SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

Barbara A. Dosher, Dean

Social Science Plaza
Undergraduate Counseling: (949) 824-6803
Graduate Counseling: (949) 824-4074
http://www.socsci.uci.edu/

School Requirements for the Bachelor's Degree
Graduate Programs, General Information (also, see departments below)

Faculty
Department of Anthropology
Department of Chicano/Latino Studies
Department of Cognitive Sciences
Department of Economics
Geography
Undergraduate Major in International Studies
Department of Linguistics
Department of Logic and Philosophy of Science
Department of Political Science
Undergraduate Major in Social Policy and Public Service
Department of Sociology
Graduate Program in Social Science

Overview

Undergraduate and graduate education in the School of Social Sciences at UCI represents a commitment to modern social science. The classic subject areas of anthropology, economics, geography, linguistics, political science, psychology, and sociology are included in the School's educational programs, but these programs go well beyond the traditional disciplines and can be characterized by the following emphases.

First, the faculty recognizes the value of systematic empirical observation and quantitative analysis in the study of human behavior. Developments in computer science and in mathematics oriented toward the problems of the social sciences, and the refinement of techniques for the observational, experimental, and statistical study of human behavior, have contributed major new elements to social science. Students in the School of Social Sciences will become familiar with the mathematical, computational, and statistical tools underlying modern social science.

Second, many of the most interesting questions in the study of human behavior cannot be fixed within the traditional disciplinary boundaries. Some of the new and evolving areas which cross orthodox boundaries are political sociology, public policy, cognitive anthropology, and psycholinguistics. Therefore many courses and course modules are built around these interdisciplinary social science phenomena rather than representing social science disciplines.

Third, the School emphasizes the design of hypotheses and of systems of interrelated ideas as an essential part of scientific pursuit. Consequently, the educational programs place substantial emphasis on understanding social science phenomena through the development of theories that can be used to guide empirical studies.

Educational opportunities for students in the School of Social Sciences extend well beyond attendance at courses. Students may develop independent study proposals in cooperation with interested faculty members or may investigate social science applications via off-campus internships. They are invited to participate in the quarterly evaluation of courses and instructors, to propose new courses and other modifications in existing programs, to nominate candidates for visiting faculty appointments, and to serve on School committees. The School provides a variety of opportunities for faculty-student interaction, and students will find the faculty, administration, and academic counseling staff of the School highly accessible and responsive.

Special Facilities

The School of Social Sciences maintains several special facilities for research and education.

The Social Sciences Research Laboratory, used for both faculty and student research, occupies the entire fourth floor of the Social Sciences Laboratory Building. The facility contains 40 experiment and control rooms and several specialized facilities including a virtual reality facility and cognition laboratory.

Three Computer Laboratories provide access to networked systems, where students can work on assignments using full-featured word-processing, database, graphics, and statistical packages. In addition, these computers provide students with access to e-mail, Internet services, and the World Wide Web. The Social Science Plaza facility contains state-of-the-art, high-tech lecture halls and is fully Internet accessible.

The Social Sciences Academic Resource Center (SSARC) was created over a decade ago to help School of Social Sciences students obtain the appropriate information to select a career and/or graduate school program, generate professional contacts, and learn how to gain a competitive edge during their undergraduate years. Centered around the five educational pillars (academics, research, practical experience, leadership, and community service), the SSARC offers valuable services, programming, and resources ranging from resume consultation, internship opportunities, and graduate school guidance, to research and leadership training. Through one-on-one consultations and various co-curricular programs, staff assist students with developing an educational blueprint that will ensure a quality educational experience while developing a strong educational portfolio and transforming each student into successful leaders within their chosen careers. Visit http://www.socsci.uci.edu/ssarc/ for more information.

Social Sciences Undergraduate Student Affairs (SSUSA) provides general and detailed information about UCI, the School of Social Sciences, and specific requirements exclusive to the majors and minors in the School to students, faculty, administrators, and the general public. SSUSA is fully staffed with academic counselors who speak one-on-one with students regarding their UCI academic career as well as opportunities beyond the classroom. There are also eight peer academic advisors available to undergraduates for walk-in advising regarding requirements and classes. Visit http://undergraduatestudies.ss.uci.edu/ugs_usa for more information.

The Experimental Social Science Laboratory, launched in fall 2011, is dedicated to experimental studies on individual and interactive decision making in the social sciences. The facility is available to researchers in all social science disciplines and can accommodate up to 40 research subjects at a time for computer-based studies of human behavior. Researchers interested in using the facility, and students interested in participating in paid studies, should visit http://www.socsci.uci.edu/~essl/ or e-mail essl@ss.uci.edu.

The School of Social Sciences Anechoic Facility opened in fall 2011 as a shared school resource for use by all faculty who have an interest in auditory research. The facility includes a large (12.5' x 12.5' x 7' interior) acoustically isolated RF-shielded chamber for free-field research and a second smaller RF-shielded steel booth for research using headphones. The facility has access to state-of-the-art equipment including a harmonizer, function generators, oscilloscopes, mixers/equalizers, amplifiers, ABR setup (auditory brainstem recording), and research-quality vocal microphones and headphones. To learn more about the facility, or to request time for use, visit http://faculty.sites.uci.edu/anechoic/.

