Foundation of Faculty of Social Sciences, 1963

The 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.