Hello. I am a high school senior that is conflicted about what major to pursue in Community College. This I would like to know the similarities and differences between a Social Science and History major. Also, of which of the major can benefit in the future because I would like to eventually become a middle school or high school teacher.
Please give me any advice! Thanks!
History is considered one of the humanities, but it is often grouped together with other social sciences such as anthropology, economics, geography (human), political science, sociology, etc. The social science major at your school very likely deals with a number of fields, as above. History, however, is an incredibly diverse field that touches upon a multitude of subject areas.
Note that you will not find the social science major at very many 4-year colleges and universities, if you plan to transfer. However, you may be able to transfer into a history major from the community college social science major, depending on your coursework/credits, or you may be able to transfer into another social science field. Find out what credit you would receive with the social science major when applied toward a particular major at another school.
The history major is probably the safer bet in terms of receiving credit. You will obviously have more depth within one field, plus you can transfer into a history major at almost any 4-year institution.
Does your community college offer a 4-year degree? Do you plan to transfer after 2 years?
A social science major at a community college is typically intended to allow you to transfer into one of the social science majors at a four-year college - most typically psychology, anthropology, economics, political science, or sociology. Typically, even though your degree and major is technically called “social sciences” or “AA in social sciences,” you concentrate in a specific social science that lets you earn credit towards a major at a public four-year in your state. It’s no less likely to provide transfer credits than a history major.
History does sort of sit on the line between humanities and social sciences. The methods employed often are more humanistic (“methods that are primarily critical, or speculative, and have a significant historical element”) than scientific, but the questions and issues engaged can fall into both categories. Anthropology is also sometimes considered a humanities field, so history’s not alone (and there are many other fields that straddle two areas).
If you want to be a teacher, you need to major in secondary education in an area that will allow you to earn licensure in the state in which you want to teach. That would necessitate studying something that teachers in your state actually do teach. History is a widely required course that middle and high school students have to take. Political science may allow you to teach some social studies classes, like civics and government, and economics may allow you to teach economics in schools/states that require it (many do). But honestly history is a better bet as a major for someone who wants to teach secondary school in the U.S.