Overview
UC San Diego’s School of Social Sciences explores how people, institutions, and societies function, change, and interact across local and global contexts. The school brings together disciplines such as anthropology, economics, ethnic studies, political science, psychology, sociology, cognitive science, and urban studies and planning. Through research, teaching, and public engagement, it helps students analyze human behavior, inequality, policy, culture, and social systems using both qualitative and quantitative approaches. Its undergraduate and graduate programs emphasize critical thinking, data literacy, interdisciplinary collaboration, and real-world impact, preparing students for careers in public service, research, education, business, law, healthcare, and community leadership.
Maggie Blaisdell, Urban Studies and Planning Major
"My experience in UCSD's USP department has shaped my professional goals greatly- with many workshops and guest speakers, I've gotten an idea of what my future career could look like down different Urban Planning pathways. It's helped me envision the pathway I'll need to take to go through grad school and what my dream companies would look like."
School of Social Sciences Majors
Below is a list of the undergraduate majors offered by this school. Click any link to learn more about a major. Explore experiential-learning opportunities such as research, study abroad, internships, and student organizations. Review post-graduation outcomes (when applicable) based on student survey data. For most majors you will find information recent employers, typical job types, skills gained and graduate-program options. Much of the information you will see is tailored to the specific major.