Information and Policies
Introduction
Founded in 1969, community studies is the oldest interdisciplinary academic program at UC Santa Cruz. The hallmarks of community studies are its focus on social justice and its distinctive pedagogy integrating classroom learning and extended field study. Community studies was a national pioneer in experiential education and its curricular model has been emulated widely. Community studies also was a pioneer in addressing principles of social justice, specifically inequities arising from race, class and gender dynamics in society at large, and in critically assessing strategies for achieving social change.
The undergraduate major offers highly motivated and focused students the opportunity to pursue a rigorous course of study combining on- and off-campus learning. On campus, students complete a core curriculum focused on strategies for social justice movements, nonprofit sector advocacy, public policy making, and social enterprise. The core curriculum works in tandem with topical coursework that develops knowledge in domains of social science scholarship related to student field studies, specifically around health justice and economic justice. Off campus, students commit to spending six months participating in the work of an organization to contribute to its mission and develop a critical analysis of the wider field. Students work independently but with active guidance from both campus faculty and an on-site supervisor from the field study organization.
The undergraduate core curriculum begins with the development of skills in social analysis and field observation/participation while deepening students’ knowledge of specific histories and theoretical perspectives essential to the study of communities and social transformation. Next, through the six-month full-time field study, students engage with specific communities through immersion and participation in an organization with a focused social justice mission. This intensive and extended field study experience is a distinguishing feature of the community studies major. Finally, students return to campus to analyze their field study experience and its relation to their ongoing classroom-based learning. The major culminates with a senior capstone integrating academic coursework, field study analysis, and original writing.
With the guidance of faculty and staff advisors, community studies students choose field placements related to the program’s areas of focus in health justice and economic justice. In the past, placements have been arranged with community health clinics, women’s and feminist organizations, immigrant-rights centers, media advocacy organizations, homeless resource and support groups, sustainable development projects, queer and transgender organizations, neighborhood or workers’ collectives, civil rights groups, community food security programs, legal clinics, community-based cultural organizations, programs for seniors, tenant or labor unions, tenant organizing projects, HIV/AIDS advocacy groups, housing rights advocates, harm-reduction programs, government agencies and the offices of elected officials, and still other organizations committed to and working for social justice. As political, economic, cultural and technological landscapes shift, so do the needs and opportunities for social justice organizing. It is a dynamic world and throughout its history community studies has remained remarkably attuned and responsive to innovative field study opportunities.
Academic Advising for the Program
213 Oakes Academic Building
(831) 459-2371
To receive advising for the community studies major, students should schedule an appointment via slug success, email or call the program adviser. Full contact information is available on the program webpage. Our office is located on the second floor of the Oakes Academic Building in room 213. The office telephone number is 831-459-2371. Students are encouraged to meet with the program advisor as early as possible to develop an academic plan and take full advantage of all of the opportunities associated with early planning.
Transfer students should also consult the Transfer Information and Policy section.
Getting Started in the Major
Students interested in pursuing the community studies major should communicate with the program advisor to learn about the program's distinctive curriculum and requirements. Completing lower-division general education courses that build an understanding of and engagement with social justice issues is a great way to satisfy university requirements while building a solid foundation for the upper-division coursework required in the community studies major. Completion of the writing requirements before taking the first upper-division topical is strongly encouraged.
Transfer students should consult the Transfer Information and Policy section for specific recommendations to prepare for the major.
Program Learning Outcomes
Community studies identifies eight Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs) that together capture exciting cross currents within the major. The PLOs combine classroom and experiential learning related to the social justice domains of health and economic inequality. They also enumerate expectations for student achievement in social science research and writing and communication skills within a diverse society.
Critical Thinking
Students earning a B.A. in community studies will be able to:
- demonstrate deep knowledge of the history, causes, and contemporary manifestations of specific social justice issues related to health and economic inequality;
- deconstruct institutional power residing in private enterprise, government, the media, and/or the non-‐profit sector;
- analyze how communities attempt to overcome problems associated with inequality, cultural stigma, prejudice, and discrimination;
- articulate research questions, methods, and findings appropriate to social science inquiry; and
- demonstrate analytical writing ability that effectively integrates theoretical and experiential knowledge about social justice.
Community Engagement
Students earning a B.A. in community studies will be able to:
- identify, analyze, and help to construct strategies for social change through participation in the social justice work of an organization;
- exhibit ethnographic observation skills by maintaining a regular record of detailed field notes;
- demonstrate effective communication with the diverse constituencies involved in social justice work.
Major Qualification Policy and Declaration Process
Major Qualification
Students qualify to declare the community studies major by satisfactorily completing CMMU 10, Introduction to Community Activism, and at least one upper-division topical course from the approved list of courses. Satisfactory completion is defined by a grade of C or better in both major qualifying courses. Major qualification courses must be taken for a letter grade. Students must declare prior to enrolling in CMMU 102, Preparation for Field Study.
