Academics
Take the next step in your educational journey by earning your degree from the Community Studies Program at UC Santa Cruz.
Why study community studies at UC Santa Cruz?
The Community Studies B.A. offers a one-of-a-kind interdisciplinary learning experience that explores what makes activism successful and why. We train students to envision change and make it a reality. Our curriculum is designed to allow students to focus their studies on the impact area of their choosing, from housing to food security to mental health and more. This flexibility also makes our major a great option for transfer students who are looking to apply what they’ve already learned in other disciplines.
Our program is also a popular choice for students who want an education that extends beyond the classroom. Earning a degree in community studies requires making a major commitment to service, through an immersive six-month field study placement with a community organization. Our curriculum is built around experiential learning and a cohort model that offers small, interactive classes and a unique learning community. These methods make the major engaging and rewarding for students with a wide range of learning styles.
The extensive real-world experience that our students develop gives them a unique advantage in career preparation and positions them on leadership trajectories after graduation. A degree in community studies is versatile and can be applied to graduate school opportunities and careers as non-profit directors, lawyers, community leaders, social workers, and more. The critical thinking skills and understanding of social systems that students acquire through our program serve them well throughout their careers, even as their interests grow and change with time.
Discover our degree options and learning opportunities:
Student experiences
Community Studies students share social justice work
Students in the 2018 field study cohort share their experiences from six months of working with community-based organizations across the state and country.
Community studies majors present findings after six-month field study
Students from the 2016 field study cohort share how they analyzed their observations and presented findings during the Community Studies Program’s annual poster session.
Community engagement principles apply to global health
The University of California’s Global Health Institute featured the community studies program and highlighted the work of the program’s alumni and students to advance health equity around the world.