UCLA Social Sciences:
At a Glance
Engaging Los Angeles, Changing the World.
UCLA’s Division of Social Sciences explores the most pressing societal challenges of our time. Our distinguished faculty conduct cutting edge research, placing the division among the best universities in the country. By equipping and inspiring our diverse student body to deeply engage in critical thinking and inquiry, we are educating the next generation of leaders who are committed to creating more equitable futures.
ACADEMICS
37+
Departments & Research Centers
UCLA’s largest division is composed of 19+ departments & programs and 18 research centers that seek to understand and solve the pressing issues that affect our lives, engaging with Los Angeles in order to change the world.
Our Students
9500+ Undergradaute Students
300 Graduate Students
41% Transfer Students
(Highest % at UCLA)
57% Receive Financial Aid
Numbers are representative of the 2023-2024 academic year.
NOTABLE FACULTY
Jason De Léon
Professor of Anthropology and Chicana/o StudiesProfessor of Anthropology and Chicana/o Studies
De Léon directs the Undocumented Migration Project (UMP), a long-term study of clandestine border crossing that uses a combination of approaches to understand this phenomenon. He’s also a MacArthur Fellow and an award-winning author. Learn more.
Kelly Lytle Hernandez
Professor of History, African American Studies and Urban Planning
Lytle Hernandez is a MacArthur Fellow and one of the nation’s leading experts on race, immigration and mass incarceration. She is currently leading Million Dollar Hoods, a research project that maps the fiscal and human cost of mass incarceration in L.A. Learn more.
Lynn Vavreck
Professor of Political Science and Communication Studies
An expert on campaigns, elections, and public opinion, Vavreck’s work on political messaging is considered required reading for presidential candidates by political consultants from both sides of the aisle. Learn more.
Faculty Excellence
Numbers are representative of the 2023-2024 academic year.
“Policy is so powerful, and it affects my life, my neighbors’ lives, and the lives of countless others. My local community-organizing work opened my eyes to the transformative potential of policy.”
— Diego Sarmiento, fourth-year political science major, recipient of the prestigious Truman Scholarship and Strauss Scholarship