Centers for Research

The Center for Asian Studies at the University of California, Irvine is comprised of more than 40 interdisciplinary faculty members who study China, Japan, Korea, India, and Southeast Asia and enhance the study of the many countries and cultures of Asia. Housed in the School of Social Sciences, the Center provides a forum for discussions across geographic and disciplinary boundaries both on campus and within the community. Learn more at http://www.asian-studies.uci.edu.

The Center for Citizen Peacebuilding at UCI is a distinctive international clearinghouse for research, education, and action on public peace processes. The program focuses on how citizens participate in these activities to prevent violent conflict and, if violence occurs, to promote reconciliation and sustainable peace. The purpose is to significantly contribute to the theory and practice of conflict resolution. Learn more at http://www.peacebuilding.uci.edu.

The multidisciplinary Center for Cognitive Neuroscience is aimed at bringing together faculty and students interested in understanding the relation between cognitive abilities and the neural systems that support them. Center participants include 11 faculty and their laboratory members. Active areas of research in participating laboratories include visual and auditory perception, motor control, memory, speech and language, and attention, among others. This research is carried out using a variety of methods such as fMRI, EEG, MEG, TMS, as well as patient-based neuropsychological approaches. Learn more at http://ccns.uci.edu/.

The Center for Decision Analysis, located in the Institute for Mathematical Behavioral Sciences (IMBS) in the School of Social Sciences, is a specialized research center where the objective is to facilitate interaction and common research goals among scientists whose purpose is to formulate precisely and test theories of human behavior. This is to be interpreted in a wide sense as manifested by the membership which spans the following areas: anthropology, cognitive science, economics, engineering, logic and philosophy of science, mathematics, political science, and sociology. Additional faculty come from management science and psychobiology.

To describe the focus, consider the fruitful symbiotic relationship that has existed for millennia between mathematics and the physical sciences. A goal of IMBS is to generate a similar relationship between mathematics and the behavioral and social sciences. With high-power social scientists (several are members of the National Academy) providing insights about the field and working with the mathematicians who are involved, new mathematical approaches to analyze these issues are being developed and new kinds of mathematical questions are being raised. For more information, visit http://www.imbs.uci.edu/.

The Center for Demographic and Social Analysis (C-DASA) is a formal campus center funded by the UCI Office of Research. C-DASA advances population science by bridging academic units to identify common research interests and exchange new conceptual approaches and analytic methods. Serving 50 UCI faculty members in a dozen departments, as well as their graduate and postgraduate trainees, the Center is committed to research on the critical issues shaping the well-being of local, national, and global populations. Faculty affiliates are recognized for award-winning research, ranging from China's one-child policy to global influenza epidemics, from programs to raise school achievement to social networks that link local neighborhoods. C-DASA promotes innovative research by fostering multidisciplinary exchange, supporting collaboration, and building the advanced infrastructure essential for demographic research and training in the twenty-first century. For additional information, including upcoming seminars, see http://www.socsci.uci.edu/cdasa.

Established in 2011, the Center for Economics & Public Policy (CEPP) seeks to improve analysis, formulation, and debate on economics-related public policy issues at the international, national, state, and local levels. CEPP brings economics-related public policy research—especially by UCI faculty and students—to policymakers, the public generally, and the UCI community; and strengthens the public policy focus of economics-related research at UCI. Based in the Department of Economics, CEPP provides a focal point for scholars in sociology, social ecology, business, education, law, and engineering who engage in economics-related public policy research. To create lasting impact, CEPP holds policy-related seminars for faculty and graduate students and increases UCI's interaction with the policy community; increases student and faculty involvement in the new Master of Public Policy program; disseminates policy-related research of Center faculty to the media and the policy community through targeted studies, its Web site, and its network of policymakers; and organizes Universitywide events discussing current policy issues, involving Center faculty and high-profile public figures. CEPP also provides support for policy-oriented faculty and graduate student research. Learn more at http://www.economicsandpublicpolicy.uci.edu.

Established in 2006, the Center for Ethnography works to develop a series of sustained theoretical and methodological conversations about ethnographic research practices across the disciplines. It supports innovative collaborative ethnographic research as well as research on the theoretical and methodological refunctioning of ethnography for contemporary cultural, social, and technological transformations. Learn more at http://www.ethnography.uci.edu.

The Center for Global Peace and Conflict Studies (CGPACS) is a multidisciplinary research unit housed in the School of Social Sciences. The mission of CGPACS is to promote research on international problems and processes. Current research emphases include weapons of mass destruction, especially biological weapons; international governance, focusing on the evolution of international norms and institutions; citizen peace building; international environmental cooperation; and religion in international affairs. CGPACS also sponsors research conferences and public colloquia on topics of current significance. The Center's Margolis Lecture brings to UCI high-profile speakers who have played active roles in international affairs. Recent Margolis Lectures have featured Justice Louise Arbour, former chief prosecutor for the International Criminal Tribunals; Chinese democracy activist Wei Jinsheng; Congressman Christopher Cox; former Secretary of State Warren Christopher; and former Secretary of Defense William Perry. Visit http://www.cgpacs.uci.edu for more information.

