The CSS is composed of three departments (the Department of Anthropology, Sociology, and Psychology, the Department of Economics and Political Science, and the Department of History and Philosophy) and one institute (Institute of Management).
The college offers two undergraduate degrees under the Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences and the Bachelor of Science in Management Economics programs, and four post-graduate degrees under the Masters in History, Masters in Management, Masters in Social and Development Studies, and Doctor of Philosophy in Indigenous Studies programs.
A. UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMS
I. Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences. The Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences (BASS) provides a curriculum that is committed to disciplinal competence through a major-minor combination and to an integrative view of the social sciences through a set of core courses.
BASS students choose a major from Anthropology, Economics, or History, and a minor from Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, and Sociology. The core courses, taken by all students, tackle approaches, perspectives, frameworks, and methodologies that are shared by the social science disciplines as well as those that distinguish them from one another. These core courses are: 1) Historical Context of the Social Sciences; 2) Fundamental Statistics for the Social Sciences; 3) Epistemological Issues in the Social Sciences; 4) Ontology of the Social; 5) Seminar on Social Science Methodology; and, 6) Special Topics.
At the end of the BASS program, students should be able to: 1) Develop critical and creative thinking about society; 2) Discuss the general history and common traditions of the Social Science Disciplines; 3) Explain the distinguishing concepts, perspectives and methods of their Disciplinal Major-Minor; 4) Evaluate the strengths and limitations of social science theory and practice; 5) Conduct independent research in their chosen disciplines in the social sciences; 6) Demonstrate culturally sensitive and evidence-informed Social Science practice; and 7) Commit to lifelong learning in their personal and professional lives.
Given this range of academic training, BASS graduates are employed as practitioners in their disciplines and/or as professionals in various settings such as in the civil service, non-government organizations, academe and educational institutions, historical and cultural agencies, archives and museums, foreign service, international groups, research consultancies and consortiums, human resources, private enterprises and corporations, etc. Other graduates also take law, medicine, and post-graduate degrees both in the Philippines and abroad.
II. Bachelor of Science in Management Economics. The Bachelor of Science in Management Economics (BSME) program provides knowledge and training in business management that is anchored on conceptual foundations developed in the field of economics. The program is envisioned to respond to the growing needs of Northern Luzon for managerial skill and expertise with solid grounding in economics.
As a student of the program, students will learn the skills for effective business practices adapted to a prevailing context, but responsive to change and conducive to innovation. In addition to learning about the fundamental business management areas of operations, marketing, finance, and human resources, the program covers macro- and micro-economic tools of analysis for management and decision making. Equipped with these tools and with the knowledge on how to wield them with flexibility, students will be prepared to analyze business operations and the economic situation of an organization, an industry, and the country. They will not only be trained in managerial decision-making and economic theory, but will also acquire an understanding of the political and socio-cultural context of organizations. The program responds to the demand for business practitioners with a more holistic perspective in decision making and business operations, preparing students for careers in professional management, corporate planning, technical analysis, and industry analysis.
The program shall also hone research skills, not often given importance in undergraduate programs in management and business-related courses. The advantage of the program is the combination of theory and application from business and economics courses as well as research training. The inclusion of a thesis requirement, of business practice, and of several research-based courses will not only equip students to perform research functions in the context of business enterprises but to also prepare them to pursue graduate studies in business management or economics.
B. GRADUATE PROGRAMS
I. Master of Arts in History. The Master of Arts in History program combines a generalist curriculum on history and historiography and a specialization in ethnohistory and local history. It equips the students with different modes of analysis based on primary sources and multidisciplinary approaches. It likewise aims to hone skills for historical research and facilitate the application and appreciation of history to the various layers of human experience from the local to global scales.
II. Master of Arts in Social and Development Studies. The Master of Arts in Social and Development Studies (MASDS) is a graduate degree program utilizing approaches from the various social science disciplines to analyze the issues and problems of development. The assumption that development is a complex process that has ecological, cultural, moral, and other social dimensions, in addition to the economic, has found strong affirmation from the varied experiences of peoples in different countries around the world. The program of study follows the lead of scholars of development studies who harness social science theory together with empirical and policy analysis to provide a better understanding of the process of development.
III. Master of Management. The Master of Management (MM) Program seeks to provide qualified students, professionals, and practitioners with the theoretical background and skills in management needed in the efficient and effective management of all types of organizations or institutions. It is a non-thesis graduate program that is designed to enable you to assume and implement responsible supervisory and other related positions.
IV. Doctor of Philosophy in Indigenous Studies. The PhD in Indigenous Studies employs interdisciplinary perspectives in engaging historical and contemporary issues confronting Indigenous Peoples in the Philippines and elsewhere. The program also seeks to ratify indigenous epistemologies, or ways of knowing, that have been neglected and marginalized by hegemonic scientific epistemologies.