Students can file a petition to declare the major even before they have completed major qualification courses, if they are approaching their campus declaration deadline (i.e., in their sixth quarter, if admitted as frosh).
Transfer students should also consult the Transfer and Information Policy Section.
Appeal Process
Students who are informed that they are not eligible to declare the major may appeal this decision by submitting a letter addressed to the community studies program director within 15 days from the date of notification. Appeal letters should be submitted via email to the undergraduate advisor for the Community Studies Program. Within 15 days of receipt of the appeal, the program will notify the student and college of the decision.
How to Declare a Major
As part of the declaration process, students meet with the program director and/or staff advisor to review their academic plan for the major, including discussion of field study possibilities and appropriate courses to meet topical requirements. Students must submit their approved academic plan and declaration petition to the community studies staff adviser. Changes to the student's academic plan must be approved by the program director.
Transfer Information and Policy
Transfer Admission Screening Policy
Prospective students are encouraged to complete the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) or to complete all UC Santa Cruz general education requirements before matriculation. The Community Studies program can easily accommodate students who transfer to UCSC for the fall quarter.
Transfer students who plan to major in community studies will also find it useful to obtain a background in politics, sociology, psychology, anthropology, or community action and service. Prior to their first quarter at UC Santa Cruz, transfer students should prepare a program of study and once on campus meet with the community studies student advisor in the program office to discuss the focus of their academic plan and field study plans.
Getting Started at UCSC as a Transfer Student
Transfer students are strongly encouraged to participate in the campus orientation program and connect with the community studies program adviser to develop an academic plan prior to their fall course enrollment.
Transfer students qualify to declare the community studies major by satisfactorily completing CMMU 10, Introduction to Community Activism, and one upper-division topical course from the approved list of course. Both of these courses should be completed during the fall quarter. Satisfactory completion is defined by a grade of C or better in both major qualifying courses. Major qualification courses must be taken for a letter grade.
As part of the declaration process, transfer students meet with the program director and/or staff advisor to review their academic plan for the major, including discussion of field study possibilities and appropriate courses to meet topical requirements. Students must submit their approved academic plan and declaration petition to the community studies staff adviser. Changes to the student's academic plan must be approved by the program director.
Letter Grade Policy
Satisfactory completion of all major course requirements is defined by a grade of C or higher. All courses for the major must be taken for a letter grade.
Study Abroad
Participation in EAP and other off-campus programs is strongly encouraged but requires advanced planning. Students considering EAP should schedule a meeting with the community studies advisor to determine the best quarter(s) for participation in such programs.
Honors
Honors in the community studies major are awarded to graduating seniors whose performance, including coursework, field study, and the senior capstone, is judged by a faculty committee to have achieved excellence. Highest honors in the major are reserved for students with consistently outstanding academic performance.
Requirements and Planners
Course Requirements
Satisfactory completion of all major course requirements is defined by a grade of C or higher. All courses in the major must be taken for a letter grade.
Lower-Division Courses
Complete CMMU 10 as early as possible, the course is only offered in the fall quarter and is one of two required courses to declare the major.
| CMMU 10 | Introduction to Community Activism | 5 |
Upper-Division Courses
Community Studies core curriculum courses are only offered during specific quarters and therefore it is very important to develop an academic plan as early as possible that takes this into account. Below are the required core courses and quarters they are offered:
CMMU 10 fall quarter (lower-division course)
CMMU 101 winter quarter
CMMU 102 spring quarter
CMMU 105A, CMMU 105B, CMMU 105C summer and fall quarters (30 credits total)
CMMU 107 winter quarter
In addition to the core curriculum, students must successfully complete three topical courses to develop expertise in health justice and/or economic justice. Students are required to take all three topical courses prior to their field study (CMMU 105 Full-time field study- 15 credits per quarter, completed in the summer and fall)
Topical Courses
Students must complete three upper-division courses on topics related to health justice and economic justice from available approved courses listed below. The program director also may approve other courses as appropriate. Topical courses are an essential component of the community studies major because they define the focus of students’ overall academic plan and their work on full-time field study. The topical courses also permit students to work across academic disciplines by learning from community studies affiliate faculty. Note that not all topical courses are offered every academic year. Check the program website for current academic year offerings.
