See why TCC’s social sciences associate is a hands-down favorite
Pictured above, graduate Eli Stacy transferred from TCC to University of Virginia, and completed his bachelor’s in sociology in 2016.
What’s Tidewater Community College’s most popular degree program? You’re right if you guessed social sciences. TCC graduates an average of 848 students in social sciences per year, more than double of its next popular degree program, business administration.
Here’s why it might be just the program you’re looking for.
Why earn an Associate of Science in Social Sciences?
If you want to transfer to a four-year college or university, you can’t choose a better degree program. All the classes transfer seamlessly, meaning you enter your next college as a junior.
If you start college undecided on a major, this is the perfect path to introduce you to a plethora of fields, including anthropology, economics, geography, history, political science, sociology and psychology.
Social sciences is such a broad term. Could it work for me?
The broadness of social sciences is exactly why it is such an attractive option at TCC. The social sciences encompass any effort to study society and human relationships. We’re better when we understand the world we live in from multiple perspectives. Businesses value employees who are trained to understand diversity.
TCC’s social sciences associate also allows you to develop specific skills that translate into many career fields. Communication, research, analysis and problem-solving are all emphasized in the 61-credit associate degree.
Where can you go?
As we often say, from here, you can go anywhere. With the required GPA, you can take part in our guaranteed transfer agreements once you earn your social sciences associate. Among the schools you can gain admission to:
- College of William & Mary
- James Madison University
- Old Dominion University
- University of Virginia
- Radford University
- Virginia Wesleyan University
Bonus: First-time college students who meet GPA and other requirements may qualify for a two-year transfer grant of up to $1,000 to be applied toward tuition for your junior and senior years.
What our students say:
Rachel Holley is using her father’s GI Bill benefits, to work toward her social sciences associate.
“There’s so many different avenues; it’s been an amazing experience,” said Holley, who plans to graduate in December and transfer to ODU to prepare for a future in human resources.
Graduate Luz Middleton transferred to ODU to prepare for a career as a social worker.
“Social sciences was a great choice for me because my goal in life is to help people get through the tough times in life. My favorite part about this program were the sociology classes. Sociology taught me that there are so many different issues in life that people deal with; much deeper than we could ever imagine. I want to be able to offer the world not only guidance, but better opportunities.”
Graduate Eli Stacy, now employed as a program coordinator for a housing authority in Cleveland, transferred from TCC to University of Virginia, completing his bachelor’s in sociology in 2016. He is at work on a master’s in public administration from Cleveland State.
“TCC definitely jumpstarted my education, and the classes translated well and gave me the skills I need, especially as I pursue my MPA.”
Graduate Kenita Jackson transferred from TCC to ODU for her bachelor’s in biology. She then went to Eastern Virginia Medical School for a master’s in surgical assisting and went right to work.
“One minute I’m cleaning hotel rooms for $9 an hour. The next I’m earning three times that much working in operating rooms.”
Graduate Marcus Baker, now earning his bachelor’s in human services from Norfolk State University.
“What I enjoyed most at TCC were the choices I had in psychology and sociology classes. You can basically pick your classes to cater to whatever program you are looking forward to transfer to. What students learn at TCC gives them a great advantage when enrolling in any future psychology or sociology classes.”
About the curriculum:
Six approved electives make for flexibility in choosing this degree path. They could be humanities, English, math, physics – anything you like.
“For someone going into social sciences, if you want to be an historian, a psychologist or sociologist or a geographer, you can tailor it. You can get a huge chunk of your bachelor’s program out of the way.” – Joe Fairchild, dean, Social Sciences and Public Services, Virginia Beach Campus
Questions?
On the Virginia Beach Campus, contact Fairchild at jfairchild@tcc.edu or 757-822-7207
On the Chesapeake Campus, contact Diane Ryan, dean of Humanities and Social Science, at dryan@tcc.edu or 757-822-5185
On the Norfolk Campus: contact Johnna Harrell, dean of Division of Business, Social Sciences and Public Services, at jcharrell@tcc.edu or 757-822-1191
On the Portsmouth Campus: contact Jenefer Synder, dean of Languages, Mathematics and Sciences, at jsnyder@tcc.edu or 757-822-2430