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Programs of Concentration (PofCs) - All Majors Except B.S. Engineering Majors

Two Programs of Concentration (PofCs) are required:

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

Additionally:

  • Courses may be taken Pass/Not Pass
  • No more than three language courses may be applied to a PofC
  • Upper-division major/minor courses may not overlap PofC 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 a PofC

Instructional Videos:

Choosing Your PofCs: Social Science Majors

Choosing Your PofCs: Humanities/Fine Arts Majors

Choosing Your PofCs: Math/Science Majors

Choosing Programs of Concentration

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

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

Contact Warren Advising during walk-in advising or on the Virtual Advising Center to have your choices added to your degree audit.  We recommend declaring by the end of your second year.


All Major Departments Except B.S. Engineering Majors

Step 1 - Find the discipline representing your major

Humanities and
Fine Arts

  • Chinese Studies
  • Classical Studies
  • German Studies
  • Global South Studies
  • History
  • International Studies (Hist, Lit)
  • Italian Studies
  • Japanese Studies
  • Jewish Studies
  • Literature
  • Music
  • Philosophy
  • Russian, East European, and                  Eurasian Studies
  • Study of Religion
  • Theatre and Dance
  • Visual Arts
  • Cinematic Arts

Math, Natural Sciences, and Physical Sciences

  • Biology
  • Chemistry
  • Cognitive Science (see counselor)
  • Data Science
  • Environmental Systems
  • Mathematics
  • Physics
  • Public Health (see counselor)
  • Scripps Institution of Oceanography

Social Sciences

  • Anthropology
  • Black Diaspora and African American Studies
  • Cognitive Science (see counselor)
  • Communication
  • Critical Gender Studies 
  • Economics
  • Education Sciences
  • Ethnic Studies
  • Global Health
  • Human Developmental Sciences
  • International Studies (Anth, Bus, Econ, Ling, Poli, Soci)
  • Latin American Studies
  • Linguistics
  • Political Science
  • Psychology
  • Public Health (see counselor)
  • Sociology
  • Urban Studies and Planning

Programs of Concentration (PofC)

Step 2 - Choose two PofCs, one from each of the two disciplines not represented by your major discipline

Humanities and
Fine Arts

  • African American Studies#
  • Anti-Racism*#
  • Asian American and Pacific                   Islander Studies#
  • Chicanx and Latinx Studies#
  • 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

Math, Natural Sciences, and Physical Sciences

  • Biology
  • Chemistry
  • Cognitive Science#
  • Fundamentals of Biology*
  • Mathematics
  • Physics
  • Science and Technology*+
  • Scripps Institution of Oceanography*

Social Sciences

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

# These PofCs may be used in only one discipline. Cognitive Science majors are not eligible to choose Cognitive Science as one of their PofCs.

* Specialized PofCs require specific courses.

+ You may only choose one of the following PofCs: Humanities, Science and Technology, or Perspectives of Social Science.

Fulfilling a Program of Concentration with a Minor

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

  • For example, a student with a Biology major can complete a Psychology minor in lieu of a social science PofC because Psychology falls within the discipline of the social sciences.
  • An interdisciplinary minor may count in lieu of a PofC if at least four of the minor courses are from the discipline that the PofC will replace. Meet with a Warren academic advisor if you plan on completing an interdisciplinary minor. 
  • A business minor may be used in lieu of a Social Science PofC 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 PofCs

Interdisciplinary PofCs

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


In order to categorize as either Humanities and Fine Arts or Social Sciences, four of the six courses must be chosen from the discipline in which your PofC will be used. 


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

  • A maximum of three language courses can be used for a Humanities and Fine Arts interdisciplinary PofC
  • A maximum of two language courses can be used for a Social Science interdisciplinary PofC 

See an academic counselor for approved courses:

Specialized Humanities and Fine Arts PofCs

Anti-Racism

No more than two social science courses allowed.

Three of the six courses selected must be upper division.

 

Humanities

Requires any combination of six four-unit courses, three 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 or Science and Technology is your other PofC.

Specialized Natural Sciences, Physical Sciences, and Math PofCs

Scripps Institute of Oceanography (SIO)

Requires any six four-unit, lower-division SIO courses. 

Recommended courses for non-science majors:

  • SIO 001-099
*More advanced courses are allowed.

Fundamentals of Biology

Requires any six four-unit, lower-division Biology courses. 

Recommended courses for non-science majors:

  • Biology:  BILD 001-099

*More advanced courses are allowed.

Science and Technology

Requires six four-unit, lower-division courses, with a maximum of three from a single department.

Recommended courses: 
*Some advanced lower and upper-division courses may apply (see academic advisor).

 

 

May not be used if Humanities or Perspectives of Social Science is your other PofC.

Specialized Social Science PofCs

Anti-Racism

No more than two humanities courses allowed.

Three of the six courses selected must be upper division.

 

 

Business

Required Courses:

For the most up-to date social science course options, see the Business Minor website.  

If pursuing a business minor in lieu of a PofC, see an academic advisor.

Education Sciences

Requires at least six courses, with a minimum of 12 units (three, four-unit) EDS courses, for a total of 24 units, chosen from the following:

 

Environmental Studies

 Requires six courses from the following: (three lower-division, three upper-division)

 

Human Developmental Sciences

Required course:

  1. Human Development: HDS-001

Five upper-division Human Developmental Sciences courses from:

  • Anthropology (ANTH)
  • Communication (COMM)
  • Human Developmental Sciences (HDS)
  • Linguistics (LIGN)
  • Psychology (PSYC)
  • Sociology (SOCI)
  • Urban Studies and Development (USP)

Law and Society

Maximum of 2 Humanities courses including 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.

**Cross listed courses

Linguistics and Language

Required Course:

  1. Linguistics: LIGN-101
  2. Two courses in one language, level 01B/01BX and 01C/01CX or higher
  3. Three Linguistics/General (LIGN) courses, at least two of which must be upper-division.

For American Sign Language: LISL-01C/CX or LISL-01D/DX; LIGN-007, LIGN-101; and three Linguistics/General (LIGN) courses; at least two of which must be upper-division.

Perspectives of Social Science

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

  • Anthropology (ANTH)
  • Communication (COMM)
  • Economics (ECON)
  • Education Sciences (EDS)
  • Ethnic Studies (ETHN)
  • Human Developmental Sciences (HDS)
  • Linguistics/General (LIGN)
  • Political Science (POLI)
  • Psychology (PSYC)
  • Sociology (SOCI)
  • Urban Studies and Planning (UPS)

This PofC does not meet minor requirements.

May not be used if Humanities or Science and Technology is your other PofC.