Social Sciences General Education

Communication is the purposeful activity of information exchange between two or more participants in order to convey or receive the intended meanings through a shared system of signs and semiotic rules.

Communication takes place inside and between three main subject categories: human beings, living organisms in general and communication-enabled devices. Communication in living organisms often occurs through visual, auditory or biochemical means. Human communication is unique for its extensive use of language.

At UC Clermont, students learn how to effectively use language to relay messages to one another in the form of vocal and visual communication.

The British statesman Winston Churchill, who also authored a number of well-regarded history books, once wrote: "The farther back you can look, the farther forward you are likely to see." Churchill's comment demonstrates an important motive for the study of the past: if you want to understand who we are today, we must investigate where we (individually and collectively) come from.

As students of history our job is to study the past not only to learn factual information, but for ethical lessons that history teaches us, and that can be applied to our contemporary world.

UC Clermont's history faculty offer survey courses in a wide range of areas — American, world, European and African history — as well as specialized classes in subjects as diverse as the era of the World Wars to the U.S. Civil Rights Movement. Students will learn from faculty who have published on a wide variety of subjects, among them books on the African American experience in the Vietnam War, the history of Eritrea and Ethiopia, science fiction as an historical source and Cincinnati in World War II.

History classes at UC Clermont introduce students to the wide array of sources and debates that characterize the process of historical investigation, and that teach the critical skills necessary to excel in a liberal arts major.

Philosophy looks at the world and asks big questions. Does life have meaning? What sources of knowledge can we trust? How should we live our lives? How should we organize our society? Philosophy is the mother of all academic disciplines. Throughout history, when questioning starts leading to specific answers, that questioning becomes its own discipline — mathematics, theology, biology, rhetoric, political science, psychology, all began as philosophy. Philosophy is left with the tough questions. In fact, philosophy is the only subject where students may well be left with more questions than answers. And that's the way philosophers like it. When someone thinks they already have all the answers, learning is impossible.

In philosophy, students learn to think critically; to understand, critique and create arguments about all aspects of life. Students not only learn what great thinkers have come up with throughout history, but have a chance to add their own voices. Students learn high-level reading and critical writing skills in the process. There are few times in life when people have the opportunity to ask big life questions in a systematic way in an atmosphere that honors and encourages exploration. Be a part of the journey with the great thinkers of history and the great minds of today. You just might become one of them.

Philosophy, with its emphasis on critical thinking and the history of great ideas, is excellent preparation for many fields. A major in philosophy is good groundwork for Law School, Theology and, of course, as preparation for graduate work in Philosophy. Since philosophy focuses on understanding various viewpoints, a Philosophy Minor or general coursework in philosophy is good training for the business environment, conflict-resolution careers and many of the helping professions such as nursing and social work. The business world in general cites a lack of critical thinking and communication skills as deficiencies in today's college graduates. Philosophy addresses both of these skills specifically. Beyond the pragmatic value of philosophy, engaging the great ideas of history can simply make your own life more fulfilling, interesting and enjoyable. As Socrates said, "the unexamined life is not worth living."

Psychology is the study of mind and behavior. It is an academic discipline and an applied science which seeks to understand individuals and groups by establishing general principles and researching specific cases.

This class is part of the Social Sciences General Education requirement.

UC Clermont offers a variety of Sociology courses. These can be taken either to fulfill Social Science course electives or requirements in other programs, or to prepare for transfer to another program in which the student will major or minor in Sociology or a related field. Sociology is the scientific study of society and social groups. Sociology courses aid in developing strong analytical skills by exploring the social causes and consequences of human behavior, using theory and data. Our courses involve the study of the culture and structure of societies and groups and the way social change occurs within them. Courses offered include Introduction to Sociology, Introduction to Social Inequality, Contemporary Social Problems, Sociology of the Family, The Global Community: Cultural Diversity and Interaction, The Sociology of Race and Deviance.

Sociology can prepare students for a variety of future career opportunities. Sociology courses taken as part of another program develop skills in critical thinking, analysis and communication that are highly valued by employers in general. Students can pursue a Pre-Liberal Arts degree here at UC Clermont, taking freshman and sophomore Sociology courses, and be well prepared to transfer to a baccalaureate program, such as UC's Uptown campus BA program in Sociology.