements in one or more areas of each student’s major.
How many credits will it take to finish my degree?
The requirement for a bachelor’s degree from Linfield College is a cumulative total of 125 semester credits, which includes the Major, Linfield Curriculum, and electives. Credits that you completed at accredited community colleges and four-year colleges and universities count toward this total. A minimum of 30 credits in the degree must be completed at Linfield. Your advisor will work with you to maximize your previous college and work experiences, and provide a suggested academic plan to finish your program in the major you choose.
When does the academic year start?
Classes begin 4 times per year. Thanks to our continuous enrollment program, you can apply year round and start your classes at the beginning of the next semester. This allows you to accelerate your degree completion at Linfield.
I’d like to find out more. What is the next step?
Please contact us and one of our knowledgeable admissions and enrollment specialists will be in touch with you shortly.
Congratulations on taking the first step to completing your bachelor’s degree in Social and Behavioral Sciences!