Division of Social Science
Wide-ranging expertise
The faculty of the FAS Social Science division are experts in politics, economics, society, and the human mind. Their methods are cutting edge, ranging from data-driven statistical analysis to ethnography and fieldwork; from polling and surveys to neuroimaging. Their work leads to new understandings of social and political systems and the nature of human interaction and thought.
The divisional dean of Social Science is Kenneth Scheve.

Social Science departments and programs
The FAS is home to seven social science departments: Anthropology, Economics, Linguistics, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology, and Statistics and Data Science. In addition, several programs are cross-divisional, bridging Social Science and Humanities.
News

Gandhi named the Wang ’95 Professor of Global Affairs and Political Science
Jennifer Gandhi, a political scientist who joined the Yale faculty in 2022, studies authoritarian regimes and transitions to democracy.
Luciano Floridi Named Dartmouth Montgomery Fellow
Floridi is one of four Spring 2025 Montgomery Fellows who will visit Dartmouth in the coming months to discuss topics related to artificial intelligence.
Cold War redux? Weighing the risks of a ‘great-power’ contest with China
In a new book, Yale historian Michael Brenes argues that engaging in great-power competition with China ultimately weakens the United States both at home and abroad.
Meet the FAS faculty: Mellissa Meisels
For political scientist Mellissa Meisels, congressional primaries are like a show she can’t turn off.
At the forefront of economics
Can the field of economics help to achieve greater equality? Rohini Pande, economist and Director of the Yale Economic Growth Center, believes economists should consider notions of justice, not just efficiency. As part of a large study, she and her colleagues, along with researchers from the Inclusion Economics initiative, are currently surveying over 5,000 Indian women to better understand a major gender disparity in mobile phone use in the country and whether government policies might be needed to correct the imbalance.