 Are you fascinated by people? Are you curious about why we do what we do? Do you have a desire to help others? Are you drawn to explaining, analyzing, communicating, or persuading? If so, you may find your best fit major among the social and behavioral sciences in the College of Arts and Sciences. These majors study the behavior of people, both as individuals and communities. Anthropology and Anthropological Sciences focus on the holistic, scientific examination of humankind and human cultures. Anthropologists specialize in physical anthropology, the study of human evolutionary descent, cultural anthropology, the study of cultural variation among humans, or archaeology. The study of the ancient and recent human past through material remains. The anthropology major places an equal emphasis on these three areas of study and leads to a Bachelor of Arts degree. The Anthropological Sciences major places an emphasis on physical anthropology and leads to a Bachelor of Science degree. The Anthropological Sciences major is more appropriate for students who intend to pursue graduate studies and research in the Anthropological Sciences, Biomedical Sciences, or Employment and Applied Anthropology. Students in these majors have the opportunity to participate in research with faculty in some really interesting places such as Cameroon, Hungary, Japan, Portugal, Yemen, Guatemala, and right here in Ohio. The Atmospheric Sciences major examines weather forecasting, severe weather, climate change, and micro meteorology. Atmospheric Sciences majors have access to the Synoptic Meteorology Laboratory, various instruments for data collection and analysis, and Twister, OSU's weather server which provides real-time meteorological data. Graduates of this program meet all of the federal civil service requirements for meteorologist positions and qualify for employment with the National Weather Service, the FAA, and other federal agencies and private weather forecasting services. The Communication major has three specializations, communication analysis and practice, new media and communication technology, and strategic communication. Communication analysis and practice develops core competencies and communication alongside a focus area and one of the following. Mass media effects, communication for advocacy and politics, interpersonal communication processes, and health science and risk communication. The new media and communication technology specialization examines how communication technology tools are currently used and how they can be better designed to improve usability and effectiveness. Students learn about cognitive engineering, human-computer interaction, online news, and basic design principles. Strategic communication studies communication practices within and between organizations. Some of the focus areas include negotiation, team problem solving, leadership, and persuasive communication. The Communication major prepares students to pursue internships and careers in marketing and public relations agencies, radio stations, government, television, and more. Criminology and criminal justice studies examines the types, causes, and effects of crime, crime mitigation and prevention, and the functioning of the criminal justice system. Students who pursue this major have the opportunity to enter the workforce in a variety of fields including law enforcement, crime prevention, research, fraud investigation, health and social services, community welfare, and government. The Economics major studies the distribution of scarce resources with particular attention to the behavior of the modern world's primary means of resource distribution, the market. Economics addresses such topics as unemployment, inflation, stock prices, public policy, labor, bargaining, and property rights. Students who major in economics find employment in banking, insurance, government, law, security markets, and more. There's also great preparation for graduate and professional school in such areas as law and business. The Geographic Information Systems major teaches you how to use specialized maps and software to communicate geospatial information. This information has a variety of uses including emergency management, business location and retail analysis, transportation modeling, crime and disease mapping, and natural resource management. Students who graduate with a degree in geographic information systems find employment in fields such as spatial database development and management, environmental planning, transportation planning, software development, cartography, conservation, and urban planning. The geography major has four specializations, environment and society, urban regional and global studies, spatial analysis, and climatology and physical geography. The environment and society specialization studies the relationship between physical phenomenon such as climate change, weather, and hydrology, and social phenomena such as land use decisions, racial inequality, and political decision making. The Urban, Regional, and Global Studies specialization studies the relationship between geography and politics, society, culture, and economics. Students learn about how technology, migration, and social and political conflict influence neighborhoods and cities across the world. The spatial analysis specialization teaches students how to use databases and statistical tools to study and improve transportation, travel patterns, public transport, urban and regional development, natural resource planning, and space optimization. The climatology and physical geography specialization focuses on global climate change, climate history, and climate modeling. Students who major in geography may pursue careers with federal and local government agencies, industrial firms, nonprofit organizations, private forecasting firms, television, and more. The International Studies major has 11 specializations, African Studies, Development Studies, East Asia Studies, Globalization Studies, International Relations and Diplomacy, Latin American Studies, Middle East Studies, Security and Intelligence, Slavic and East European Studies, Western European Studies, and World Economy and Business. The specializations in African Studies, East Asian Studies, Latin American Studies, Middle East Studies, Slavic and East European Studies, and Western European Studies introduce students to the cultural, economic, historical, and political forces arising inside and outside of these particular areas that have influenced their past, present, and future. The remainder of the International Studies specializations focus are thematic rather than regional. The Development Studies specialization places emphasis on the underdevelopment and modernization in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East. The Globalization Studies specialization examines the relationship between globalization and communication, trade, governance, health care, employment, conflict, language, and culture. The International Relations and Diplomacy specialization introduces students through the economic and political relations among sovereign states in the post-World War II period. Students are introduced