Social science courses are lamps for people to see their neighborhood, society and the world at large. It involves learning how people behave ( how and why), respond, interact and affect their world. The field of social science is important to develop nations, businesses and improve processes all over the world.
Unfortunately, not many students explore the courses in the field of social science. The field of social science cuts across courses like law, psychology and communication that fit the persona of art courses. It also includes geography, archaeology and anthropology.
Whether you’re a commercial or art student who has known about social courses before but is not sure of which course to study or a student entirely new to social science courses, welcome. This resource will provide crucial information about top social science courses that you can study in the universities, career prospects and actionable steps to get admitted into the universities to study the courses.
Before the list of social sciences courses that you can explore:
Top Best Social Science Courses
The list of best social science courses includes the following but is not limited to it.
- Psychology
- Social work
- Archaeology
- Sociology
- Anthropology
- Public administration
- Mass communication
- Political science
- Geography
- History
- Law
- Business administration
- Economics
Psychology
When people hear psychology, what comes to their mind is mental health and counseling people. They are not entirely wrong, psychology is a social science course that studies, analyzes and comprehends the mind. It involves understanding underlying reasons that guide people’s thoughts, perceptions and processing of emotions.
Psychologists have opportunities to work in the clinical field, organizations, forensics and education field. In Nigerian universities and polytechnics, the cutoff mark for psychology is 180-200. It may be different in some universities based on the performance of students in the exam but a good score in post-utme and/or strong O’level can be enough to secure your admission for psychology.
Social Work
Social work is related to community development. If you’re passionate about community growth, activism and driving change, then social work might be a good course for you. Social work students learn the theories, and practical and empirical methods of driving change by championing policy change, societal issues and challenges.
Issues that require social workers are not ending and so the demand for social workers would also increase. There are career prospects in governmental organizations, social impact organizations, academia and many more.
The cutoff mark for social work in federal universities and even best state universities is 180-200. It usually takes 4 years to complete a degree in social work but it may take 3 years for students who are seeking admission through direct entry.
Archaeology
Archaeology is the study of life and behavior through research of structures, artifacts and material remains. The students go on field trips to archaeology sites and work in the laboratories to effectively analyze their findings.
Most best universities like UNILAG, OAU, UNIBEN and UI offer some of the best archaeology programs in the country. Archaeology combines anthropology, geography and tourism to study the history of human and structural evolutions.
At the University of Nigeria, it is called Archaeology and Tourism while it is Archaeology and Anthropology at the University of Ibadan. You can check the school’s website to be sure of the programme.
Sociology
Sociology is a science course that uses investigation and analysis to study human behaviors and society. It covers various aspects of life including culture, government, social vices, education and others. One of the most interesting aspects of studying sociology is its flexibility.
One can pick up interpersonal skills, communication and most importantly research. These skills are resourceful in whatever careers students choose to stay in.
The cutoff mark for sociology varies every year for various reasons but generally, it is 200. If one doesn’t get up to the cutoff mark, it may be a good idea to check the list of art courses or check for other courses under the commercial department.
Public Administration
Public administration is one of the social science courses that is close to being a management science course. It deals with surveillance, organization enactment of government policies. Students of public administration have career prospects in government of all levels in; federal, state and local government.
Aside from a career in public service, a public administration degree is useful in private institutions too. One can study public administration in universities and the best polytechnics in Nigeria. The jamb cutoff mark for public administration is 180 but the cutoff for public administration in polytechnics is 150.
Political Science
Political science is the study of politics and political institutions. It delves deeply into political processes at local, state, national and international levels by analyzing political thoughts and systems and understanding political policies and public administration.
Careers in political science do not only end in leadership ( Senators, governors, etc), they transcend to working as political analysts, diplomacy and international relations, consultants and so much more.
The cutoff mark for political science is 200. The subject combination for political science varies according to universities and polytechnics.
Geography
Geography studies the environment (earth) and how we relate to it. It is one of the social sciences that can be classified in other disciplines; geography can be awarded as a degree in art or science but it is a social science course because it studies our interaction with our environment and the environment itself.
Possible career choices in geography are in the following fields; physical geography ( climatology, biogeography, etc), environmental geography, human geography, etc. The cutoff mark for geography is 200.
History
History is one of the broadest social science courses as it covers almost all areas of life from environment and government to social movements and wars. In Nigerian universities, it is usually paired with international relations or strategic studies. Career options in history as a course include academia, marketing and publishing, research and may even work in government and as a public servants.
Top Universities in Nigeria offer history as a degree in arts for 4 years but some polytechnics also offer the course as a diploma which lasts for two years.
Law
Law is arguably an art course but the aspect of learning how legal systems affect people and society makes it a social science course. It is a course with relevance in all spheres of life and the career choices cannot just be exhausted.
It will take 5 years to complete a law degree in universities for students who get admission through Jamb. On the other hand, students who get admission through direct entry or A Level will take 4 years. The Jamb cutoff mark for Law is 200. But it is higher in universities, students should aim for 250 and above to study Law in Nigerian universities.
Business Administration
One of the best courses under the commercial department is Business Administration. It is the study of strategic development and management of businesses. The scope of business administration as a course handles the overall management, financial planning, marketing and sustainability of a business. With the number of existing businesses and new ones, business administration degree holders may never go out of a job.
Business Administration is very competitive and so the cutoff mark is above 200 in universities.
Economics
Economics is simply the creation of wealth. It is one of the most popular and competitive commercial courses because of its relevance to all spheres of life. As an economist, the main branches of specialization are macroeconomics, microeconomics and developmental economics.
The cutoff mark for economics is 200 but to be on the safer side, students should target 250 in their jamb examination.
How to Gain Admission into the University to Study Social Science
Right subject combination:
It is normal to be confused about the correct subjects to write in the ordinary-level and JAMB examinations. Social science courses include some science, commercial and art subjects. Also, the subject combinations differ from one institution to the other.
Subject combination for SSCE/WAEC: One needs at least 5 credits passes in Mathematics, English, Economics, Biology, Civic education, Government, Geography, Literature in English, Religious studies, History and/or Accounting.
Jamb Subject combinations for social science courses include; English and Government.
Two out of the following are also required: Literature-in-English, Economics, Geography, civic education and religious studies. Confirm the jamb combinations from your school. No matter the social course that one wants to study, there is a need to pass Jamb excellently.
Excellent scores in JAMB and WAEC examinations:
Students rush to social science courses because they assume that they are easy and the requirements to get admission are not high. That is not true. Although the cutoff marks for social science courses are not as high as some medical or engineering courses, it is also important to pass well.
It is advisable to score above 200 and that is only possible with hard work. Study the subject curriculum, utilize good reading habits and practice past questions. Don’t forget to employ useful free jamb past questions practice to pass examinations. Beyond JAMB and WAEC, one also needs to get and sustain good grades throughout the university.
Conclusion
Specialization in social science courses is at the level of a master’s or doctorate. Students of Social science courses need to build their extra-curricular activities while they are in school to compete adequately with available jobs in their field. Take extra courses online, volunteer for programs and connect with experts in your field. Those are the ways to be ahead at the end of your course.
At the end of this article, you should have the basic knowledge of social courses but most importantly, you must understand the requirements of your university choice. We wish you success as you make the best choice.