University of California, Irvine. School of Social Sciences

The School of Social Sciences began as the Division of Social Sciences when the University of California, Irvine (UCI) was founded in 1965. Its first dean, James G. March, was appointed in 1964. He created an interdisciplinary program free of individual departments, enabling faculty to pursue scholarly interests beyond the constraints of departmental borders. Dean March referred to his program as the "New Social Science," a mathematically oriented discipline that involved systematic observation, interpretation, and quantitative analysis of human behavior. While many students worked toward a degree in social science, they also had the option of majoring in traditional social science disciplines: anthropology, economics, geography, political science, psychology, and sociology. The innovative structure of the school set it apart from other programs. It attracted many notable scholars, many of whom became members of the National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Among these were David Easton, Harry Eckstein, R. Duncan Luce, William Schonfeld, and A. Kimball Romney. While Dean March favored a non-departmental structure for the school, Dean William Schonfeld, who took office in 1982, found that the lack of departments was not practical for the growing school. The success of the early non-departmental structure of the school is attributed to its relatively small size and to the fact that the separate social science disciplines were passing through a revolutionary period during which their traditional boundaries and methodologies were being challenged. Increasing enrollments and other considerations prompted Dean Schonfeld to establish traditional departments for the school. In 2008, the School of Social Sciences is home to the departments of Anthropology, Cognitive Science, Chicano and Latino Studies, Economics, Linguistics, Logic and the Philosophy of Science, Political Science, and Sociology. Its academic programs include Demographic and Social Analysis, International Studies, Mathematical Behavioral Sciences, Political Psychology, Public Choice / Political Economy, Social Networks, Transportation Science, and a Summer Academic Enrichment Program.

Historical Background

The School of Social Sciences began as the Division of Social Sciences when the University of California, Irvine (UCI) was founded in 1965. Its first dean, James G. March, was appointed in 1964. He created an interdisciplinary program free of individual departments, enabling faculty to pursue scholarly interests beyond the constraints of departmental borders. Dean March referred to his program as the "New Social Science," a mathematically oriented discipline that involved systematic observation, interpretation, and quantitative analysis of human behavior. While many students worked toward a degree in social science, they also had the option of majoring in traditional social science disciplines: anthropology, economics, geography, political science, psychology, and sociology.

The innovative structure of the school set it apart from other programs. It attracted many notable scholars, many of whom became members of the National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Among these were David Easton, Harry Eckstein, R. Duncan Luce, William Schonfeld, and A. Kimball Romney.

While Dean March favored a non-departmental structure for the school, Dean William Schonfeld, who took office in 1982, found that the lack of departments was not practical for the growing school. The success of the early non-departmental structure of the school is attributed to its relatively small size and to the fact that the separate social science disciplines were passing through a revolutionary period during which their traditional boundaries and methodologies were being challenged. Increasing enrollments and other considerations prompted Dean Schonfeld to establish traditional departments for the school.

In 2008, the School of Social Sciences is home to the departments of Anthropology, Cognitive Science, Chicano and Latino Studies, Economics, Linguistics, Logic and the Philosophy of Science, Political Science, and Sociology. Its academic programs include Demographic and Social Analysis, International Studies, Mathematical Behavioral Sciences, Political Psychology, Public Choice / Political Economy, Social Networks, Transportation Science, and a Summer Academic Enrichment Program.