The Center for Language Science is a multidisciplinary, interactive research community aimed at understanding how language is organized in the human mind, how this system of knowledge is learned, how is it understood and expressed, and how it is represented and processed by the brain. This effort spans a wide range of scientific research areas, from basic and clinical hearing research to computational and psychological models of the structure and processing of linguistic knowledge to detailed neuroanatomical models hearing, comprehending, and speaking derived from advanced neuroimaging and clinical-based methods. Accordingly, Center faculty are drawn from several departments and schools at UCI including Cognitive Sciences, Psychology and Social Behavior, Anthropology, Computer Science, Logic and Philosophy of Science, Mathematics, Education, Humanities, Biological Sciences, and Medicine. The Center for Language Science has three specific aims: (1) to promote an integrated, multidisciplinary research program on language from the unique and diverse perspective afforded by UCI's faculty; (2) to promote and guide training in the field of language science; and (3) to inform and guide the development of new clinical applications for hearing, speech, and language disorders that impact millions of people worldwide.

The purpose of the UCI Center for Research on Immigration, Population, and Public Policy is to foster and conduct basic and policy-relevant research on international migration and other population processes, with a main focus on U.S. immigration. In order to encourage multi-investigator, multidisciplinary, and interdisciplinary research projects, the Center organizes informal discussions of ideas for future research projects, "brainstorming" sessions about research funding opportunities, "brown-bag" presentations of research findings, and workshops and conferences. Much of the Center's research focuses on the multigenerational incorporation experiences of immigrant groups in the United States, especially those occurring in diverse contexts such as Southern California. Investigations of this type often devote as much attention to what happens to the children and grandchildren of immigrants as to what happens to immigrants themselves. For more information, visit http://www.cri.uci.edu.

The Center for Research on International and Global Studies (RIGS) was created to be a hub for research and teaching at UCI on the interactions of politics, economics, societies, cultures, and history in global and international affairs. It provides a calendar of events, hosts the bi-weekly International Studies Public Forum and monthly research seminars, collaborates with over 17 other campus centers, and promotes seed funding for collaborative research activities on international and global issues. Faculty associated with RIGS participate in the International Studies undergraduate major and honors program and the minor in Conflict Resolution. Learn more at http://internationalstudies.ss.uci.edu.

The Center for the Study of Democracy (CSD) continues the work of the UCI Focused Research Program on Democratization that was founded in 1991 and sponsors research and training on the process of democratic transition and the expansion of the democratic process in already established democracies. CSD includes a multidisciplinary faculty from four UC campuses.

CSD's activities are focused on three areas. First, faculty administer a graduate training program on empirical democratic theory. The National Science Foundation selected UCI in 1995 as a national center for the training of doctoral students in democratization issues; the five-year NSF grant provides funding for graduate fellowships and other training activities.

Second, the democracy research program aims at improving the democratic process in the United States and other established democracies as we enter the next century. The program focuses on reforms to increase the ability of citizens to express their preferences and have these preferences represented within the democratic process.

Third, CSD supports research on the development of sustainable democracies in Eastern Europe, East Asia, and other new democracies. The New Democracies Initiative contributes to the promotion of democracy in these formerly authoritarian systems. For more information visit the CSD Web site at http://www.democ.uci.edu/.

The Institute for Money, Technology and Financial Inclusion (IMTFI) was formed in 2008. Its mission is to support research on money and technology among the world's poorest people: those who live on less than $1 per day. IMTFI seeks to create a community of practice and inquiry into the everyday uses and meanings of money, as well as the technological infrastructures being developed as carriers of mainstream and alternative currencies worldwide. Learn more at http://www.imtfi.uci.edu.

The UCI Interdisciplinary Center for the Scientific Study of Ethics and Morality was established in 2003 by a group of scholars interested in recent scientific research that yields insight on the origins and causes of morality. In creating the Center, UCI faculty both address a topic that is becoming one of the new frontiers in science and reflect critically on the moral implications of this new frontier.

The Center focuses on the etiology of ethical behavior and differs in several important ways from existing centers dedicated to the discussion of ethics. Traditional academic approaches tend to originate in philosophical, foundational, or religious discussions of ethics. They tend to be humanistic in orientation and emphasize abstract, theoretical considerations of what constitutes ethics and morality. The Center complements this traditional approach and explores the scientific and/or the empirically verifiable factors that influence morality, using a variety of methodologies that examine factors contributing to and driving moral action in a variety of social, psychological, and biological contexts. The Center encourages ties between scholars interested in ethics in humanities and the sciences—including social science, social ecology, biological sciences, and medicine—building on the interdisciplinary tradition at UCI, complementing, rather than duplicating, existing efforts. Visit http://www.ethicscenter.uci.edu for more information.

