Non-STEM at UCI
What is STEM vs. Non-STEM?
STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math -- the “hard-science” disciplines for which UCI often receives praise. Non-STEM, therefore, covers all other disciplines, including the humanities, arts, and social sciences. While it’s true that UCI has some incredibly strong STEM programs and departments, we are equally strong in non-STEM fields. I’ll include a complete list of non-STEM schools at the end of this post, but for now, let’s talk about some unique non-STEM programs and opportunities UCI has to offer!
Antleader Mentorship Program
The Antleader Mentorship Program, or AMP for short, is a student-run organization that helps first-year students to foster community, build leadership skills, and connect to UCI’s vast network of resources. It is primarily for first-year first-generation students with low socioeconomic status backgrounds. Students are paired with a mentor who helps them navigate their first year at UCI, and go to workshops once a week to connect with their peers and learn valuable college skills. It’s a really special program that everyone I’ve talked to has loved!
UCDC
Are you interested in politics? Making a difference? Then you might enjoy UCDC, a program where UC students from various campuses come together in Washington D.C. to take classes, intern, and explore! You can go during the academic year or over the summer, and the possibilities are endless for students of any major.
Deconstructing Diversity Initiative
DDI provides opportunities to discuss race and critical race theory with their peers and amazing guest speakers. Students also get the opportunity to travel to places around the country like Chicago, Washington D.C., and Atlanta to meet with other organizations and continue learning about race and diversity, and the role it plays in our country today!
New York Satellite Program
In the Claire Trevor School of the Arts, drama students have an opportunity to audition for the New York Satellite Program, a six-week immersive experience living in Manhattan, seeing Broadway shows, auditioning, and taking master classes with incredible artists. This is a program I hope to take part in during my time at UCI, and it was one of the reasons that UCI was appealing to me as a drama major!
* * * * *
Outstanding Non-STEM Professors
Elizabeth Cauffman is one of the leading experts in developmental psychology, and has used her research to help abolish the juvenile death penalty. Check out her super interesting TedX talk to hear more about her research! She directs the Center for Psychology & Law at UCI, and teaches in the department of Psychology and Social Behavior in the School of Social Ecology.
Heidi Hardt, a Political Science assistant professor in the School of Social Sciences, was recently awarded $210,000 by NATO to help incorporate women into international conflict prevention. This article explains all about it, and it sounds incredible!
Ngugi wa Thiong’o is a novelist, playwright, and researcher who has been predicted to win the Nobel Prize for Literature several times. His research interests include globalization, postcolonialism, and African literature. He teaches in various disciplines in the School of Humanities.
* * * * *
And now, if you want to know exactly what non-STEM disciplines you can study at UCI, take a look at this complete list of non-STEM schools and majors.
Non-STEM Academic Units and Majors
School of Social Sciences
12 majors:
Anthropology
Business Economics
Chicano/Latino Studies
Cognitive Sciences
Economics
International Studies
Language Sciences
Political Science
Psychology
Quantitative Economics
Social Policy & Public Service
Sociology
One main resource is the Social Sciences Academic Resource Center, where students can find everything from internship opportunities to interesting speakers to free individual academic consultations.
School of Social Ecology
5 majors:
Criminology, Law and Society
Environmental Science and Policy
Psychology and Social Behavior
Social Ecology
Urban Studies
Fun fact: Our school of social ecology was the very first one in the United States!
School of Education
1 major:
Education Science
One important program in this school is CalTeach, where students can work at local schools while earning their degree!
Paul Merage School of Business
2 majors:
Business Administration
Business Information Management
This school has its own career center, which can connect you to internship opportunities, alumni, and other valuable resources!
School of Humanities
22 majors!! That’s so many!
African American Studies
Art History
Asian American Studies
Chinese Studies
Classics
Comparative Literature
East Asian Cultures
English
European Studies
Film and Media Studies
French
Gender and Sexuality Studies
German Studies
Global Middle East Studies
Global Cultures
History
Japanese Language and Literature
Korean Literature and culture
Literary Journalism
Philosophy
Religious Studies
Spanish
The School of Humanities also offers Humanities Core, which is a year-long series of courses for freshmen that fulfills General Education requirements.
Claire Trevor School of the Arts
8 majors:
Drama
Music Theatre (B.F.A.)
Music
Music Performance (B.Mus.)
Dance
Dance Performance (B.F.A.)
Choreography (B.F.A.)
Art
One resource on the Claire Trevor Campus is the Arts Media Center, where arts students utilize free printing, music, and recording resources.
As a non-STEM student, I can vouch for the value and academic rigor of non-STEM majors, resources, and organizations at UCI. Though all programs at UCI are amazing, in my eyes, the non-STEM programs are the ones that stand apart.