Community Studies
| CMMU 132 | American Cities and Social Change | 5 |
| CMMU 133 | Making California: Landscapes, People, Politics, Economy | 5 |
| CMMU 134 | No Place Like Home | 5 |
| CMMU 141 | Political Justice in Theory and Practice | 5 |
| CMMU 143 | Wal-Mart Nation | 5 |
| CMMU 145 | Global Capitalism: a History of the Present | 5 |
| CMMU 148 | The Problem with Solutions | 5 |
| CMMU 149 | Political Economy of Food and Agriculture | 5 |
| CMMU 156 | Politics of Food and Health | 5 |
| CMMU 157 | Ageism and Activism | 5 |
| CMMU 160 | Public Health | 5 |
| CMMU 161 | Gender Health and Justice | 5 |
| CMMU 162 | Community Gardens and Social Change | 5 |
| CMMU 163 | Health Care Inequalities | 5 |
| CMMU 164 | Health Justice in Conflict | 5 |
| CMMU 165 | Community Analysis for Global Health | 5 |
| CMMU 186 | Food and Agriculture Social Movements | 5 |
| CMMU 186 | Food and Agriculture Social Movements | 5 |
Anthropology
Education
Environmental Studies
| ENVS 130B | Justice and Sustainability in Agriculture | 5 |
| ENVS 158 | Political Ecology and Social Change | 5 |
History of Art and Visual Culture
| HAVC 141K | Activist Art Since 1960: Art, Technology, Activism | 5 |
| HAVC 141O | Sex, Lies, and Surveillance: Contemporary Documentary Arts | 5 |
| HAVC 142 | Contemporary Art and Ecology | 5 |
History
| HIS 123 | Immigrants and Immigration in U.S. History | 5 |
Latin American and Latino Studies
Oakes
Politics
| POLI 120C
/LGST 120C
| State and Capitalism in American Political Development | 5 |
| POLI 122 | Politics, Labor, and Markets | 5 |
| POLI 124 | Economic Inequality in America | 5 |
| POLI 186
/LGST 186
| Global Health Politics | 5 |
| POLI 190L | Poverty Politics | 5 |
Psychology
| PSYC 147A
/LGST 147A
| Psychology and Law | 5 |
| PSYC 147B
/LGST 147B
| Psychology and Law | 5 |
| PSYC 149 | Community Psychology: Transforming Communities | 5 |
| PSYC 153 | The Psychology of Poverty and Social Class | 5 |
| PSYC 155 | Social-Community Psychology in Practice | 5 |
| PSYC 159H | Community-Based Interventions | 5 |
Sociology
Disciplinary Communication (DC) Requirement
Students of every major must satisfy that major's upper-division DC requirement. The community studies program’s model of experiential pedagogy relies heavily on writing instruction to develop students’ analytical, reflexive, and communication skills. As stated, although students in the major develop disciplinary writing skills throughout the core curriculum, they fulfill the DC requirement with:
Comprehensive Requirement
Senior Capstone Requirement
In addition to the full-time field study, another distinctive feature of the major is the emphasis placed on the capstone. Each student must fulfill this requirement, either through a senior essay, a senior thesis or a student-directed seminar. For a thesis or student-directed seminar, the student must work directly with a faculty advisor, usually for two quarters.
Senior Essay
All students complete a senior essay that incorporates field study observations and contextualizes their findings historically and theoretically. Most students pursue this capstone option. The minimum length is 25 pages, plus bibliography. The senior essay is completed entirely in:
Senior Thesis
Outstanding students may choose to complete a senior thesis, which is comprised of field-study observations, historical and theoretical contextualizations of the field study, and deeper analysis of the social justice issues and histories at the heart of the field study. The thesis also involves post-field-study research; typical length is 40–50 pages, including bibliography. The senior essay completed during CMMU 107 will become the foundation for the thesis, whether as a template to be elaborated or as one or more chapters of the completed thesis. Students electing to write a senior thesis must have a faculty thesis advisor and under direction of the adviser, may enroll in the following courses for variable units in order to complete the thesis.
Student-Directed Seminar (SDS)
The SDS capstone option is reserved for exceptional students. Under the direction of a faculty adviser, the student develops and teaches a CMMU 42 course related to the student’s field study and academic coursework and submits a seminar completion report. Student-directed seminars need advance planning; a proposal for the SDS must be completed before beginning the field study.
Planners
Suggested Major Planning Table
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Fall |
Winter |
Spring |
Summer |
| 1st (frosh) |
CMMU 10 |
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| 2nd (soph) |
Topical course 1 |
Topical course 2 |
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| 3rd (junior) |
Topical course 3 |
CMMU 101 |
CMMU 102 |
CMMU 105
(15 credits) |
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| 4th (senior) |
CMMU 105
(15 credits) |
CMMU 107 |
CMMU 195
(optional) |
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If CMMU 10 is not taken in the fall of the first year, it can be taken one year later. Likewise, the topical courses need not be taken in the quarters indicated as long as they are completed before CMMU 105. Finally, students who start the major late can still complete the major as long as they have at least two years, as shown in the transfer planner (below). In addition to the specific courses shown in these planners, a student must complete courses satisfying the UC Santa Cruz general education and degree requirements.
Sample Transfer Planner
| |
Fall |
Winter |
Spring |
Summer |
| 3rd (junior) |
CMMU 10 |
CMMU 101 |
CMMU 102 |
CMMU 105
(15 credits) |
| Topical course 1 |
Topical course 2 |
Topical course 3 |
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| 4th (senior) |
CMMU 105
(15 credits) |
CMMU 107 |
CMMU 195
(optional) |
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