Overview

At Community Studies from University of California, Santa Cruz students complete topical courses and a core curriculum enabling them to identify, analyze, and help construct sites for social justice movements, nonprofit sector advocacy, public policy making, and social enterprise. Off campus, students spend six months participating in and analyzing the work of a social justice organization. This intensive immersion is a distinguishing feature of the community studies major.

With the guidance of faculty and staff advisers, community studies students pursue field studies related to the program’s focus on health justice and economic justice.

Careers

Community development

Affordable housing

Community organizing

Economics

Education

Journalism

Labor organizing

Medicine

Mental health

Non-profit advocacy

Nursing

Public administration

Public health

Social entrepreneurship

Social work

Sociology

Urban planning

Programme Structure

Courses included:

Psychology & Law

Gender and Education

Psychology & Law

Sociology of Law

Global Health Politics

Psychology of Poverty & Social Class

Sociology of Drugs, Botanicals & Pharmaceuticals

International Law & Global Justice

Media, Marketing & Culture

Activist Art Since 1960: Art, Technology, Activism

Sociology of Science and Technology

Environmental Inequality

Media & Social Movements

Numbers and Social Justice

Key information

Duration

Full-time
- 48 months

Start dates & application deadlines

Starting 2027-01-03 00:00:00
- Apply before 2026-07-31 00:00:00 , International
Starting 2027-03-31 00:00:00
- Apply before 2026-10-31 00:00:00 , International
Starting 2027-09-21 00:00:00
- Apply before 2026-11-30 00:00:00

Language

English

Duolingo English Test

115

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TOEFL^® IBT

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IELTS

6.5

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Credits

120 SCH

Delivered

On Campus

Campus Location

Santa Cruz, United States

Disciplines

Area & Cultural Studies Community Development View 808 other Bachelors in Area & Cultural Studies in United States

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Academic requirements

GPA

3.4

English requirements

Duolingo English Test

115

Take A Free Practice Test!

TOEFL^® IBT

Schedule TOEFL®

IELTS

6.5

Prepare for Your English Test

Cathoven AI IELTS Preparation

Learn your IELTS Score

AI-powered IELTS feedback. Clear, actionable, and tailored to boost your writing & speaking score. No credit card or upfront payment required.

Trusted by 300k learners
98 accuracy using real exam data
4.9/5 student rating

Other requirements

General requirements

You must achieve a minimum GPA of 3.00 in the "a–g" courses.

Non-residents must earn a minimum GPA of 3.40.

Take the ACT Plus Writing or the SAT with Essay

The ACT Assessment plus the ACT Writing Test or the SAT with critical reading, mathematics, and writing scores from the same sitting.

Proof of English Proficiency

Tuition Fees

Tuition fees are shown in and the most likely applicable fee is shown based on your nationality.

International Applies to you

Applies to you

Non-residents

37602 USD / year

≈ 37602 USD / year
Out-of-State

37602 USD / year

≈ 37602 USD / year
Domestic

Applies to you

In-State

16785 USD / year

≈ 16785 USD / year

Living costs

Santa Cruz

United States

1710 - 2560 USD / month

The living costs include the total expenses per month, covering accommodation, public transportation, utilities (electricity, internet), books and groceries.

Funding

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Scholarships Information

Below you will find Bachelor's scholarship opportunities for Community Studies.

Available Scholarships

You are eligible to apply for these scholarships but a selection process will still be applied by the provider.

About

Overview

Careers

Programme Structure

Key information

Duration

Start dates & application deadlines

Language

Prepare for Your English Test

Credits

Delivered

Campus Location

Disciplines

What students do after studying

Academic requirements

English requirements

Prepare for Your English Test

Other requirements

General requirements

Tuition Fees

International Applies to you

Domestic

Living costs

Santa Cruz

Funding

Need help with your student visa?

Scholarships Information

Available Scholarships

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