Social Sciences

Background image: Golden Bear Orientation

Image credit:

Adam Lau

The 15 departments and programs that comprise the Social Sciences Division are each among the most distinguished in the nation. The transformational work done by the award-winning faculty and students illuminates the tectonic changes in the global economy, climate, technology, and governance we inhabit today. We pursue questions of the long durée: how do we create the good society? How is language acquired?

The Social Science division is the largest and most diverse on campus, with 20 percent of the faculty and 25 percent of student enrollments. Our size and breadth enable us to offer a range of theoretical approaches and empirical methodologies for understanding human society.
Our 15 departments and programs are consistently ranked at the top in the nation: US News & World Report's 2022 Best Graduate Schools named the departments of sociology and psychology #1 in the country, and political science and psychology ranked #4.
Our internationally recognized and award-winning faculty are standouts in their fields: among our current faculty are Nobelists, MacArthur "Geniuses," and Guggenheim Fellows.
Our alumni also go on to become leaders and changemakers all over the world; this year, three Berkeley Social Sciences alumnae were named MacArthur Fellows for their invaluable research and contributions.