Undergraduate Advising
Staff advising
Students can book a 30-minute Zoom appointment to get guidance on their academic needs from our program’s staff advisor. Appointments must be made 24 hours in advance. If you are not currently proposed or declared in Community Studies, select Academic Planning/Guidance, Choosing/Exploring Major/Minor, or Declaring/Adding/Changing Major/Minor as the reason for your appointment when scheduling.
Our staff advisor also accepts drop-ins. Find a time via the program calendar, which includes Zoom links to join drop-in sessions.
Peer advising
Community Studies Program peer advisors are experienced trained students who are dedicated to helping others navigate the community studies major. Peer advisors can help students create academic plans, offer major and minor information, major qualifications, and declaration process inquiries. To attend peer advising drop-in during the available times, fill out our Google Form. After completing the form, click the Zoom link for your drop-in session.
Email us
Contact communitystudies@ucsc.edu via email for help with the following services:
- Courses or major requirements
- Digital signatures on forms
- Major progress check questions (Review your academic advisement report first at MyUCSC > My Academics)
- Updates to academic advisement reports.
Always use your UCSC email account when emailing us, and provide your full name and student ID number. Allow 2-4 days for a response, particularly around high-volume times, such as advising week and enrollment.
For general education requirements, IGETC questions, unit completion, enrolling in more than 19 units, academic standing, and commencement, contact your college’s advising office instead.
Key dates
Our Community Studies Program calendar lists important academic dates and deadlines throughout the year.
Requirements and policies
See the Community Studies B.A. degree requirements section of the UCSC Academic Catalog for information about:
- Course requirements
- Senior capstone format options
- Sample academic plans
The Community Studies B.A. information and policies section of the catalog also contains information about:
- Frosh and transfer information
- Honors in the major
- Study abroad
Senior capstone additional details
The required course CMMU 107, Analysis of Field Materials, where students write their senior essays, culminates in an annual Field Study Poster Session. This gives students a chance to share their research with students, faculty, and staff across campus, as well as the public.
Students who wish to further develop their completed senior essays into a senior thesis in the quarter after CMMU 107 should consider enrolling in the optional course CMMU 199, Tutorial.
(in addition to CMMU 195 A, B, or C) to conduct additional directed research and readings under the supervision of a faculty mentor. Students must communicate their interest in this course to the Program Advisor and Program Director one year in advance, prior to the start of their field study.
Academic planning forms and checklists
Declaring the community studies major
Students who are interested in declaring a major in community studies are also encouraged to meet with the Program Director to review their academic plan and discuss field study possibilities and appropriate courses to meet topical requirements. Students must submit their approved academic plan and declaration petition to the Community Studies Program Advisor before applying for field study. Any change to the student’s academic plan must be approved by the program.
Step 1
Students qualify by satisfactorily completing (with a grade of C or above):
CMMU 10
One upper-division topical course from the approved list of courses.
Step 2
Log into MyUCSC and submit the Petition for Major/Minor via MyUCSC as soon as you have met major qualification requirements and/or reached your declaration deadline quarter, whichever comes first.
Step 3
Students must complete an Academic Planning Form and submit the plan for review. Submit your Academic Planning Form to the CMMU review form and to the CMMU Program Advisor by sharing the Google sheet to cmmuba@ucsc.edu.
Step 4
The CMMU Program Advisor will review the academic plan and petition to declare and will reach out by email with the next steps and feedback.
Field study
All community studies majors are required to complete a two-quarter full-time field study over the summer and fall quarter after their third year. Students’ field study must be related to one of our program’s two areas of program emphasis, which you can learn more about on our Community Studies B.A. Program page.
Full-time field studies may be arranged with organizations in Santa Cruz or elsewhere in the United States. Learn more about the field study experience and see where other students have studied in the past on our Field Study and Experiential Learning page.
Details about the logistics of field study are included in each section:
Applying for field study
All Community Studies students must officially apply for field study in the winter quarter before embarking on their full-time field study. Students attend the winter field study workshops to initiate their applications, due in late January.
Field Study placements are finalized by the end of the winter quarter. Students must turn in their Field Study Goals + Objectives forms to be granted permission codes for CMMU 102.
All field placements must be approved by your advisor by the end of the winter quarter. You cannot enroll in CMMU 102, Preparation for Field Study until the Goals + Objectives Contract has been completed and signed by you, your field placement supervisor, and the Community Studies Program Director.
For workshops and paperwork due dates, please see the Community Studies Program calendar.
Beginning your field study site search
When beginning to search for a field study site, students should contact at least five organizations. If multiple organizations are interested, consult program staff and faculty to determine which site is the best fit.
Submitting your field notes and papers
Information about academic assignments and the work expected of you while on field study will be provided in CMMU 102, Preparation for Field Study, during the spring quarter. Students also receive a packet of reference material, known as “the red folder,” containing key documents.
Issues or questions about field study
Problem-solving options for common issues that may arise with field study are discussed during the spring quarter in CMMU 102, Preparation for Field Study. If your field study placement falls through at the last minute after signing the goals and objectives contract, or you have questions or problems while on field study, contact the Community Studies Program Director.
Financial aid and scholarships for field study
The Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships regularly works with community studies majors. If you are eligible for aid under regular circumstances, it will likely be available for field study quarters. In the early spring quarter, the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships receives notice of students entering field study. Students are encouraged to make an appointment with their financial aid advisor to explore their options and learn more about aid opportunities.
Limited funds are available through two scholarships: the Koffend Fund, designated for community studies students only, and the Nancy Pascal Field Study, a scholarship open to any UCSC student participating in a field study. View all related community studies awards and funding opportunities on the community studies Scholarships and Awards page.
Housing resources for field study
Students are responsible for finding their own housing, regardless of where their field study takes place. If several students are going to the same city, they may arrange to share housing. Additionally, a student’s field study organization may recommend areas that are safe and affordable or refer students to organization employees looking for housemates. Every student in the program has secured housing for their field study quarters.
Explore these helpful resources for finding housing:
Graduation
The Community Studies Program does not have a separate commencement, however, it typically has an end-of-year celebration at the end of spring instruction for graduating students and students in the capstone. For additional graduation information, please visit the Office of Registrar’s graduation Frequently Asked Questions.
Step 1
Track your degree progress in the Community Studies Major using the Senior Graduation Checklist.
This checklist only verifies Community Studies Major Requirements. Contact your college for GE requirements and unit verification.
Review academic progress in MyUCSC early senior year to ensure that you are on track to fulfill all graduation requirements.
Step 2
Review your Academic Advisement Report (AAR).
Community Studies major graduation checks are completed based on the information in the AAR. If you see an error on the report for the CMMU requirements, inform the program advisor. If a CMMU requirement is listed as “not satisfied” in the AAR at the time of graduation checks, graduation may be delayed or denied.
Step 3
Apply for graduation in your final quarter via MyUCSC.
See the Office of Registrar’s website for more information about graduation requirements and the Academic Calendar for important deadlines.
Complete steps with your college by their posted deadlines, if participating in their commencement ceremony.