The Division of Social Sciences at UC Santa Barbara 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;
  4. to train the next generation of Social Science scholars, to serve as researchers, professors, and purveyors of specialized knowledge in diverse settings.  

 

The Division of Social Sciences 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.

 

News

The division of social sciences congratulates graduating recipients of the division and university's most prestigious student honors, awarded for scholastic achievement, extraordinary service, and personal courage and persistence. 

 

 

The Division of Social Sciences is hosting a major conference at UCSB, “Archives Unbound: 50 Years of Hope, Resistance and Rebellion.”  This three day, in-person conference on Thursday, May 30 - Sunday, June 2, 2024 seeks to honor, engage, and extend the work of Cedric and Elizabeth Robinson and to inaugurate the gift of the Cedric J. Robinson and Elizabeth P. Robinson Archive to UCSB.

UCSB's department of Communication has been ranked as the second best Communication program worldwide. 

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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