Social Science Department

Welcome to the Fall 2026 Semester!

The Social Science Department at Gavilan empowers students to explore, understand, and change the social world. Students with social science backgrounds transfer successfully to four-year colleges, pursue fascinating and lucrative professions, and make meaningful contributions to their communities and society.

Several academic disciplines are housed within the Social Science Department, including Anthropology, Sociology, Psychology, Philosophy, History, Political Science, Ethnic Studies, and Geography. Each of these disciplines offers personally enriching, career-relevant, intellectually stimulating courses. If you are interested in the career options related to these majors, our Career and Academic Pathways page is an excellent resource.

Gavilan College, along with all California community colleges, has implemented Career and Academic Pathways (CAPs) as part of the statewide Guided Pathways framework. This initiative aims to provide students with clear, structured paths to achieve their educational and career goals. The disciplines of the Social Science department are situated within the Social Sciences & Humanities CAP, which includes all the pathways that are designed to prepare you to think critically, communicate effectively, problem solve, and lead empathetically in a diverse and increasingly interconnected world.