Student teaching an elementary class

School of Social Innovation

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The human touch in a digital world

At Champlain, you'll be challenged to find your voice and use it to make a difference in the lives of others. Our partnerships with area-based organizations and agencies gets you working with your peers and people in the community right away and every year of your college career.

With a focus on social science, paired with applied learning in your area of interest, whether that's technology, design, business, or more, you'll tackle big, real-world challenges in teams with other students. The School of Social Innovation is for students who care about others: the born educator, the team player, the change maker, the advocate. Graduates of our programs are hired quickly and go on to lead rewarding careers.


School of Social Innovation Majors

BS in Applied Sustainability

Through perspectives of social justice and environmental welfare, you'll learn how to create and maintain sustainable systems for communities and businesses. You'll develop the skills necessary for building a rewarding career that protects people and planet.  

BS in Criminology & Criminal Justice

This forward-looking major immerses you in the field’s full range of possibilities and covers a spectrum of criminal justice topics, from lab-based forensics to family violence and related systems of social services and support. Learn the fundamental principles needed in all criminal justice professions.

BS in Education

As a student in Champlain's Education major, you'll start spending time in local classrooms in your first year. With support and expert guidance, you'll increase your classroom involvement throughout semesters until you're ready to take the lead. Our holistic approach to teacher education will equip you to teach in a variety of educational settings, and you'll choose a focus for licensure endorsement. A variety of school grades (from early childhood through high school) and subject areas are available; your Faculty Advisor will help you find the perfect academic pathway to your ideal teaching career.

BS in Law

One of only two Bachelor of Arts Law programs in the country, this major provides exceptional versatility after graduation and features courses not usually encountered in undergraduate pre-law or legal studies programs. Each professor teaching Law at Champlain possesses a Juris Doctor degree, and the classes deliver a highly analytical education in subjects such as criminal law, contract law, evidence, civil procedure, legal ethics, and constitutional law.

BS in Psychology

Career-focused and experiential, this eminently practical and diverse major allows you to customize your psychology studies toward specific applications in the professional world. In addition to learning major psychological concepts and techniques, you will also apply your understanding of human behavior to solve real-world problems in varied contexts. Upper level classes include professional and/or research internships to gain invaluable field experience.

BSW in Social Work

Accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), this ambitious and broad-based major is grounded in a social justice framework that will prepare you for change efforts with individuals, families, groups, communities, and organizations. You will graduate with the professional knowledge, values, and skills of generalist practice from a local to global perspective, along with over 400 hours of direct field experience gained through your senior internship.

Do Good In the World

Students on a service-learning course at Burlington's Intervale Center

SSI Signature Courses

SSI Signature Courses are part of a four-year, innovative experience that leads up to your senior capstone project. Through your coursework, you'll cultivate the ability to see multiple perspectives, examine your assumptions of others, make connections between classroom learning and field experiences, and apply what you've learned to new, complex situations. 

Study Abroad

In addition to our home in Vermont, we have campuses in Montreal, Canada, and Dublin, Ireland—plus a mission and curriculum that encourage international study. Many students even intern while they're studying abroad—for instance,  Education students often take advantage of an opportunity to teach while living in Dublin.

JUST THE FACTS

THE BEST


The 2021 Fiske Guide to Colleges selected Champlain as one of the "best and most interesting schools" in the United States, Canada, and Great Britain.

THE MOST


Champlain was named a "Most Innovative School" by U.S. News & World Report in its "America's Best Colleges" 2021 ranking of universities in the North.

95%


Of 2019 graduates from the School of Social Innovation are either employed or continuing their education within six months after graduating.

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Nice to meet you!

Thanks for getting in touch. Download your Academic Book here. Please reach out anytime if you have any questions about Champlain; you can call or text us at (802) 625-0201 or email us at admission@champlain.edu.

Check out our list of majors, come visit our beautiful campus, and explore our blog, The View, for the latest news and updates.