Foundation of Faculty of Social Sciences, 1963

Edinburgh University's Faculty of Social Sciences was founded in 1963.

The years following the Second World War saw a dramatic rise in interest in the social sciences, coupled with a new conceptual approach which separated them from the humanities. Until the 1960s, all social science teaching at Edinburgh had taken place within the Faculty of Arts. In 1963, however, an ordinance was passed creating a separate Faculty of Social Sciences. It initially consisted of a newly created Chair in Politics (previously taught as a component of Economic Science or History), together with eight already existing Chairs:

• Economic Science (founded 1871)
• Education (founded 1876)
• Accounting (founded 1919)
• Organisation of Industry and Commerce (founded 1925)
• Psychology (founded 1931)
• Geography (founded 1931)
• Architecture (founded 1948)
• Economic History (founded 1956)

In the following years, the Faculty expanded through the foundation of Chairs in:

• Social Anthropology (1964)
• Urban Design and Regional Planning (1964)
• Economics (1965)
• Sociology (1965)
• Social Administration (1967)

Again, these were all subjects that had previously been taught within the Faculty of Arts. Personal Chairs were also created in Econometrics (1967), Economics (1967), Social History (1967), European Institutions (1969), and African Urban Studies (1971).

Vocational courses were also offered leading to certificates in

The decades immediately followingThe rise of the social sciences was a striking post-WWII development. Subjects like Geography and Economics had long been taught, and there had been modest initiatives in teaching Business Studies and training for Social Work in the interwar years. But now a new conceptual approach developed which separated social science subjects from the humanities. It was coupled with a move towards graduate status for professions like accountancy and nursing. This led to the creation of a separate faculty in 1965. Edinburgh was a pioneer in making nursing into a graduate subject, the chair created in 1971 said to be the first in Europe. Much social science teaching was voational, but the period also saw the development of subjects such as politics, sociology, and social anthropology. The Social Sciences faculty soon equalled the science faculty in its high proportion of postgraduates due to the growth of vocational diplomas alongside doctoral work.

1964-65

Chairs

Politics (1963) (previously taught as part of History or Economic Science in Faculty of Arts Urban Design and Regional Planning (1964) (Town and Country Planning previously taught in Faculty of Medicine, Urban Geography in Arts) Social Anthropology (1964) Sociology (1965)

It offered an MA, Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch.), Bachelor of Commerce (B.Com), Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) Postgraduate Diplomas in African Studies, Architectural Acoustics, Civic Design, Clinical Psychology, Education Geography, Landscape Architecture, Management Studies, Nursing Studies, Regional Planning, Social Anthropology, Social Study Postgraduate degrees of Master of Science (M.Sc.), Master of Architecture (M.Arch) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

The certificates for which the Faculty is responsible are in Child Care (up to here), Educational Studies, Medical Social Work (previously Arts), Nursing Studies, Public Administration, Psychiatric Social Work, and Social Study (all previously Arts)