This program is offered online.
The Master of Arts in Social Science (MASS) degree was developed in recognition of the need for many to have access to a broad, flexible graduate program as an important element in their career development. It is designed to enable students in a wide range of occupations to tailor a graduate program to meet their specific needs and interests.
The Citadel’s MASS program can be completed 100% online. The convenience of distance learning allows working professionals and military service members to pursue a MASS degree online without interrupting their careers.
Learn how you can focus your MASS degree on leadership studies..
- For certified teachers, it offers the opportunity to increase competency in the social sciences as a key step toward teaching a wider variety of courses.
- For other professionals, the program allows a course of study relevant to advancement in their careers. For example, criminal justice professionals may pursue a graduate degree which includes a wide range of courses on such topics as criminal justice agency administration, juvenile justice, and international terrorism.
- For military personnel, a program emphasizing a variety of international and national security studies, public policy, and management courses designed to enhance career advancement can be constructed.
Mission Statement
The degree is designed to allow students to advance their knowledge of the social sciences through an interdisciplinary study of political science, criminal justice, sociology, anthropology, psychology, homeland security, leadership, and related disciplines.
This program offers students the opportunity to acquire a broad interdisciplinary background in the social sciences and includes a familiarization with the perspectives, processes, and methods used in the study of social phenomena. Designed for students and professionals from all walks of life, the program allows one to tailor the emphasis of the course of study to fit a variety of individual and career interests.
Required Program
The Master of Arts in Social Science is a 36 credit hour program consisting of the following requirements:
- Required Core (6 hours)
PSCJ 500 Seminar in Social Science
PSCJ 501 Research Methods in Social Science
*NOTE: these 6 hours must be included in the first 12 hours taken in the program. - Cluster A: Foundation Courses (15 hours)
Students should select five courses from any political science, criminal justice, sociology, or anthropology courses the department offers. - Cluster B: Electives (15 hours)
Students should select five courses from those listed in this cluster, three of which must be Psychology graduate courses (9 hours). Other courses may be used as electives with the permission of the Departmental Graduate Director. - Students wishing to focus on homeland security or leadership may take as many as 10 courses from Cluster B with the approval of the Director of the MA program and either the Director of Homeland Security Programs (for homeland security focus) or the Director of Academic Leadership Programs (for leadership focus). Students who choose to focus on social sciences as a general area will take 5 courses from Cluster A and 5 courses from Cluster B with the approval of the Director of the MA program.
It doesn’t matter how good your program is, if your team doesn’t believe in you, you’ll never be as effective as you should be. When coaching or working with a team of professionals, you need to understand that each player is a person first. I wanted to understand people. And social science is the study of people.
Donnell Boucher
M.A. in Social Science, Class of 2015
See how Donnell is using his Master of Arts in Social Science from The Citadel:
Students accepted for the MASS degree program may simultaneously enroll in the Graduate Certificate in Leadership and/or the Graduate Certificate in Homeland Security programs. Each certificate involves a separate application and acceptance. Students dual enrolled in the MASS degree and Graduate Certificate in Leadership may apply the five required courses for the certificate as the Cluster B of the MASS degree. Students dual enrolled in the MASS degree and Graduate Certificate in Homeland Security may apply the five required courses for the certificate as the Cluster A of the MASS degree. Students dual enrolled in the MASS degree and Graduate Certificate in Homeland Security and Graduate Certificate in Leadership may apply the five required courses for the former certificate as the Cluster A of the MASS degree and the five required courses for the latter certificate as the Cluster B. If a student is dual enrolled for the MASS degree and a graduate level certificate and then opts to drop out of the certificate program, the Cluster requirement(s) revert to that of stand-alone MASS degree program.
“The vast knowledge and practical experience of the faculty teaching in the Master of Arts in Social Science program enhances learning and challenges critical thinking among students. The option to complete a simultaneous Certificate in Leadership enables students to graduate with skills that will have immediate impact on their profession and set them apart from peers.”
Clay N. Middleton, Class of 2011
Lowcountry Coordinator for Congressman James E. Clyburn
For more information and admissions requirements,
please refer to the Citadel Graduate College Course Catalog.