Degrees

Within the Ph.D. in Social Science is an optional concentration in Mathematical Behavioral Sciences, supervised by an interdisciplinary group of faculty.

Within the M.A. in Social Science, students may apply directly to the concentration in Demographic and Social Analysis; for those enrolled in a Ph.D. program at another institution, the M.A. concentration in Mathematical Behavioral Sciences is available.

¹Jointly administered by the Department of Philosophy in the School of Humanities.
²Jointly administered by the School of Social Ecology.
³Admission to this program is no longer available.

HONORS

Graduation with Honors. No more than 12 percent of the graduating seniors, who have completed at least 72 units in the University of California will receive honors: approximately 1 percent summa cum laude, 3 percent magna cum laude, and 8 percent cum laude. The student's cumulative record at the end of the final quarter is the basis for consideration for awarding Latin Honors. To be eligible for consideration for honors at graduation, the student must, before the end of winter quarter of the senior year, have submitted an Application for Graduation; be officially declared a Social Sciences major; have all corrections to the academic record processed by the Registrar's Office; if completing the Language Other Than English general education requirement with a language exemption test, pass the test by the end of winter quarter; and be able to verify completion of all course work by the end of the spring quarter of the senior year. Other factors are also considered. (See "Honors Recognition" in the Honors Opportunities information in the Division of Undergraduate Education section.)

Dean's Honor List. The quarterly Dean's Honor List is composed of students who have received a 3.5 grade point average while carrying a minimum of 12 graded units.

Departmental Honors Programs. Most departments in the School of Social Sciences offer an honors program (refer to the departmental information). Upon successful completion of the honors program, students graduate with honors in their respective majors and their transcripts note that they were in the honors program.

Honor Societies. Several departments in the School of Social Sciences belong to a national honor society. Eligibility is based on satisfying the requirements of the specific honor society. In the School of Social Sciences, these national honor societies include Lambda Alpha Kappa (Anthropology), Omicron Delta Epsilon (Economics), Pi Omicron of Pi Sigma Alpha (Political Science), Psi Chi (Psychology), Pi Gamma Mu (Social Sciences), Sigma Iota Rho (International Studies), and Alpha Kappa Delta (Sociology).

Order of Merit. The Dean of the School of Social Sciences' Order of Merit award recognizes the most outstanding graduating undergraduates and graduate students for their academic achievements, contributions to the School, and service to the campus and community.

Kathy Alberti Award for Graduate Student Excellence. This award recognizes a graduate student who holds truly outstanding promise as a future professor or teacher.

Alumni Academic Excellence Scholarship. This scholarship recognizes an undergraduate for outstanding academic performance and service to the School, campus, and community.

Carole Creek Bailey Undergraduate Award for Excellence in Sociology. This award recognizes an undergraduate student in Sociology for outstanding academic performance.

The Ruth Fulton Benedict Prize. This prize recognizes outstanding writing in anthropology by an undergraduate.

Steve Borowski Scholarship. This scholarship is awarded to an exemplary School of Social Sciences student athlete. The award winner is selected from among a pool of Social Sciences student athletes based on academic merit and extracurricular involvement. Coaches may also nominate outstanding Social Sciences student athletes. Athletes interested in being considered should contact their coaches. Administered by Athletics. Award varies.

The Boukai Family Foundation Middle East Studies Student Initiative Research Award. This award recognizes MESSI students for academic excellence. Applicants must be full-time MESSI students with a 3.0 GPA or higher.

James N. Danziger Award for Teaching Excellence. This award recognizes a Political Science graduate student who has advanced to candidacy for teaching excellence.

David Easton Award. This award is given for the outstanding qualifying paper written by a Political Science graduate student during the preceding academic year.

Harry Eckstein Award for the Outstanding Undergraduate Honors Thesis. This award is given annually for the best honors thesis written by a Political Science major.

Harry Eckstein Memorial Fund. The Harry Eckstein Memorial Fund is presented annually to Political Science graduate students conducting research toward the completion of the Ph.D. in Political Science at UCI. Recipients of the award are designated as Eckstein Scholars.

Jean-Claude Falmagne Research Award. This award is given to a Cognitive Sciences graduate student who has advanced to candidacy for the Ph.D. The award is to support the student's summer research activity.

Jeff Garcilazo Scholarship. This award, established in honor and memory of the late Chicano/Latino Studies and History professor Jeff Garcilazo, is awarded annually to the undergraduate student author(s) of the best research paper(s) in Chicano/Latino Studies, to provide opportunities for students to examine the historical and contemporary experiences of Latino communities.

Sheen T. Kassouf Endowed Fellowship. The fellowship is awarded to a student enrolled in the UCI Economics doctoral program. Graduate students in all areas of economics are eligible, with the major criteria for the award being excellence in course work and research.

The Justine Lambert Prize in Foundations of Science. This award is given every other year to the best submitted graduate paper on the foundations of logic, mathematics, and the empirical sciences. The competition is open to all graduate students at UCI, regardless of department or school affiliation.

