Courses and Programs

All majors complete a core of introductory courses and upper-level research and theory courses. Majors develop a broad perspective on the social sciences and get to know each other in core courses, and then focus in their chosen track. The major in Sociocultural Studies offers four tracks for focused study: urban studies, cross-cultural mission, anthropology, and sociology.

We also offer a minor in Sociocultural Studies that allows students to blend sociocultural insights with a different major.

The minor in Cross-Cultural Mission is designed for students focusing in another area to tailor their major for mission work.

The Third World Studies major is an interdisciplinary major allowing students to focus on development issues.

Reconciliation Studies is an exciting new major at Bethel designed to help students become agents of reconciliation in our world. A minor in reconciliation studies can complement a student’s major.

The department also sponsors a master’s program in Gerontology.

Student comments about courses

"This class [Interaction with Urban Lives and Systems] requires you to get out in the community and learn by seeing, asking, and doing, not just lecture and textbook. And rather than just study our assigned neighborhood, we were challenged to interact with them on a spiritual level."

"I appreciated how the instructor made the course material applicable to everyday life. I almost always walked out of this class [Race, Ethnicity and Peacemaking] challenged."

"I felt like I actually learned how to research [Qualitative Research Methods]. We were given the freedom to be creative, too!"

"The case studies provided for us to learn helped in understanding the wide range of cultural universals. Giving personal stories that went along with each topic made it [Intro to Anthropology] more interesting for me."

"As a result of taking this [Human Origins and Diversity] course I have a much deeper respect for the professionals in this field. This class was challenging to me academically and as a Christian."