to issues such as problem-solving, diplomacy, trade, war, culture, and security. The Security and Intelligence specialization focuses on the nature of conflict and war, especially in the aftermath of the September 11 attack on the World Trade Center. Students learn about national security, conventional war, terrorism, biological warfare, information theft, and espionage. The World Economy and Business specialization educates students about economic globalization, the role of the United States in this process, and the domestic impacts of these changes. Students who major in International Studies may find careers in government, business, and international development agencies. It is also great preparation for law school. Neuroscience is an interdisciplinary major that focuses on the organization, development, and function of the nervous system and its relationship to behavior, cognition, and disorders. Students study a variety of subjects including psychology, biology, genetics, and computer science. The major has three specializations, behavioral systems, cellular molecular, and cognitive computational. Students are encouraged to do research and may receive course credit for doing so. Neuroscience graduates may seek employment in a variety of fields such as biomedical research, pharmaceutical sales, hospital administration, and public service. Neuroscience is also a popular supporting major for health professions. The political science major exposes students to the political theory, structures of government form around the world, types of political parties, and the impact of political decision making at the micro and macro level. Political science majors specialize in American politics, comparative politics, international relations, or political theory. With the state government based in Columbus, Ohio, and various other internship programs based in Washington, D.C., students have plenty of opportunities to gain valuable experience. Students who major in political science often find career opportunities in government, research, consulting, interest groups, journalism, and law. The psychology major introduces students to the study of human behavior from various theoretical perspectives, including biological, cognitive, emotional, and social. Course topics include judgment and decision making, mental health disorders, lifespan development, interpersonal relationships, counseling, neuroscience, and perception. Students have an opportunity to participate in faculty research labs and may present at local or national conferences. Graduates often work in business, health services, personnel administration, probation, law enforcement, and sales. Psychology majors may also pursue graduate level programs in medicine, counseling, law, nursing, public policy, public health, and more. The Public Affairs Journalism major teaches the process of gathering, interpreting, and presenting news and information to the public. Students learn the fundamental skills in reporting, investigating, and writing. They also study interactive journalistic forms, such as blogging and social media. Journalism majors gain practical experience by working on the student newspaper publication, The Lantern. Journalism majors intern and work with newspapers, magazines, television, and radio stations, and communications departments. The Social Sciences Air Transportation major introduces students through the transportation and flight industries, while also emphasizing the relationship between the air transportation industry and social, cultural, geographical, and economic factors. Students learn about transportation security, geographic information systems, cartography, aircraft performance, aviation communication, management, and government policy and regulation. Air transportation has a professional pilot track, which can lead to certification as a commercial pilot. In addition to piloting, graduates find work in a variety of settings, including airports, airlines, corporate aviation, cargo aviation, flight support and planning, air traffic, government, regulatory bodies, and transportation management. The sociology major studies group, organizational, and societal behavior. Course topics include crime and law, work and occupations, education, religion, sports and leisure, politics, race, and gender. Graduates find work in a variety of sectors, including community and nonprofit organizations, health and social services, criminal justice and corrections, business, and government. The Speech and Hearing Science major studies healthy functioning and disorders of the auditory system, speech mechanics and speech disorders, and language processing. Many students use this program as the foundation for a career as a speech-language pathologist or audiologist. Speech-language pathologists assess and treat people with speech, language, voice, and fluency disorders. Audiologists assess, diagnose, and rehabilitate hearing and balance disorders. Both of these professions require advanced training at the graduate level and a professional license. Finally, the World Politics major examines political institutions and processes around the world at the national, cross-national, and international levels. This major prepares students to live and work in a globalized environment in which international events influence domestic politics and vice versa with increasing intensity. This major helps prepare students for careers in intelligence and national security, foreign policy and diplomacy, international business analysis and consulting, international finance and global investment baking, international humanitarian and development organizations, international governance, conflict mediation and resolution, research institutes, and think tanks with a global focus, as well as secondary and higher education. In any social and behavioral science major, you will develop significant critical thinking and analytical skills, and many of these majors also heavily emphasize the development of writing and communication skills. These transferable skills are valuable for a wide range of careers. The College of Arts and Sciences Career Services Office, FutureLink, provides arts and science majors with career development advice and connects them to internship and job opportunities. If you're interested in any of these majors, the general education is a terrific way to explore one or more of them while still keeping your doors open. The social science, historical study, and second writing GE categories include a number of courses directly applicable to exploring social and behavioral science majors. You can find more detailed recommendations using the freshman GE guide and the courses to explore a major's guide available at go.osu.edu forward slash love your classes. For more information about social and behavioral sciences majors or to declare a major or pre-major, call 614-292-6961 or stop by the Arts and Sciences Advising Office in 100 Denny Hall. As always, you are welcome to meet with any advisor in University Exploration if you have follow-up questions. You can schedule an appointment by calling 614-292-0646 or stopping by our office in 352 Denny Hall.