Charles A. Lave Paper Prize for Creative Modeling in Social Sciences. The prize is awarded to any UCI undergraduate or graduate student and may be in any social or behavioral science discipline, or interdisciplinary. It may be qualitative (with words only) or quantitative (with mathematical expressions). The prize will be awarded to a paper that displays creative modeling; points to or includes data that permits model evaluation; and exhibits the clear writing and brevity that Charles Lave valued.

Alice B. Macy Outstanding Undergraduate Paper Award. This award is given to a Social Sciences undergraduate student in any discipline for a paper that demonstrates original research.

The Malinowski Prize for Undergraduate Research. This award recognizes outstanding original research in the area of anthropology.

Thomas W. McGillin Scholarship. This scholarship is given to an undergraduate who is a first-generation citizen of this country with at least one foreign-born parent.

Outstanding Legal Scholar Scholarship. This scholarship is given to an undergraduate who has achieved outstanding academic achievement as well as contributing to the UCI Law Forum program.

Outstanding Transfer Student Scholarship. This scholarship is given to an outstanding community college transfer student in the School of Social Sciences.

Sanli Pastore & Hill, Inc. Excellence in Economics Writing Award. The Institute for Mathematical Behavioral Sciences (IMBS) awards this paper prize for the top graduate student paper in economics or decision analysis. Students who have written papers in game theory, economic theory, mathematical economics, decision analysis, and related areas are encouraged to submit them for consideration.

Jack and Suzie Peltason Scholarship. This award is given at the discretion of the department chair to support and facilitate the education of undergraduate Political Science majors. All undergraduate Political Science majors are eligible to apply.

Pi Omicron Award for Outstanding Political Science Major. This award is given annually by UCI's Pi Omicron Chapter of Pi Sigma Alpha to a graduating senior Political Science major who best exemplifies a commitment to academic excellence and public service.

A. Kimball Romney Outstanding Graduate Paper Award. This award is given to a Social Sciences graduate student in any discipline for a paper that demonstrates original research.

David and Kristen Rosten International and Community Service Scholarship. This scholarship is awarded to an undergraduate who is planning a career in public service in either the domestic or international community.

Vicki Ruiz Award. This award is given to graduating seniors in Chicano/Latino Studies who have achieved scholarly excellence and service. Nomination by faculty in the Department of Chicano/Latino Studies is required for this award.

Elena B. and William R. Schonfeld Scholarship. This scholarship is awarded annually in the School of Social Sciences to the outstanding undergraduate who combines excellence in scholarship with dedication to the University community and the highest level of achievement in other fields. The award is available to students with one year remaining prior to graduation.

School of Social Sciences Outstanding Graduate Scholarship Award. This award is for high intellectual achievement by a Social Sciences graduate student.

School of Social Sciences Outstanding Graduate Student Service Award. This award is for contributions to the Social Science community, including the intellectual growth of others.

School of Social Sciences Outstanding Undergraduate Honors Thesis Award. This award is for the outstanding undergraduate honors thesis.

School of Social Sciences Student Athlete Award. This award is given to a Social Sciences student who has demonstrated outstanding academic achievement as well as significant contributions to the UCI Athletics Department.

Gary Singer Scholar Athlete Award. This award is for a student athlete who has outstanding academic achievement as well as contributions to their sport.

Robin M. Williams Award. This award is given to an undergraduate student and a graduate student for the best research paper in the field of sociology.

John I. Yellott Scholar Award. This award is given to a Cognitive Sciences graduate student who has not yet advanced to candidacy for the Ph.D. The award is to support the student's summer research activity.

Reza Zarriff and Rufina Paniego Undergraduate Award for Excellence in Anthropology. This award recognizes an undergraduate student in Anthropology for outstanding academic performance.

Undergraduate Program

PLANNING A PROGRAM OF STUDY

Since there are many alternative ways to plan a program, some of which may require careful attention to specific major requirements, students should consult with the School of Social Sciences Undergraduate Student Affairs to design an appropriate program of study.

Students who select one of the School majors in their freshman year might begin by taking the one-digit courses required by their major and one of the mathematics sequences listed under Part A of the School requirements. It is a good idea to take these courses early since they include fundamental concepts that will be widely applicable in more advanced courses. In addition, the lower-division writing requirement of the general education requirement (category I) should be completed during the first year. In the sophomore year, the student might complete the course on computing, three courses toward the general education requirement, four courses in the social sciences, and four electives. Students who are planning to go on to graduate school can use their freshman and sophomore years to advantage by taking courses in theory, research methods, mathematics, and other areas important to graduate study. In the junior and senior years, the student should take courses in the major area and should create an individualized program of study through a combination of courses and course modules which fall in an area of interest. Particular attention should be paid to planning a program of study that will ensure that major requirements are met prior to graduation.

Change of Major. Students who wish to change their major to one offered by the school should contact the Social Sciences Undergraduate Student Affairs Office for information about change-of-major requirements, procedures, and policies. Information is also available at http://www.changeofmajor.uci.edu.

