[2] In addition, interdisciplinary degrees such as communications, law, economics and government (CLEG, which is housed in the School of Public Affairs), take classes within SOC.

In 1984, it became the School of Communication[5] and in 1993, SOC left CAS to become the sixth academic unit of AU.

McKinley houses specialized classrooms, multi-purpose learning spaces, computer labs supporting digital imaging, online content creation, motion graphics, multichannel audio, and full HD video editing.

[7] Sam Fulwood III, a journalist, author and public policy analyst, was named dean of SOC on January 11, 2021.

SOC successes under Fulwood included "the Pulitzer Prize shared by 8 SOC graduate students as part of a Washington Post-winning reporting team, the launch of the student-led integrated communications agency SOC3, and the establishment of an SOC/ESPN fellowship program for investigative and enterprise journalism.