At school in the United States, you’ll have been taught social studies to help prepare you for life outside the classroom. Social studies is a varied introduction to society and differs from Social Science, which is offered at university. We’ve broken down the key differences and explained Social Science vs social studies for you.
What is Social Science?
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As an academic discipline, Social Science is important because it helps us understand and manage historical and day-to-day issues facing society and how we can solve them. Many disciplines fall under the broad umbrella of Social Science but the major categories are anthropology, economics, sociology, psychology and political science.
Within each of these categories there are further disciplines that analyse specific sections of society to add to our knowledge of Social Science:
Subject | Definition | Related disciplines |
Anthropology | Looks at the origin of societies and how cultures develop and differentiate from each other. |
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Economics | Understands how individuals interact with each other in relation to the production and exchange of goods and services. |
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Sociology | Focuses on groups and structures (like family) in society and how they influence individuals and systems. |
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Psychology | Study of the individual mind and behaviour and, using science, how this impacts our day to day lives. |
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Political science | Covers the theory and practice of politics, analysing systems of power and public policy. |
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Social studies at school
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Unlike Social Science, which is a field of study in higher education, social studies is a foundational subject. It is mostly taught in early education (throughout high school) with typical classroom methods like participatory discussion and homework.
Social studies has a strong emphasis on supporting community and students who are interested in it may be looking at careers in social work, teaching or public service.
Students will look at history, civics, geography, religion and basic economics to learn about the world around them and how they can participate in it. Even though they are different, social studies is a fantastic foundation for students who go on to study Social Sciences because it introduces them to concepts that they can later specialise in.
Social Science at university
At university, Social Science is research-based and analytical, giving students the opportunity to specialise in specific disciplines that fall under each category.
We’ve compared three universities Social Science departments to show you the range of majors available in the United States:
Harvard University (Division of Social Science) | Michigan State University (College of Social Science) | Rutgers University (School of Arts and Sciences, Social Science) |
2nd globally* | 124th | 213th |
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* According to Studyportals University Meta Rankings
The differences between the three universities’ offerings demonstrate how broad Social Science is and how much opportunity there is for aspiring social scientists to discover their passion.
Students studying Social Science majors will develop excellent critical thinking, research and communication skills, as Social Science is reliant on developing qualitative research and analysing communities. Employers find social scientists graduates so desirable because of how transferable the skills are, on top of being specialised within their field.
Career opportunities are fantastic for students who have done a Social Science major and include being government policy workers, economists, academic researchers and subject specialists. It can depend on your major which route might be best for you but one of the best things about Social Science is how many options there are available:
Social Science major | Career opportunities |
Psychology |
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Political Science |
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Sociology |
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Economics |
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Anthropology |
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Social Science vs social studies: what’s the difference?
As social studies is a good foundation for Social Science, the two can often be confused. It’s good to understand how they differ specifically:
Social Science | Social studies | |
What is it? | Study and analysis of society and communities to explain behaviour and solve problems | Educate students to be better citizens and understand how they can contribute to society |
Subjects/Disciplines | Political Science, Economics, Psychology, Law, Sociology, Anthropology | History, religion, civics, culture, geography, basic economics |
When is it taught? | University & research level - undergraduate and postgraduate | K12 education - primary, middle and high school |
Career prospects | Policy development, international relations, economics, research, data analysis | Community services, education, teaching |
The main thing to understand is that social studies is an early education tool to develop good citizens and Social Science is a research-based higher education academic discipline. The former offers a great route to the latter but at university it’s Social Sciences you’ll be studying.
Social studies vs social science: why both are important
Even though they are different, both social studies and Social Sciences play an important role in the American education system.
Social Science creates fundamental research into culture to address issues facing society and directly influence policy.
Social studies builds the foundation for all school students to recognise what society is, how it works and how they can contribute to improving it. It makes culture accessible and offers each student the chance to study history, politics and economics from an introductory level so that they’re better equipped for the real world.
Students who don’t go on to study Social Science at university will still have a core understanding of the principles that govern our societies, creating a well rounded knowledge base to positively inform the rest of their studies.
