Graduate Education in the Social Sciences

Graduate education in the School of Social Sciences offers extraordinary possibilities. Our programs and faculty are diverse, high quality and relevant.

Diversity
The UCI School of Social Sciences has an enormous diversity and range of research and instructional enterprises. Our departments are among the strongest on the campus. The School is distinguished by its multi-disciplinary approach in which expertise from multiple departments across campus contribute to our capacity for research discovery and training.

Quality
Our faculty are committed to providing students with the educational experiences needed to succeed now and in the future.  The small school atmosphere allows for easy interaction between students and faculty.  Globally recognized for their expertise in the social sciences, the School is honored to have 10 members of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the National Academy of Science, societies to which membership is considered one of the highest honors in the field. In the last five years, each of the Departments within Social Sciences has achieved strong ranking status. Many already rank in the top 20 to 30, and several rank in the top 5 in specific subfields.

Relevance
UCI Social Sciences makes important contributions in the following three areas: to the education of our students; cutting edge and recognized research programs with practical applications; and public contributions to the community. In a fairly short time, the School has gone from offering a single Ph.D. in Social Sciences to it’s current arrangement of specialized degree programs: Anthropology, Economics, Psychology (Cognitive), Political Science, Sociology, Mathematical Behavioral Science, Philosophy (with the Humanities), and Demographic and Social Analysis (MA degree only).

Graduate education is thriving in the UC Irvine School of Social Sciences. Reflecting the tripartite mission of the University of California--research, teaching and community outreach--our students are poised for future leadership roles in academics, education, and society.