Applying to the Science Studies Graduate Program

Applicants to the Science Studies Program should apply on-line through the Office of Graduate Studies to the home department in which the student's main field of study lies -- the Departments of Communication, History, Philosophy, or Sociology -- and check the box on the application indicating the desire to also gain admission to Science Studies. (You do not need to send the supporting materials -- recommendations, papers, GRE scores, etc -- to Science Studies, only to the home department to which you are applying.)

The interdepartmental Science Studies admission and fellowship committee looks for evidence of interest and talent in pursuing communication, historical, philosophical and sociological approaches to science. It is also desirable, though not required, for students to have some scientific background. Students must be admitted to one of the Program's four home departments in order to gain admission or fellowship support in the Science Studies Program.

The minimum GPA (Grade Point Average) for admission is 3.0, with a higher average expected in the prospective major field and related areas.

Prospective applicants are encouraged to contact any of the faculty of the Program, in order to discuss informally how their particular interests might be accommodated. They are also invited to visit UCSD to meet with the faculty and current Science Studies students, and -- if the date of their visit is appropriate -- to sit in on Science Studies and other courses. In most cases, financial support in some form is available.

Formal applications are normally due in mid-January, however please check with each department for current deadlines. Admission notification will be sent to successful applicants around March 15, and students are requested to decide whether to accept the offer not later than April 15. Except in special circumstances, students who accept admission will be expected to begin their course of study at the start of the next academic year.

Applicants to the Science Studies Program who are women, African-Americans, Latinos, Filipinos, Native Americans, and Puerto Ricans, and those from other groups which historically have been under-represented in academic life in the U.S. are particularly encouraged and welcomed.

Financial Support

Many forms of support are given through the “home” departments and may include the full or partial remission of tuition and other fees. It may also include Fellowships, Research Assistantships, Teaching Assistantships, and Readerships. Applicants for graduate study in the Science Studies Program should apply to the “home” departments for these stipends. In addition, the Science Studies Program also offers very competitive first-year graduate fellowships to well-qualified applicants, as well as stipends to continuing students. The UCSD Financial Aid and Scholarship Office provides information to prospective and continuing students about financial aid and scholarship opportunities.

In addition, students interested in the Science Studies Program are encouraged to seek funding from external sources. Many of our students have received financial awards from organizations outside of the university. The following is a list of organizations which sponsor financial awards:

National Science Foundation
Social Science Research Council
National Institute of Health
US Dept of Education – Funding
California Sea Grant
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

For further information on the Science Studies graduate program, write, call, or e-mail:

Science Studies Program
University of California, San Diego
9500 Gilman Drive #0104
La Jolla, CA 92093-0104
Telephone: (858) 534-0491
Fax: (858) 534-7283
E-mail: ssadmin@ucsd.edu