Social Sciences

Globe Image St. Olaf graduates in the social sciences achieve leadership positions because their liberal arts educations have taught them to think and interpret intelligently, write and speak persuasively, and understand and interact with diverse individuals respectfully.

Interview with Associate Dean of Social Sciences
Steve Soderlind

Steve Soderlind"Social scientists strive to understand how societies function, evolve and respond to instabilities such as war, disease and political upheaval. They also study how human beings interact within networks, from families and communities to nations and the world." Read more »

Ole Leaders

At St. Olaf, we find that a liberal arts education prepares you for just about anything. Learn about four alumni who have made a difference in the fields of social work, international economics, physical therapy, and nursing. Read more »

Mentorship results in sports economics book

St. Olaf students enjoy close mentorships with faculty. After graduation, students often keep in touch with professors about their careers, their progress in graduate school and their personal lives. Sometimes mentorship develops into collegial relationships, as in the case of Victor Matheson ’91 and St. Olaf Associate Professor of Economics Anthony Becker. Learn more »

Economics: the international experence

Off-campus study in China“China is a huge laboratory for development,” says Associate Professor of Economics Xun Pomponio. “Everything students study in books they can see for themselves.” St. Olaf economics professors lead students on several international study opportunities each January during Interim. Learn more about the program »

Making social work work

Hmong students Neenah Yang ’06, Mai Youa Moua ’06 and Leigh Vang ’07 came to St. Olaf because they wanted a small liberal arts college experience. They were also attracted to St. Olaf because they found a welcoming environment through the TRiO program — a college preparatory program based at St. Olaf that supports low-income and first-generation college students — in their high schools. Learn more about Neenah, Mai and Leigh »

Grants for college entrepreneurs

The Finstad Office for Entrepreneurial Studies awards grants up to $3,000 to St. Olaf students or teams of students who develop the best business plan for an entrepreneurial venture. Funds are awarded for entrepreneurial projects on the basis of their social and economic potential. More about the Finstad program »

Therapeutic communication

Wudneh GagaWudneh Gaga ’06 has had a lifelong fascination with the medical field. When it came time to decide whether to be a doctor or a nurse, he opted for a profession that, to him, “places its focus not only on a particular health problem, but on the whole patient." Read more about Wudneh »

Cool Class

I Want to Help People
Asked what they want to do with their lives, many students reply with the answer that serves as the title of this Interim course. The course helps students access their gifts and passions, and opens avenues to help others through teaching, medicine, dentistry, physical therapy, journalism, ministry, psychological counseling, social work and more. [close]

Cool Class

Healthcare in Norway
Explore healthcare and nursing in Norway by examining the influence of government and economics, the settings where healthcare is provided and the effectiveness of the social welfare system in meeting health needs. [close]

Cool Class

Images of Wellness
How do culture and lifestyle affect health? Students explore contemporary values, sources of stress and coping mechanisms, healthy and unhealthy behaviors, and wellness from the perspective of non-Western cultures. [close]

Cool Class

Politics of Race, Class and Gender
Why is access to political power unequally distributed? Does this occur in all societies? Students examine the social divisions of class, ethnicity and gender in advanced and developing societies, asking how and why the benefits and penalties of power affect those of different social groups. [close]

Cool Class

History of Classical Political Thought
Socrates founded political philosophy by asking the question: "What is justice?" By reading Plato's Republic, Aristotle's Politics, St. Augustine's City of God and St. Thomas Aquinas' Summa, students are exposed to the most influential works of classical political philosophy and their relation to themes in contemporary politics. [close]

Cool Class

Human Sexuality
Designed to help students think critically about sexuality and societal messages about sex, this course includes discussion of sex education in schools, sexual orientation, contraception versus abstinence and sexual ethics. Students learn through research, guest speakers, textbooks and popular literature from periodicals such as The New Yorker and Rolling Stone. [close]

Cool Class

Perspectives on Teaching
Typically for sophomores, this program helps students decide their career direction. Students observe and participate in a classroom during the school day and take part in school activities during evenings and weekends. [close]

Cool Class

Family Values
Students examine ethical issues related to family life in the United States. The course explores a variety of theological and philosophical traditions relating to marriage and divorce, contraception and abortion, parenting practices and public policy. [close]

Off-Campus Opportunity

Britain in Transition — Economic Leader to European Union
Examine economic change in Britain from the Industrial Revolution to European Union membership. This course focuses on how economic factors interact with values and culture. [close]

Off-Campus Opportunity

Japan — Its Economy and People
This international travel course provides onsite investigation of the complex Japanese economy, the effect of the society on the economy and the impact of the economy on the people of Japan. [close]

Off-Campus Opportunity

The D.C. Semester
Observe and work with professionals in fields such as law enforcement, foreign policy, peace and conflict resolution, and international environment and development, while also meeting members of Congress, White House personnel, journalists, attorneys, lobbyists, judicial appointees and other members of the Washington community. [close]

Off-Campus Opportunity

Mare Balticum
Learn about the economic and social developments along the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea. Topics of interest range from the Hanseatic League of the 13th century to the current transition from Soviet-style central planning to a Western European social market system. [close]

Off-Campus Opportunity

Multicultural Education in Hawaii
Students examine the influence of race, class and multiculturalism by participating as teachers’ assistants and tutors in two contrasting K–12 settings. Through guest lectures, field trips and seminars, students explore the geography and culture of the Hawaiian Islands and develop a framework for examining diversity on the mainland. [close]

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