Double Majors within Social Sciences

In fulfilling degree requirements for multiple majors, a maximum of two lower-division courses may overlap between any two majors.

Other Double Majors

In fulfilling degree requirements for multiple majors, a maximum of two courses may overlap between any two majors.

Mathematics and Social Sciences

The mathematics requirement stems from the nature of modern social science. The concepts and terms of mathematics, statistics, and computers are an important part of the social scientist's vocabulary. Basic knowledge of these tools is necessary to an understanding of current literature in the social sciences, to the analysis of data, and to an intelligent use of social science models. Each candidate for a degree in the School of Social Sciences is expected to have a basic knowledge of probability, statistics, and computing. In addition, for students who are preparing for graduate school in an area of social science, it will be important to supplement the minimal mathematics requirements with additional courses related to mathematics and social science methodology. The particular courses which would be recommended are not specified here, however, since they are highly dependent on the major emphasis of the student. Students who are preparing for graduate study should consult their advisors to determine a program of study which will give them the research skills necessary for successful graduate work.

REQUIREMENTS FOR THE BACHELOR'S DEGREE

University Requirements: See pages 54-61.

School Requirements

A.   Familiarity with basic mathematical, computational, and statistical tools underlying modern social sciences. This requirement is met by passing a three-course sequence in mathematics (Anthropology 10A-B-C; Mathematics 2A-B, and either Statistics 7 or Management 7; Psychology 10A-B-C; Social Science 10A-B-C; or Sociology 10A-B-C). (NOTE: School of Social Sciences majors may not take Social Science 9A-B-C to fulfill the mathematics requirement.) Computer education is essential for a complete social science education. This requirement can be satisfied by passing Information and Computer Science 31, Psychology 114M, or Social Science 3A. Departments may have preferences for specific courses. Students should see their major department for acceptable courses. This course requirement should be taken during the student's first year.

B.   An understanding of the fundamental concepts, analytical tools, and methods of social science. This requirement is met by taking two four-unit introductory courses in the School of Social Sciences bearing a one-digit course number. (Such courses include Anthropology 2A, 2B, 2C, 2D; Economics 1; Linguistics 3; Political Science 6A, 6B, 6C; Psychology 7A; Social Science 1A, 5A, 5B, 5C, 5D; Sociology 1.) These courses normally should be taken during the student's first year. (NOTE: This requirement may be fulfilled by option B of the departmental requirements for students majoring in Political Science.)

C.   An understanding of important advanced areas in social science. This requirement is met by passing satisfactorily nine four-unit upper-division courses in the School of Social Sciences, where at least three of these courses comprise core courses or a module. (NOTE: The major in Social Science requires 11 four-unit upper-division courses.) For modules which are listed with more than three courses, the student may normally elect to take any subset of three courses in the module. Appropriate substitutions may be made upon petition.

D.   Four additional four-unit social science courses from any level.

Students are reminded that the Pass/Not Pass option is not applicable to course requirements A through D above or to any additional requirements listed for specific major programs. However, Information and Computer Science 31 is an exception to this rule and may be taken Pass/Not Pass.

Courses used to meet requirements B through D above are included in the computation of the grade point average in courses required in the major program.

Maximum Overlap Between Major and Minor Requirements: Students completing both a major and a minor within the School of Social Sciences may count courses taken to fulfill the School's mathematics and computer science requirement toward satisfaction of both the major and the minor. No other course overlap is allowed. For students completing a major within the School of Social Sciences and a minor outside of the School of Social Sciences, a maximum of two courses may overlap between a major and a minor. No course overlap is permitted between minors.

TRANSFER STUDY RECOMMENDATIONS

The School recommends that students wishing to transfer to UCI do the following:

1.   Complete the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) prior to transfer to UCI.

2.   Refer to http://www.assist.org/ for information about community college courses that will fulfill UCI lower-division major requirements.

   Specific course recommendations:

   Prospective Economics majors: complete the equivalent of UCI's Mathematics 4 at a community college (in addition to the courses required for transfer-student admission; see the Department of Economics section).

   Prospective International Studies majors: complete two semesters of foreign language at the intermediate level.

   Prospective Psychology majors: complete a three-course sequence in introductory, physiological, and either social or abnormal psychology.

TRANSFER STUDENTS

Freshmen and Sophomores: Students transferring to UCI as freshmen or sophomores will fulfill the regular requirements of the four-year program either through work at UCI or through transfer credit for comparable work elsewhere.

Juniors: Following review by the School of Social Sciences, it may be determined that junior transfer students electing to major in one of the School's degree programs, who have good records at other accredited colleges and universities, have satisfied School requirement B and the University requirements. However, all transfer students must fulfill the upper-division writing general education requirement (category I) while at UCI. Students anticipating transfer to UCI in their junior year should plan their curriculum so as to anticipate the special mathematics requirement (School requirement A). Every effort will be made to accommodate individual variation in background, provided students are prepared to commit themselves to intensive work in areas of deficiency. Ordinarily, the typical two-year program for junior transfers is simply the last two years of the regular four-year program, except that students who have not satisfied the mathematics requirements of the School should plan to do so in the junior year and must do so before graduation.

