What would be the difference between a Social science degree and a Psychology degree?

James McIntosh: What would be the difference between a Social science degree and a Psychology degree?
Here where I live Socialologists and Psychologists work with Counselling. They have either a Bachelor in Social Science, or a Bachelor in Behavioural Science. (and some usually only have a Diploma in Social Science/Counselling).

What is the difference between a counsellor with a Psychology degree than one with a Social Science degree?

Answers and Views:

Answer by Kyle K
Well, for one thing Social Science is a broad term that refers to the study of any social phenomena or behavior. Political Science, Economics, Gender Studies, Geography even…all of these may be considered social sciences…but they aren’t necessarily behavioral sciences.

Psychology, Anthropology, and Sociology are the three big behavioral sciences (some people include economics but I don’t). So if you have a behavioral science degree, it usually means that you have a broad range of studies in all three of these areas without focusing on one specific discipline.

So the primary difference between a counselor with a Behavioral Science vs. a Psychology degree is just area of focus.

If you are asking which is better…at the bachelors level it doesn’t really make a difference. Behavioral Scientists would be more adept to deal with how social and cultural issues affect the individual (which is mostly what counselors do), but a Psychologist would be more skilled with individual emotional, behavioral, or psychiatric problems (which mostly the expertise of a clinical psychologist with a PhD).

Answer by Jayce E
Psychology IS a social science, what your probably refering to is a sociology degree(which is a social science as well). Psychologist study the processes relating to the brain. More of a physiological science, sociologists study how societies work. Both study social interaction on small and large scale.

And Economics, Anthropology, etc… are part of sociology.