2023 Best Online Social Science Degrees

Thomas Edison State University (TESU) is a public institution offering an online Bachelor of Arts in Sociology focusing on human beliefs, behaviors, attitudes, and social organization. This 120-credit program takes full-time students approximately four years to complete. Students may earn credits for prior learning and work experience, eliminating the need to complete specific courses and saving time and money. Similarly, TESU offers an online Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Bachelor of Arts in Communications. The university has a 100% acceptance rate due to its open admissions policy, and it has a 48% graduation rate.

TESU delivers its online curriculum via Moodle. Distance learners in the online sociology program participate in classes such as Introduction to Critical Reasoning, Modern Sociological Foundations, Women and Social Action, and Sociology of Work. Students must also complete a capstone project to graduate.

The University of North Dakota (UND) is a public institution offering an online Bachelor of Arts in Social Science that enables students to individualize a program based on their goals and interests in this field. They can choose from areas of study such as communication, criminal justice, geography, or history. Graduating requires completing 120 credits, which typically takes full-time students four years. Similar degrees include an online Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and an online Bachelor of Science in Social Work. UND accepts 87% of applicants, and around 50% of students graduate with degrees.

UND provides the Blackboard learning management system to its online students. Depending on their interests, social science distance learners participate in courses such as Psychology and Law, International Economics, Delinquency and Juvenile Justice, and Urban Politics and Administration.

SUNY Empire State College (SUNY Empire) is a public institution offering an online Bachelor of Science in Social Science and an online Bachelor of Arts in Social Science that allows students to design a unique program with the support of a faculty mentor. Students complete approximately 124 credits to graduate, which takes about four years of full-time attendance. Due to its open admissions policy, SUNY Empire accepts 100% of applicants. Forty-seven percent of students graduate with degrees.

SUNY Empire uses Moodle to deliver coursework and instruction to distance learners. Those enrolled in the online social science programs take courses in six foundational areas based on their interests, such as Family and Society, America's Founding Ideas, Environmental Anthropology, Diversity and Cultural Competency, and Memory and Society.

Washington State University (WSU) is a public institution offering a customizable online Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences based on a student's academic and career goals. There are 12 concentrations to choose from, including Anthropology, Comparative Ethnic Studies, Human Development, and Women's Studies. Prospective students can also explore WSU's online Bachelor of Arts in Human Development or online Bachelor of Science in Psychology for similar options. Full-time students generally complete this 120-credit program in four years. WSU accepts 80% of applicants, and 65% of students graduate.

WSU delivers its online curriculum via Canvas. Depending on the concentration chosen, distance learners can enroll in courses such as Gender in Cross-Cultural Perspectives, Modern Britain, Policing and Society, and Gerontology.

Upper Iowa University (UIU) is a private, nonprofit institution offering an online Bachelor of Science in Social Science suited for prospective students interested in careers in fields such as law, business, and public administration. This well-rounded online degree program includes areas of emphasis in General Social Science, History, Political Science, Psychology, and Sociology. Graduating requires 120 credits, which full-time students may complete in less than four years due to the program's accelerated format. UIU has a 65% acceptance rate, and 50% of students graduate on average.

UIU uses its proprietary learning management system — uiuLearn — to deliver the online curriculum for a social science degree. Depending on the emphasis chosen, online social science undergraduates enroll in courses such as Diversity in the United States, Gender Roles, Political Anthropology, and International Relations. Students also complete a senior project to graduate.