Seniors: Students wishing to graduate with a degree in the School by transferring to UCI in their senior year should plan their work carefully to ensure that the requirements can be met in one year of residence. In general, differences between the program at UCI and programs elsewhere make senior transfers difficult.

SERVICE LEARNING, COMMUNITY SERVICE, AND INTERNSHIPS

Service learning is a meaningful educational activity that integrates community service within the curriculum. It is an opportunity for students to make positive contributions to underserved and marginalized communities through academic courses, field studies, and internships.

Service learning provides out-of-class experiences to reinforce understanding of academic theory while addressing serious community concerns. When combined with a structured curriculum that includes research components, students can explore the role of the social scientist while seeking solutions to problems affecting society. The School of Social Sciences' philosophy is to practice research, service, and good citizenship.

The School actively supports service learning through its philosophy of enhancing the learning process by motivating, inspiring, and teaching students how to recognize and accept their civic responsibilities. The goal is to educate students about social issues and provide them with the necessary tools to solve the difficult problems society faces. Under the guidance and supervision of faculty and staff, students are offered the opportunity to experience personal, professional, social, and intellectual growth through the following School of Social Sciences programs: public- and private-sector internships, community service, field studies, and the major in Social Policy and Public Service.

UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMS IN K-12 EDUCATION

Undergraduate students who wish to pursue a career in the field of K-12 education are well-served in the School of Social Sciences and the Department of Education. The following interrelated programs provide opportunities for students to gain knowledge and experience in this important area.

Minor in Educational Studies

The minor in Educational Studies allows students to explore a broad range of issues in the field of education and provides a strong foundation for K-12 teaching. Both introductory and advanced courses are included, giving students a solid preparation for later teacher credential programs and many related occupations. NOTE: A Statement of Intent is required of all students wishing to enroll in this minor. See the Department of Education section of the Catalogue for more information.

Department of Education Programs

The Department of Education provides many other opportunities for prospective educators, including a mentoring program which provides students with valuable experience while they work with credentialed teachers; UC Links, a program in which undergraduates tutor K-8 students in after-school settings; and advising services provided by counselors who assist students in planning future careers in education. Further information about these programs is available from the Department of Education counselors at 2001 Berkeley Place.

Students interested in obtaining a teaching credential should see the Department of Education section of the Catalogue for information.

SPECIAL PROGRAMS

Campuswide Honors Program

The Campuswide Honors Program is available to selected high-achieving students from all academic majors from their freshman through senior years. For more information contact the Campuswide Honors Program, 1200 Student Services II; (949) 824-5461; honors@uci.edu; http://www.honors.uci.edu/.

UC Education Abroad Program

Upper-division students have the opportunity to experience a different culture while making progress toward degree objectives through the University's Education Abroad Program (EAP). UCEAP is an overseas study program which operates in cooperation with host universities and colleges throughout the world. Additional information is available in the Study Abroad Center section.

Interdisciplinary Minors

A variety of interdisciplinary minors are available to all UCI students. The minor in Chicano/Latino Studies, offered by the School of Social Sciences, is designed to provide an awareness, knowledge, and appreciation of the language, history, culture, literature, sociology, anthropology, politics, social ecology, health, medicine, and creative (art, dance, film, drama, music) accomplishments of Chicano/Latino communities.

The minor in Conflict Resolution, sponsored by the International Studies program in the School of Social Sciences, provides skills in conflict analysis and resolution and a useful understanding of integrative institutions at the local, regional, and international levels. The curriculum includes training that students may apply toward State of California certification as a mediator.

Information about the following minors is available in the Interdisciplinary Studies section of the Catalogue.

The minor in Civic and Community Engagement seeks to provide students with the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values to engage as citizens and active community members in the twenty-first century. The minor is distinguished both by what students learn, and by how they learn it.

The minor in Global Sustainability trains students to understand the changes that need to be made in order for the human population to live in a sustainable relationship with the resources available on this planet.

The minor in the History and Philosophy of Science explores how science is actually done and how it has influenced history, and is concerned with determining what science and mathematics are, accounting for their apparent successes, and resolving problems of philosophical interest that arise in the sciences.

The minor in Native American Studies focuses on history, culture, religion, and the environment. The three core courses serve as an introduction to the Native American experience from the perspective of different historical periods and frameworks of analysis.

Information about the following interdisciplinary minors is available in the School of Humanities section.

The minor in African American Studies offers undergraduate students an opportunity to study those societies and cultures established by the people of the African diaspora and to investigate the African American experience from a variety of disciplinary perspectives and theoretical approaches.

The minor in Archaeology introduces students to modern archaeological theory and practice, to different approaches and theoretical frameworks used in the reconstruction of cultures based on their material remains, and the use of such approaches and frameworks in a comparative context that emphasizes one geographic area.

The minor in Asian American Studies examines the historical and contemporary experiences of Asians after their arrival in the United States and seeks to provide an awareness of the history, culture (e.g., literary and creative art accomplishments), psychology, and social organization of Asian American communities.

