Social sciences provide an analytical approach to society’s problems. As a result, faculty and students in the social sciences often focus on complex and intersectional issues such as racism, international conflict and war, climate change, and poverty. Through an objective and empirical approach to these issues, the goal is to generate genuine passion and equip future leaders with the skills they need to address the world’s challenges. Explore majors, minors, concentrations, and academic programs in the social sciences.
African Studies
Anthropology
Asian Studies
Black Studies
Climate Studies
Commerce and Society
Criminology
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World-Class Faculty in the Social Sciences
Ashley Cordes
Assistant Professor of Indigenous Media in Environmental Studies and Data Science
Ashely Cordes is an academic expert in Indigenous data sovereignty, artificial intelligence, blockchain technology and cryptocurrency. Her research explores how Indigenous communities can leverage technological utilities—such as cryptocurrency and AI—for Tribal economic independence, representational and data sovereignty, and preservation of knowledge systems.
Neil O'Brian
Assistant Professor of Political Science
Neil O’Brian is an academic expert in U.S. politics focusing on public opinion, political parties, and polarization. His recent work has focused on how people’s perceptions of politics and current events affect their political attitudes. He’s recently published the book The Roots of Polarization: From the Racial Realignment to the Culture Wars (University of Chicago Press).
O’Brian is the second UO researcher to receive an Andrew Carnegie Fellowship. O’Brian is using the fellowship to further explore what he calls the “doctor’s project.” The start of this research began when he identified a partisan divide in the trust people have in their physicians; those on the political right expressed less trust in their doctors than those on the left. This is a recent phenomenon, as data showed no difference in trust in one’s doctor until a shift in 2020-21, during the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic. O’Brian argues the partisan divide over public health measures—such as masking and vaccines—led to less trust in the medicine industry.
Melissa Graboyes
Associate Professor of History, Global Health Program
Melissa Graboyes is a historian of modern Africa and a global health specialist whose research focuses primarily on medicine and science in the East African region.
Graboyes’ current research projects have been supported by major research funds. Her work on the history of malaria elimination on the African continent is funded by a five-year National Science Foundation CAREER award. A three-year collaborative research project on returning research results from social science disciplines to African participants—removing costly barriers to make findings more accessible—is funded with a three-year NSF award. She is also working on global health research at the local Eugene level through her project on aspects of care for people who inject drugs.
As a mentor, Graboyes works with undergraduate students in research groups. She leads the Global Health Research Group, which helps students gain skills and tools for conducting undergraduate research. The group consists of students interested in global health-related topics, as well as students majoring in a STEM field who are interested in ethics, history and the processes of science.
Schnitzer School of Global Studies and Languages
At the Schnitzer School of Global Studies and Languages, UO students engage with diverse cultures, languages, histories, and lifeways across the world. Students of the social sciences, from Anthropology to Sociology, will broaden and deepen their education in their field by viewing it—and experiencing it—through a global lens. GSL prepares our graduates for life after college with an interdisciplinary curriculum, innovative language teaching, abundant learning opportunities outside the classroom, and paths of study that lead to many options for real-world careers.
Research in the Social Sciences
Research in the social sciences investigates human behavior and the motivations that influence it. Although some of our research occurs in the lab, much of it is conducted out in the field using a variety of methodological approaches, from exploratory to experimental. The results of our research often carry societal-level implications and may point to solutions for addressing local, national, or global challenges.
Explore Other Majors and Minors in the College of Arts and Sciences
Meet Our Dean
Welcome to the social sciences division of the College of Arts and Sciences. Within our community, we address some of the world’s problems—big or small—through interdisciplinary research and critical thinking. What drives us is a passion for exploring human behavior and society.
The social sciences provide the necessary foundation for any academic inquiry, from the creative arts to the natural sciences. Inside the classroom, we lead courses that are engaging and thought-provoking, inspiring students to become better citizens of our world and work toward a more inclusive future.
We also believe real-world experience offers some of the most impactful learning opportunities. From internships to study abroad trips that offer new cultural experiences, our students regularly engage in hands-on learning work that reaches across social, disciplinary, and geographic boundaries, allowing them to forge new connections and spark new ideas.
We look forward to changing the world with you.
Bruce McGough
Divisional Associate Dean, Social Sciences
Happening at CAS
4:00–6:00 p.m.
The University of Oregon Department of Cinema Studies invites UO alumni and faculty in the Los Angeles area to a summer social.
Cinema Studies is pleased to host a summer social for UO Cinema Studies alumni and faculty in the Los Angeles area! Join us for an informal gathering, conversation, and refreshments while connecting with CINE alumni and faculty in the Los Angeles area. This is a great opportunity for alumni involved in all aspects of film, TV, and media to help build a stronger UO cinema community in Los Angeles.
Tables in the back patio will be reserved.
For more information and to RSVP, please visit the Cinema Studies website.
Hosted by Associate Professors Masami Kawai and Daniel Gómez Steinhart, Cinema Studies
11:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
Did you know you can have someone review your resume before the Fall Career & Internship Expo on 10/23? Drop-in with a career readiness coach or peer coach in Tykeson Hall Commons to get feedback on your resume! Free cookies & hot chocolate too :)
Don’t have a resume? Come learn how to make one!
This University Career Center event is part of the 2025 Fall Career Readiness Week sponsored by Enterprise Mobility and Sherwin Williams. To learn more about all of the week's events visit http://career.uoregon.edu/events
9:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
Calling all graduate students and postdoctoral scholars! If you are considering a faculty, researcher, lecturer, postdoc, or other academic-adjacent position, then consider attending the 2025 BIG10 Academia Career Fair, offered in a virtual, highly interactive, and completely free, format! Details and sign up on Handshake soon.
- Meet with academies and research organizations. Interact with recruiters through video, audio, or chat.
- Discover new tenure, non-tenure track (lecturers, researchers,...etc.), postdoctoral trainee, and fellowship career opportunities. All levels of graduate students and postdocs (first years to those finishing) are welcome to explore career opportunities in academia and research.
- Never wait in line, ever. Pre-schedule individual (10 minutes - recommended for those looking for jobs now or completing their program in 2026) and/or group sessions (30 minutes) with organizations ahead of the fair or on the day-of the career fair. Both types of sessions are limited, so don't miss out! Once registered, you can add sessions with recruiters for specific organizations attending the career fair.
DEADLINE for C.V. submissions is Tuesday, October 7, at 9:00 PM Pacific Time. This is a HARD deadline, so submit early just in case you have technical difficulties. It is recommended that you add your C.V. on Handshake, as this platform is a great place to search and apply for positions at your level.
4:30 p.m.
The Creative Writing Program invites you to a poetry reading with Jan Verberkmoes.
Jan Verberkmoes is a poet and editor from Oregon. Her first poetry collection, Firewatch, was published by Fonograf Editions in 2021, and recent work has appeared in Tupelo Quarterly, Lana Turner, and The Paris Review. Her writing has been supported by a Fulbright Fellowship to Germany, a John and Renée Grisham Fellowship, a Stadler Fellowship, and a Fairfield Fellowship from the University of Denver, where she is a PhD candidate in English and Literary Arts.
Free and open to the public.
For more information about the Creative Writing Reading Series, please visit https://humanities.uoregon.edu/creative-writing/reading-series