SPECIALIZATIONS:
Pre-Social Work
Teacher Preparation
PURPOSE: The social sciences are concerned with the study of human society and emphasize the role of analysis, experimentation, and the scientific method. The chief academic disciplines of the social sciences are anthropology, economics, political science, psychology, and sociology. The Social Sciences AS degree is designed for those who plan to transfer to a four-year college or university to complete a bachelor’s degree in the social sciences. The curricula consist of courses in general education (including foreign language, natural science, and social science) typically required in the first two years of a baccalaureate curriculum in the social sciences.
Students from the Science AS degree transfer into a wide variety of majors at senior institutions including, but not limited to, the following:
- anthropology
- pre-law
- history
- social work
- economics
- government/political science
- mass communications
- sociology
- psychology
- speech-language pathology
- education/Deaf studies
- ASL: interpretation/linguistics
The Social Sciences AS degree lays the foundation for a bachelor of science degree in anthropology, economics, political science, psychology, and sociology. The program includes one year of coursework in the same foreign language. The Social Sciences program is designed to provide transfer paths that will match the requirements of senior institutions (four-year colleges and universities); however, senior institutions differ in their requirements, so students are strongly urged to work with their assigned advisor and to acquaint themselves with the requirements of the major department in the college or university to which they plan to transfer.
Students should understand that the line between the humanities and social sciences is not always clear and that some colleges and universities award BA degrees in what are usually considered the social sciences. Each student admitted to the program is assigned an academic advisor to help plan the appropriate course of studies to transfer to the student’s choice of a four-year college or university. Students who complete the program generally transfer as juniors.
The ASL/Deaf Studies specialization is designed for students who plan to transfer to a four-year college or university in a major that requires a background in American Sign Language and Deaf persons as a cultural group. These expanding fields include speech-language pathology, deaf education, ASL instruction, interpretation, interpreter education, linguistics, and Deaf studies (e.g., history, literature, and research).
The Pre-Social Work specialization is designed for students who plan to transfer to Virginia Commonwealth University and major in social work. This specialization was developed in collaboration with VCU, and an articulation agreement exists for eligible students who transfer to VCU. Students who pursue a different degree program at VCU will be subject to a reevaluation of transferable credits for their elected course of study. Students interested in this specialization should meet with the Pre-Social Work program head at Reynolds and are required to do so during their first semester of study.
The Teacher Preparation specialization is designed for students who plan to transfer to a four-year college or university in a major that requires a background in the social sciences, and who plan to teach at the elementary, middle, or secondary school level. The Teacher Preparation specialization enables the student to participate in two field experiences in area schools.
ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS: General college curricular admission
PROGRAM NOTES: The following high school units are strongly recommended: three units of college preparatory mathematics and two years of a foreign language.
PRE-SOCIAL WORK ARTICULATION AGREEMENT WITH VCU: The VCU School of Social Work guarantees admission into its BSW program with junior standing to eligible students who have completed requirements for Pre-Social Work specialization for the AS in Social Sciences at Reynolds. Eligible students are those who meet the following criteria:
- Earn an Associate of Science degree in Social Sciences at Reynolds;
- Earn a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale;
- Earn an individual grade no lower than B in HMS 100 - Introduction to Human Services and HMS 121 - Basic Counseling Skills I ; and
- Earn an individual grade no lower than a C in all other courses listed for the Pre-Social Work specialization.
NOTE TO PROSPECTIVE TEACHERS: Students who wish to be licensed to teach in Virginia should earn a baccalaureate degree in a liberal arts, science, or mathematics field. Students should consult with their advisor regarding elective choices that match their desired teaching endorsement area(s). While enrolled at the community college, students should prepare for and successfully complete Praxis Core (Reading, Writing, and Mathematics), the initial teacher licensure examination.
COMPUTER COMPETENCY REQUIREMENT: Students in the Social Sciences AS degree will meet the college’s computer competency requirement by successfully completing ITE 115 or CSC 155 . Students can also meet this requirement by passing the college’s computer competency exam, administered in the testing centers on each campus, in which case they will receive college credit for ITE 115 or CSC 155 . Students not passing the computer competency exam may retake the exam only once.
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