Community Engagement and Social Change minor

The Community Engagement & Social Change Minor

The Community Engagement and Social Change minor is an interdisciplinary program that creates a unique opportunity for students to examine strategies for social change through sustained engagement in Los Angeles and beyond. It complements any major. 

To learn more, register for one of our Zoom info sessions below!

Information Session Dates:

Session #1 March 1st at 3:00pm
Session #2 March 8th at 3:00pm
Session #3 March 15th at 3:00pm
Session #4 March 22nd at 3:00pm
Session #5 March 29th at 3:00pm
Session #6 April 5th at 3:00pm
Session #7 April 12th at 3:00pm
Session #8 April 19th at 3:00pm

Click below to register for any of the 8 information sessions: 

Community Engagement and Social Change minor develops your awareness of social issues through active participation in the community.

Students pursuing the Community Engagement and Social Change minor must complete the following requirements (see table below).

To view our Spring 2024 course offerings, please review the CESC Minor Spring 2024 Course List.

Requirement

Course Information

One (1) Core course Community Engagement and Social Change 50XP or 100XP
Two (2) Community-Engaged courses Includes any community-engaged course (XP)*, service-learning course (SL), and 195CE internship courses

One (1) of the two (2) courses can be lower division

One (1) Strategy of Social Change course Includes courses on community organizing, policy development, advocacy, social entrepreneurship, activism, or translational research 
One (1) Upper Division Elective The course selected should further a student’s interests and prepare you for your Capstone research courses
Two (2) Capstone Community-Engaged Research courses Community Engagement and Social Change 191AX (winter quarter only) and 191BX (spring quarter only). Capstone courses must be taken in successive winter and spring quarters.

There is a maximum of 2 upper division course overlap between your major and the CESC minor. A minimum of 20 units applied toward the minor requirements must be in addition to units applied toward major requirements or another minor.

*Some community-engaged courses may have an abbreviated version of the “XP” suffix (e.g. English 4WX) if the course already carries a mandatory suffix. 

Special Programs

UC Center Sacramento educates California’s future leaders in the craft of politics and policymaking, while making the expertise of faculty of the nation’s leading university available to decision-makers in the legislative and executive branches of government. 

UCCS Course Fulfills CESC minor requirement
Political Science 192A: Political Science Internship One (1) Community-Engaged course
Political Science 195: The California Policy Seminar One (1) Strategy of Social Change course
Political Science 196E: Research Design & Methods One (1) Upper Division Elective course
For more course information, application details, and syllabi, please visit UCCS course website.

The UCLA Quarter in Washington program offers students the opportunity to intern in Washington, DC while remaining a full-time UCLA student. QIW includes a combination of internships, coursework relevant to Washington, DC, and making career connections at the national level.

QIW Course Fulfills CESC minor requirement
Political Science M194DC One (1) Upper Division elective course
Any 195CE internship course One (1) Community-Engaged course
Political Science, History, Sociology, or Public Affairs M195DC One (1) Community-Engaged course

For more course information, application details, and syllabi, please visit the UCLA Quarter in Washington program.

APPLY TO THE MINOR

ELIGIBILITY

To apply to the minor, you must:

  • GPA

    Required UCLA cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher.

  • Information Session

    Students interested in pursuing the Community Engagement and Social Change (CESC) Minor should view the recorded Information Session (below) about the minor before applying. View our upcoming info sessions here!

APPLICATION NOTES

Declared CESC minor students who would like academic advising should contact Myrna Dee Kikuchi at mkikuchi@college.ucla.edu for assistance

  • Quarter
  • Summer 2023
  • Fall 2023
  • Winter 2024
  • Spring 2024
  • Application due
  • August 25, 2023
  • October 26, 2023
  • February 1, 2024
  • April 25, 2024
  • Students are notified
  • September 11, 2023
  • November 3, 2023
  • February 9, 2024
  • May 3, 2024

To read a selection of the most recent capstone research papers, please visit: https://escholarship.org/uc/ucla_communitylearning

CESC Senior Spotlight: Coming Soon!

FACULTY ADVISORY COMMITTEE

The Community Engagement and Social Change Minor’s Faculty Advisory Committee is made up of the following members:

Andrew Atkeson (Chair) Economics
Jennifer Jay Civil & Environmental Engineering
Rashmita Mistry Education
Amy Ritterbusch Public Affairs
Rafael Romero Undergraduate Neuroscience IDP
Ananya Roy Urban Planning, Social Welfare
David Shorter World Arts and Cultures

COMMUNITY PARTNERS COUNCIL

The UCLA Center for Community Engagement (CCE) formed a Community Partners Council in 2023 to help us more fully integrate our partners into the development and assessment of our programs. The Council advises on all aspects of the Center’s work, including the development of reciprocal faculty/student partnerships with community organizations. Council members share their experience working with students and faculty, and the impact these partnerships have for their organizations and the communities they serve.

Focus areas for the Council:

  • Inform strategies to expand collaboration between UCLA and the communities of LA.
  • Inform the development of new and expanded methods of community engagement.
  • Assist with assessing the impact of CCE programs on our community partners.
  • Inform the development of skills, training, and management tools for students and partner organizations.

2023-24 Council Members

CONTACT US

Interested Students & Current CESC Minors

Students interested in learning about the minor are invited to attend a CESC Information Session OR view a recorded information session on our website. You may also email communityengagement@college.ucla.edu with questions.

Prospective students should contact CESC Academic Counselor, Myrna Dee Castillo Kikuchi , with questions or requests for informational meetings.

Declared students should contact CESC Academic Counselor, Myrna Dee Castillo Kikuchi for assistance with DARS requests, academic advising, or other questions.

General questions can be referred to communityengagement@college.ucla.edu