Understand the forces that shape our communities, institutions, and world—and learn how you can help influence what comes next. You’ll investigate complex questions about people and society while building the skills to analyze problems and contribute to meaningful change.
Explore social sciences and policy at Iowa
Anthropology
Discover what it means to be human by examining cultures and communities across time and around the world. Draw on perspectives from the sciences to explore human behavior, adaptation, language, health, and our shared past.
Criminology, Law, and Justice
Look beyond headlines and assumptions to understand crime, law, and the justice system through evidence and research. Examine why crime occurs, how society responds to it, and how policies and institutions affect individuals and communities.
Environmental Policy and Planning
Turn your interest in the environment into strategies for creating more sustainable communities. Learn how policy, planning, economics, and environmental science come together to address challenges involving land use, natural resources, and more.
Ethics and Public Policy
Take on difficult questions at the intersection of values and decision-making. Combining philosophy, politics, economics, and sociology, this major prepares you to analyze policy choices, weigh competing arguments, and think carefully about their consequences.
Geographical and Sustainability Sciences
See environmental and social challenges through a spatial lens. Explore how people interact with places and natural systems, use geographic data and technology to reveal patterns, and investigate solutions for a more sustainable future.
Global Health Studies
Explore why health and well-being can look dramatically different across populations and places. Approach global health through multiple disciplines as you investigate how culture, inequality, economics, politics, and the environment shape health outcomes.
International Relations
Examine the relationships among nations and the forces shaping an interconnected world. Study diplomacy, conflict, international organizations, political economies, and global challenges while developing the analytical skills to understand events beyond national borders.
Political Science
Find out how power works—from elections and public opinion to governments, laws, and political movements. Study political behavior and institutions around the world while learning to analyze data, evaluate arguments, and understand how public decisions are made.
Sociology
Investigate the patterns and relationships that shape everyday life. Explore topics such as inequality, family, education, organizations, health, race, gender, and social change while learning how research and data can help explain the way societies work.
Why choose social sciences at Iowa?
The challenges facing communities and societies rarely have simple answers. At Iowa, you’ll learn to approach them from multiple perspectives, ask better questions, work with evidence, and understand how decisions and institutions affect people in the real world.
Whether you’re interested in public policy, law, sustainability, global affairs, health, social services, or research, you can build an education around the issues that matter to you. Opportunities for research, internships, community engagement, and study can help you put your knowledge into practice and prepare for work that makes an impact.
Careers our graduates pursue
- Attorney
- Policy analyst
- City or regional planner
- Social worker
- Government or public service professional
- Foreign service officer
- International affairs professional
- Community outreach coordinator
- Sustainability professional
- Geographic information systems specialist
- Criminal justice professional
- Victim advocate
- Campaign or political professional
- Human services professional
- Educator
- ...and many similar professions
