SOCIAL SCIENCES & BUSINESS
EXPLORE ROCHESTER t this point in your high school career, a lot is happening, and your interests are subject to change. They may even be all over the map. And that can be a great thing! This is merely a glimpse into the opportunities you have to define and embrace your Rochester experience. From day one, you create and explore your own curriculum. You’ll create clusters of courses outside your major, conduct collaborative research projects, and maybe even study abroad. All without spending time in classes chosen for you or spending money on credits you’re not interested in. By the time you start applying to schools, you might have discovered new areas of learning and experiences. If so, stay in touch with us. Let us know what you want to accomplish here.
AREAS OF STUDY*
RESEARCH AND RESOURCES Is there a problem you want to solve, a question you want answered? As one of the nation’s toptier research universities, Rochester is an ideal place for undergraduate research. In fact, many students start research their first year. You can start an independent project with a faculty mentor or collaborate with faculty and peers. Pursue any field or any combination of fields and take advantage of our various labs, libraries, and classrooms. Below is a brief list of social science research resources accessible to all students:
Alex Crawford, a political science and financial economics double major, completed a study on Citizens United vs. Federal Elections Commission, the 2010 Supreme Court decision that overturned certain limitations on corporate political spending used to sway voters to support candidates. I was interested in trying to capture why corporations spend money on politics. Analyzing corporate tax revenues and policy data from the US Census Bureau, Crawford was excited to contribute to a growing debate on Citizens United.
INTERNSHIPS Rochester students secure internships with local and national companies, corporations, and non-profit organizations. The benefits are limitless—professional networking, college credits, advancing technical skills, and in some instances, they’re paid opportunities. Rochester even has a career center to help you focus your career goals and find an internship that can help you get there. Alyssa Flaschner, a business and chemistry double major, completed a business development internship at Delaware North, a global food service and hospitality company in Buffalo, NY. Alyssa conducted research and applied her findings to new business opportunities, helping her team grow the “Sportservice” subsidiary. This was an invaluable experience leading into job interviews. I really learned how to conduct myself and how to work hard.
STUDY ABROAD Students in the social sciences study abroad to gain a global understanding of their chosen academic fields in areas as diverse as political science, linguistics, economics, and psychology. Study another country’s history, language, political and economic systems, societal and gender norms, and more.
Anna Metcalf, an anthropology major, spent a semester as a student at University of Cape Town in Cape Town, South Africa, and she found herself in the middle of a large wave of student protests. One demonstration highlighted the lack of affordable housing on the university campus for poor black students. I just started asking questions, and that sort of blossomed into me doing broader research. Metcalf presented her senior honors thesis, “Death of a Dream: Race, Colonialism, and the Politics of Space on University Campuses in South Africa,” as a culmination of her anthropological fieldwork.
AFTER ROCHESTER We enroll capable and satisfied students, making our retention and graduation rates among the highest in the country. 95% of the Class of 2018 reported a positive career outcome after graduation. Over half are employed, and 42% are continuing their education. In particular, Rochester graduates in the social sciences go on to be leaders and forward thinkers in their fields, setting an example for their peers as creative problem solvers who make the world better.
Vlad Cazacu, a psychology and business double major with entrepreneurship and accounting tracks, is the co-founder and CEO of BarterOut, a pre-seed tech startup aimed at facilitating access to education by creating an intelligent, fair, and accessible marketplace that matches students who want to buy with those who want to sell used textbooks, inside and across universities. There are so many intelligent people here at Rochester. This community pushes you to go beyond what you think you can do. Vlad used the resources at the Ain Center of Entrepreneurship to prepare his startup and create his fourteen-person team. Learn more about the Ain Center at rochester.edu/aincenter.