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Area Studies - B.S. Engineering Majors Only

Two Area Studies are required:

  • Each must contain three four-unit courses, two of which must be upper-division (numbered 100+)
  • Must be non-contiguous (unrelated) to the major and to each other
  • At least one course from each Area Study must be taken at UC San Diego

Additionally:

  • Courses may be taken Pass/Not Pass
  • No more than two language courses may be applied to an Area Study
  • Upper-division major or minor courses may not overlap with Area Study or other general education requirements
  • Rady School of Management (MGT) courses may not be used - see an academic advisor if pursuing a Business minor in lieu of an Area Study
  • Language courses may not be used for a Social Sciences Area Study

Watch our instructional video that further explains how to choose your Area Studies.

Choosing Your Area Studies

The major, combined with your two Area Studies, must represent all three disciplines:

  1. Humanities and Fine Arts
  2. Math, Natural Sciences, and Engineering
  3. Social Sciences

Contact Warren Advising during walk-in advising or online at http://vac.ucsd.edu to have your choices added to your degree audit.  We recommend declaring by the end of your second year.

[PDF Version]


B.S. Engineering Majors

Bioengineering:

  • Bioengineering
  • Bioengineering: Biotechnology
  • Bioengineering: Bioinformatics
  • Bioengineering: Biosystems

CSE:

  • Computer Engineering
  • Computer Science
  • Computer Science: Bioinformatics
  • Artificial Intelligence 

MAE:

  • Aerospace Engineering
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Mech Eng w/ specializaition in Controls and Robotics
  • Mech Eng w/ specialization in Fluid Mechanics and Thermal Systems
  • Mech Eng w/ specialization in Material Science and Engineering
  • Mech Eng w/ specialization in Renewable Engery and Environmental Flows

Nanoengineering:

  • Chemical Engineering
  • Nanoengineering

ECE (B.S. Only):

  • Computer Engineering
  • Electrical Engineering
  • Engineering Physics

SE:

  • Structural Engineering

Area Studies

Choose one Area Study from each of the two disciplines listed below

Humanities and Fine Arts:

  • African American Studies#
  • Anti-Racism#*
  • Asian American and Pacific Islander Studies#
  • Chicanx and Latinx#
  • Chinese Studies#
  • European Studies#
  • History
  • Humanities*+
  • Japanese Studies#
  • Jewish Studies#
  • Latin American Studies#
  • Literature
  • Middle East Studies#
  • Music
  • Philosophy
  • Theatre and Dance
  • Transnational Korean Studies
  • Visual Arts

Social Sciences:

  • African American Studies#
  • Anti-Racism#*
  • Asian American and Pacific Islander Studies#
  • Anthropology
  • Chicanx and Latinx#
  • Cognitive Science
  • Communication
  • Critical Gender Studies 
  • Chinese Studies#
  • Economics
  • Education Sciences
  • Environmental Studies*
  • Ethnic Studies
  • European Studies#
  • Human Developmental Sciences*
  • Japanese Studies#
  • Latin American Studies#
  • Law and Society*
  • Linguistics/General
  • Middle East Studies#
  • Perspectives of Social Science *+
  • Political Science
  • Psychology
  • Sociology
  • Urban Studies and Planning

* Specialized Area Studies require specific courses.

# These Area Studies may be used in only one discipline.

+ You may only choose one of the following Area Studies: Humanities or Perspectives of Social Science.

Fulfilling an Area Study with a Minor

Minors may be used in lieu of Area Studies when they are non-contiguous to your major discipline.

  • For example, a student can complete a Sociology minor in lieu of a social science area study because Sociology falls within the discipline of the social sciences.

  • An interdisciplinary minor may count in lieu of an Area Study if at least four of the minor courses are from the discipline that the Area Study will replace. Meet with a Warren academic counselor if you plan on completing an interdisciplinary minor. 

  • A business minor may be used in lieu of a Social Science Area Study only when a student completes three upper-division social science (non-MGT) courses approved for the minor.

A student may overlap the equivalent of two applicable upper-division courses (a maximum of eight units) between a major and a minor.

Interdisciplinary Area Studies

Interdisciplinary AS

Requires three courses, two of which must be upper division.

All three courses may be from different departments within the same discipline, either Humanities and Fine Arts or Social Sciences. 

Language courses, if allowed for the Area Study, count as humanities/fine arts courses:

  • A maximum of two language courses can be used for a Humanities and Fine Arts interdisciplinary AS

  • Language courses may not be used for a Social Sciences Area Study

See the department/program websites for approved courses:

Specialized Humanities and Fine Arts Area Studies

Anti-Racism

Two of the three courses selected must be upper division.

Humanities

Requires any combination of three four-unit courses, two of which must be upper-division, from:

  • History (HI**)

  • Literature (LT**)

  • Music (MUS)

  • Philosophy (PHIL)

  • Study of Religion (RELI)

  • Theatre and Dance (TD**)

  • Visual Arts (VIS)

Other courses, if applicable, may be petitioned prior to taking the course(s).

Linguistics/Language courses are not allowed.

May not be used if Perspectives of Social Science is your other Area Study.

Specialized Social Science Area Studies

Anti-Racism

Two of the three courses must be upper division.

Environmental Studies

Requires three courses from the following: (at least two upper-division)

Human Developmental Sciences

Required course:

  1. Human Development: HDS-001

Two upper-division Human Developmental Sciences courses from:

  • Anthropology (ANTH)

  • Communication (COMM)

  • Human Development Sciences (HDS)

  • Linguistics (LIGN)

  • Psychology (PSYC)

  • Sociology (SOCI)

  • Urban Studies and Development (USP)

Law and Society

Required courses:

ANSC 100, HIUS 181, SOCI 120T topical courses are acceptable but must be law-related. Check with Warren College prior to taking the course(s) to ensure they will be accepted.
*Students who took these courses prior to Winter 2022 cannot apply them to the Law & Society Area Study. Please speak to an advisor for further clarification.
**Cross listed courses

Perspectives of Social Science

Requires any combination of three four-unit courses, two of which must be upper-division, from:

  • Anthropology (ANTH)

  • Communication (COMM)

  • Economics (ECON)

  • Education Sciences (EDS)

  • Ethnic Studies (ETHN)

  • Human Developmental Sciences (HDS)

  • Linguistic/General (LIGN)

  • Political Science (POLI)

  • Psychology (PSYC)

  • Sociology (SOCI)

  • Urban Studies and Planning (USP)

This PofC does not meet minor requirements.

May not be used if Humanities is your other Area Study.