Social Studies

The Social Studies program at Castleton University offers an exciting and interdisciplinary field of study. As a Social Studies major, you will learn to analyze the many forces that have shaped human lives, institutions, interactions, and endeavors, both in the past and in the present.

Highlights of the Social Studies Program

• Analyze, interpret, and appreciate our increasingly globalized society through the insights you gain through the social studies core.
• The social studies curriculum at Castleton spans departments and disciplines, exposing students to such varied fields as anthropology, economics, geography, history, political science, and sociology.
• Gain an essential understanding of world cultures, social dynamics, economic processes, and political institutions.

Castleton’s Social Studies program mainly focuses on preparing future secondary school teachers. The major is a particularly strong choice if you wish to teach in the social sciences. The program offers a firm grounding in U.S. history but also prepares you to deliver required or elective high school courses in world history, economics, geography, anthropology, sociology, and the U.S. government.

As a Social Studies major, you learn to think analytically, write clearly, and research effectively. These are skills that are highly valued by employers.

Most of Castleton’s social studies majors plan to teach at the middle school or high school level. The program’s multidisciplinary requirements prepare you to pass teaching licensure exams in any state in the country.

Careers with a Social Studies Degree

A social studies degree also offers a variety of opportunities for those who choose not to teach.

Federal and state governments are eager to hire social studies majors in a variety of capacities:

Places of employment

• Government agencies
• Intelligence organizations
• Military
• Staffs of public officials and political parties
• Public interest groups
• Think tanks
• Legislatures
• Law firms
• Advocacy groups
• Arts and humanities councils

Types of jobs

• Researcher
• Grant reviewer
• Policy advisor
• Legislative staffer
• Lobbyist
• Campaign worker
• Foreign service officer
• Intelligence analyst
• Law