Division of Social Sciences
Departments
American Studies
Students examine culture and identity from an interdisciplinary perspective to develop a rich understanding of the American experience. For instance, students might explore race and ethnic identity—a central theme in American Studies—in many different fields, including history classes on slavery or the Civil Rights Movement; literature classes on the Harlem Renaissance, Irish and Irish-American literature, or Jewish-American writers; music courses on jazz and American music; or a summer-session archaeology field school conducting excavations of former slave quarters on the Eastern Shore.
Anthropology
The concept of culture illuminates the human condition in powerful ways. Anthropology helps students understand human biocultural diversity and the dependence of the human species on culture for survival. Majors may participate in the Summer Archaeological Field School conducting digs at historically and prehistorically significant local sites. Assistantships and staff positions in archaeology and cultural resource management often are available to students, depending on grant funding. Environmental archaeology, cultures and environments of the Chesapeake, marine archaeology and historic preservation are just a few of the courses offered.
Business Management
Internships in town and around the world; study abroad in Hong Kong, Paris and other business capitals; hands-on work with SAP, the world’s leading enterprise software package; a student-managed investment fund—at Washington College, business management is an active liberal art. Our quant-based courses help you think with numbers. Our seminars sharpen your critical thinking skills. Our team projects bring the rewards and challenges of collaborative work. The senior capstone—a rigorous individual project—polishes your research, analytic and writing skills. All in all, our program challenges you to hone values such as curiosity, logic, empathy, integrity and communicative excellence, and apply them to the 21st-century landscape of business, organizational and civic leadership.
Economics
More than the study of unemployment, interest rates and the demand for goods and services, economics seeks to answer questions spanning a range of issues. These include poverty, discrimination, crime, pollution, education, international trade, international finance, taxation, natural resources and other issues. Economics takes the societal view that examines the impact of decisions or policies on individuals, households, businesses, taxpayers, the environment, and the country as a whole.
Environmental Studies
In a predominantly rural area projecting rapid growth, students use the region’s farms and waterways, its history and culture, its people and their environmental concerns as a learning laboratory. The Chester River is at our backdoor, and several environmental research facilities are nearby. The interdisciplinary major is designed to educate students of diverse backgrounds and interests about the nature and complexity of environmental issues. Environmental studies encompass theories of global environmental change, how the change influences the quality of life, and our relationship to the world around us. Students are encouraged to participate in internships and summer research programs.
History
In a place where America’s history lies just below the surface, students delving into Chestertown’s rich past experience a real sense of discovery. In partnership with the C.V. Starr Center for the American Experience, the history department offers students opportunities to explore the region, and to conduct and publish original research. Department faculty also offer coursework in ancient Rome, medieval Europe, the Renaissance and Reformation, and the political, social and economic histories of South Africa, modern China, modern Japan, and Russia.
Human Development
This interdisciplinary major is appropriate for prospective elementary school teachers or for those who want to work with children outside the schools. The program includes study of educational foundations, pedagogical theory and practice, and coursework in anthropology, sociology and psychology, as well as fieldwork within a professional development school or social agency.
International Studies
This interdisciplinary program offers students a strong foundation of theoretical knowledge as well as practical experience that prepares them for careers and advanced training in politics, business, journalism, international work and public service. The curriculum is enhanced by an integrated internship, study abroad and foreign exchange component, and is supplemented with numerous extracurricular opportunities including student conferences, International House activities and the International Studies Council. Model UN programs at Yale University and Geneva allow students to showcase their diplomacy skills; all majors participate in at least two off-campus experiences—including a semester abroad and a foreign or domestic internship.
Political Science
The political science major is designed to provide an understanding of the political forces, institutions, ideas and problems of contemporary society. How do political forces mesh to bring about change? How are conflicting demands resolved? Who is really in charge? With our proximity to the political centers of Annapolis and Washington, DC, it’s easy for students to witness government in action. The College offers political science majors internships with the Maryland General Assembly, the Washington Center, the Hansard Scholars Program in London and the Washington Semester and Worlds Capital Program, as well as several model diplomacy programs.
Sociology
In a program that augments a theoretical foundation with real-world experiences, students develop an understanding of human social behavior and learn how personal lives are shaped by statuses such as race, gender and social class, as well as social institutions and organizations like the family, education and the law. The study of sociology helps students gain insight for careers in social service, business or industry, or pursue graduate work in sociology, anthropology, education, law, social work, criminology or the administration of justice. Within the social welfare concentration, students may spend a year working with staff in clinical situations, developing the skills they will need to work in human services.
Minors and Programs
Archaeology students are active in research on the Eastern Shore, contributing to a growing database of the region’s historical and archaeological resources. During a six-week summer field school, students acquire skills to practice all phases of research, including work in the Public Archaeology Laboratory.
The Black Studies minor encourages a greater understanding of various aspects of black culture and new appreciation for the impact people of African descent have made on world cultures and human history. Untold stories of the African-American experience are as close as Miller Library, where census and land records and newspaper accounts offer a wealth of primary sources for research projects.
Criminology is offered as a concentration within the Department of Sociology and Anthropology. Using geospatial technologies, students at Washington College are involved in constructing crime maps and learning that mapping guides policy choices for crime control strategies.
The Education program offers certification in elementary and secondary education. Student teaching is conducted at one of ten Professional Development Schools located nearby.
Gender Studies is an interdisciplinary minor exploring gender roles, biological differences, sexuality and reproduction, media images, gender and government, law and the economy.
The Information Systems minor investigates how computer technology fosters organizational excellence. The core courses are drawn from the business management and computer science majors, providing students with a foundational understanding of computer programming and databases, the accounting and organizational behavior underpinnings of business management, and the synthesis of the two.
Physical Education classes cover a range of activities in sports, dance, aquatics and mind-body exercise, as well as theory classes focusing on health and fitness, skills performance and nutrition. Certification programs in Advanced Emergency Care, CPR, Lifeguarding and Scuba are also offered.
300 Washington Avenue, Chestertown, Maryland 21620 | 410-778-2800 | 800-422-1782