The Social Sciences Department at Cal Poly offers bachelor’s degrees and minors in Anthropology-Geography and Sociology, as well as a minor in Latin American Studies. Within each major, students are required to choose a concentration relevant to their future career endeavors. The Anthropology-Geography major concentrations include global studies and international development, environmental studies and sustainability, and human ecology. Sociology majors can choose a concentration in criminal justice, organizations, or social services.
Students are trained in applied technical skills including GIS, remote sensing, research design, social data collection, and qualitative/quantitative methodology.
Modified from socialsciences.calpoly.edu
Senior Projects from 2024
Racialization, Individualism, and Denial: How the American and Australian Dreams Uphold the Homelessness and Poverty Crises of Today, Emily Rose Andrews
Legacy of Colonialism and Post-Colonial Transition: The Algerian Conflict of Identity, Judith Papineau
Senior Projects from 2022
The Role of Psychotherapy in Effective Integration of Spiritually Transformative Experiences, Michael Deklerk
Raising Native Plant Awareness as a Method for Re-Naturalization, Meredith L. Haaker
The Role of Native Hawaiian Spiritual Practices in Social Systems and Environmental Stewardship, Christina A. Hornbaker
Prehistoric Subsistence Strategies on the Pecho Coast: An Experimental Collection of California Mussels and Turban Snails, Kate S. Knox
Senior Projects from 2021
Securing Funding for the 40 Prado Medically Assisted Residential Treatment Center, Manees Kanukuntla
Addressing Social Isolation and Loneliness in Older Adults: A Person-Centered Approach, Samantha K. Koyama
Mapping the Suitability of Cal Poly's Insulated Solar Electric Cookers (ISEC) in Ghana, Togo, and Jamaica, Julia G. Kraatz
Conspiratorial Thinking and Personality, Fiona R. Papile
Senior Projects from 2020
Addressing Reentry Experiences in California During COVID-19, Emily R. Cook
The Subaltern Magazine, Rebecca Fox and Riese Nichols
Display Significance at Planes of Fame Air Museum, Callie Ann Maloney
Stress Levels in Cal Poly Student-Athletes Versus Non-Student-Athletes, Anthony Dean Mattle
21st Century Policing: Building Trust and Communication, Tyler Merritt Schilling
Senior Projects from 2019
Youth-Sized Lab Coats: When Children Become Doctors Through Adolescent Healthcare Brokering, Lindsey Russell
Understanding Trauma and Victimization in Women's Incarceration: California's Treatment Response, Marissa Tuttle-Roache
Senior Projects from 2018
Interracial Dating on Campus, Marisa Andersen
Struggling to Survive: Addressing the Graduation Rate of Cal Poly's Black Men, Malcolm Saleem Mills
Senior Projects from 2017
The Benefits of Prison Art: Providing Rehabilitation and Positive Implications, Eliese Maxwell
The Effect of Locus of Control and Autonomy on Motivation in the Workplace, Kelley K. Nekota
Let's Get Real: Problematizing the Use of the Real Food Calculator in Large-Scale Food Systems and Exploring Alternatives, Stacey Kathleen Olson
A Study of Nature Versus Nurture While Diagnosing Anxiety or Conduct Disorders in Adolescents, Austin Laura Schnur
The Varying Views of Sexual Assault from Cal Poly's Campus Community, Kristen A. Tabone
Senior Projects from 2016
A Bead Analysis of Northern Chumash Village Site, Tstyiwi: CA-SLO-51/H, Kaya Wiggins