The minor in Asian Studies creates opportunities for students to explore Asian topics in a variety of fields, to develop advanced language skills, and to acquire broader perspectives.

The minor in Latin American Studies is designed to develop in students an awareness, knowledge, and appreciation of Latin American issues in the areas of language, history, culture, literary studies, sociology, anthropology, political science, health, folk medicine, and creative (art, dance, film, drama, music) accomplishments.

The minor in Religious Studies focuses on the comparative study of religions in various cultural settings around the world and seeks to provide a wide-ranging academic understanding and knowledge of the religious experience in society.

The minor in Women's Studies fosters critical and creative analysis of the various disciplinary perspectives—historical, political, economic, representational, technological, and scientific—that have (or have not) constituted women, gender, and sexuality as objects of study. Women's Studies also offers a minor in Queer Studies.

CAREERS IN SOCIAL SCIENCES

Business and industry often look to social science graduates to fill positions in management, finance, marketing and advertising, personnel, production supervision, and general administration. In the public sector, a wide variety of opportunities are available in city, county, state, and federal government. Teaching is a frequently chosen career at all levels from elementary school teacher to professor. In addition, many graduates enter professional practice, becoming lawyers, psychologists, researchers, or consultants in various fields.

Because all degrees offered by the School of Social Sciences involve an educational program that is interdisciplinary and that prepares students to understand quantitative methods of data analysis, graduates are well-positioned for research and analysis careers at all levels of government and in private firms. Their solid grounding in contemporary social science methods and their familiarity with a broad spectrum of social scientific thinking gives them an excellent foundation for the pursuit of further training in graduate and professional programs.

The UCI Career Center provides services to students and alumni including career counseling, information about job opportunities, a career library, and workshops on resume preparation, job search, and interview techniques. Additional information is available in the Career Center section.

Graduate Program

The School of Social Sciences offers graduate training in the following areas: Anthropology (Ph.D. in Anthropology), Cognitive Sciences (Ph.D. in Psychology), Economics (Ph.D. in Economics), Logic and Philosophy of Science (Ph.D. in Philosophy), Mathematical Behavioral Sciences (Ph.D. in Social Science), Politics and Society (Ph.D. in Political Science), and Sociology (Ph.D. in Sociology). In addition, an interdisciplinary concentration in Public Choice is offered within the programs in Economics and Political Science, a concentration in Cognitive Neuroscience is offered within the program in Cognitive Sciences, a specialized concentration in Transportation Economics is offered within the program in Economics, an emphasis in Social Networks is offered within the Mathematical Behavioral Sciences concentration, and a concentration in Political Psychology is offered within the program in Political Science. When an applicant's interests lie outside of or across these areas, the Associate Dean of Graduate Studies, School of Social Sciences, may, on rare occasions, appoint a three-member faculty committee to guide an independent course of study for the Ph.D. degree in Social Science.

The M.A. degree in Anthropology, Economics, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, Social Science, or Sociology may be conferred upon students in Ph.D. programs after completion of the necessary requirements.

Additionally, the M.A. degree program in Social Science with a concentration in Demographic and Social Analysis is supervised by faculty from the Schools of Social Sciences and Social Ecology. Students may apply directly to this M.A. program.

A Master of Public Policy (M.P.P.) program is also available and is jointly supervised by faculty from the Schools of Social Sciences and Social Ecology. Students may apply directly to this program.

In cooperation with the UCI Department of Education, students enrolled in a School of Social Sciences graduate program may choose to pursue a teaching credential while working toward their degree. After completion of requirements for an M.A. degree, students may apply for admission into the credential program administered by the Department of Education. As required by law, the applicant must pass the California Basic Educational Skills Test (CBEST), obtain a Certification of Clearance, and successfully complete the appropriate subject area examination or an approved subject-matter program. A detailed description of the program may be obtained from the Social Sciences Graduate Office or the Department of Education.

ADMISSION

Potential graduate students should apply by January 15 to receive fullest consideration for financial aid. Applicants should indicate the title of the degree sought (Anthropology, Economics, Political Science, Psychology, or Social Science), and the academic area of concentration (see above). All applicants are required to submit Graduate Record Examination General Test scores. Letters of recommendation and the applicant's statement of interest are important factors in the admission decision.

In addition to the University admission requirements described in the Graduate Division section, individual graduate programs may prescribe special requirements or expectations of applicants, subject to the approval of the Graduate Council. Such requirements are minimum standards only; successful applicants typically must exceed them by a substantial margin.

FINANCIAL SUPPORT

Many students receive financial support in the form of fellowships, teaching assistantships, or research assistantships available under grants to individual faculty. Before accepting an offer of admission with financial support for the first year, applicants should inquire about the likelihood of such support in future years. Occasionally, a newly admitted student may receive a multiyear commitment of some specified financial support, but this is not the rule. Students are also advised to seek aid from sources external to the University. NOTE: Teaching assistantships do not include remission of fees, tuition, or nonresident supplemental tuition.