The Division of Social Sciences at UC Santa Barbara consists of twelve departments, and numerous thematic clusters, programs and centers, with a mandate for world-class research from a wide range of disciplinary and interdisciplinary perspectives. The Division’s mission has four guiding principles:  1) to generate new knowledge about society, both locally and globally, with an emphasis on issues of pressing contemporary importance; 2) to make this knowledge accessible to diverse publics, with practical contributions to social justice and the common good; 3) to provide undergraduates with first rate Social Science education, which consolidates their critical analytical skills, provides experience-based learning opportunities, and leaves them well-prepared for the job market; and 4) to train the next generation of Social Science scholars, to serve as researchers, professors, and purveyors of specialized knowledge in diverse settings.  

A Message of Solidarity

The Social Science Dean’s office shares the nationwide outrage and anguish at this latest round of police violence resulting in Black death, and we stand firm with the widespread calls for justice. We are pleased that our Chancellor spoke swiftly to the entire campus, in repudiation of these killings. Our Department of Black Studies has issued its own call to conscience and action, and we pledge solidarity with them, registering their exhaustion, taking inspiration from their refusal to submit. 

 

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News

Incoming first-year students have been notified of their acceptance to UC Santa Barbara. 

  • The Current article with a photo of Ninh.

erin Khuê Ninh, associate professor of Asian American Studies, has been honored by the Council of Editors of Learned Journals (CELJ) for her exploration of racialized sexual violence in and among Asian American communities in the Journal of Asian American Studies.

 

Professor Michael Gurven (Anthropology) was named a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) for 2022. 

Welcome from the Dean

Charles R. Hale, Dean

Welcome to the Division of Social Sciences at the UC Santa Barbara, home of innovative, interdisciplinary, community-engaged teaching and scholarship. Every one of the many pressing issues facing our society needs rigorous social science research, if we are to achieve the deeper understanding on which enduring and comprehensive solutions must be based. We bring research results to the attention of the civil society organizations, policymakers and the general population; we offer critical perspectives on social, political, and economic issues that confront contemporary society; and we work with communities to craft alternative visions of for bringing about social change toward sustainable social justice. 
 
I invite you to explore all the ways that Social Sciences can help you understand the world around you.

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Charles R. Hale
SAGE Sara Miller McCune Dean of Social Sciences

Message from the Dean

 

Academics

Through our 12 departments and programs, the Division offers more than 6,500 undergraduate and 400 graduate students the opportunity to study and learn from nationally and internationally recognized faculty.

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