B.A. Pathways

As part of the program in Data Science & Social Systems, students select a pathway that explores a topic they are passionate about and where data science methods and approaches have something compelling to offer.  As part of their pathway, students must take 4 courses and at least 12 units. Students may develop their own pathway or select one of twelve predefined pathways that focus on major societal challenges and the social systems that we need to understand to make progress.

Law and Justice

 

Pathway Requirements:

 

  1. Constitutional Law (Complete 1 of the following):
    1. The First Amendment: Freedom of Speech and Press (POLISCI 125P)
    2. Creation of the Constitution (HISTORY 153)
    3. The White Supremacist Constitution: American Constitutional History (AMSTUD 155)
  2. Race (Complete 1 of the following):
    1. The Changing Face of America (POLISCI 226A)
    2. Race and Crime (PSYCH 150)
    3. Law and Inequality (LAWGEN 112N)
    4. Sociology of Law (SOC 136)
    5. The Urban Underclass (SOC 149)
    6. Crime and Punishment in America (SOC 179A)
  3. Law and Economics (Complete 1 of the following):
    1. Economic Analysis of Law (PUBLPOL 302B)
    2. Behavioral Law and Economics (LAW 7514)
  4. Law and Data and Technology:
    1. Data: Privacy, Property and Security (INTLPOL 362/ LAW 4046)
    2. Modern Surveillance Law (LAW 4015)
    3. Data Privacy & Ethics (MS&E 234)
Media and Democracy

 

Pathway Requirements:

 

  1. Content Production (Complete 1 of the following):
    1. Reporting, Writing, and Understanding the News (COMM 104W)
    2. Advanced Digital Journalism Production (COMM 176)
    3. Specialized Writing and Reporting: Health and Science Journalism (COMM 177C)
    4. Specialized Writing and Reporting: Narrative Journalism (COMM 177D)
    5. Specialized Writing and Reporting: Sports Journalism (COMM 177SW)
    6. Specialized Writing and Reporting: Foreign Correspondence (COMM 177Y)
    7. Immersive (VR/AR) Journalism in the Public Sphere (COMM 280)
  2. Programming (Complete 1 of the following):
    1. Programming in Journalism (COMM 177P)
    2. Building News Applications (COMM 177T)
  3. Investigative Projects (Complete 1 of the following):
    1. Big Local Journalism: a project-based class (COMM 177B)
    2. Investigative Watchdog Reporting (COMM 177I)
  4. Communication Capstone (Complete 1 of the following):
    1. Exploring Computational Journalism (COMM 281)
    2. Individual Work (COMM 199)
Urban Systems

 

Pathway Requirements:

 

  1. Cities (Complete 1 of the following):
    1. The Urban Underclass (SOC 149)
    2. Introduction to Urban Studies (URBANST 110)
    3. The Urban Economy (PUBLPOL 174)
    4. Planning California: the Intersection of Climate, Land Use, Transportation & the Economy (CEE 136)
  2. Inequality (Complete 1 of the following):
    1. America: Unequal (SOC 3)
    2. The Changing Face of America (POLISCI 226A)
    3. Race and Crime (PSYCH 150)
  3. Contemporary Urban Issues (Complete 1 of the following):
    1. The Changing American City (SOC 156A)
    2. Gentrification (URBANST 141)
    3. Raza Youth in Urban Schools: Mis-educating Chicana/o/x and Latina/o/x Communities (EDUC 131)
    4. Race and Ethnicity in Urban California (URBANST 169)
    5. Urban Education (EDUC 112)
  4. Environmental Planning (Complete 1 of the following):
    1. Shaping the Future of the Bay Area (CEE 124X)
    2. Sustainable Cities (EARTHSYS 160)
    3. Physics of Cities (CEE 6)
Global Poverty and Development

 

Pathway Requirements:

  1. Political Economy (Complete 1 of the following):
    1. Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law (POLISCI 114D)
    2. Governance and Poverty (POLISCI 247G)
    3. Political Development Economics (POLECON 683)
  2. Development Economics (Complete 1 of the following):
    1. Development Economics (ECON 118)
    2. Development Economics I (ECON 214)
  3. Global Governance and International Institutions (Complete 1 of the following):
    1. Introduction to International Relations (POLISCI 101)
    2. Governing the Global Economy (POLISCI 110G)
    3. International Trade (ECON 166)
  4. Area of Particular Interest (Complete 1 of the following):
    1. Data for Sustainable Development (EARTHSYS 162)
    2. Economics of Health Improvement in Developing Countries (ECON 127)
    3. Feeding Nine Billion (EARTHSYS 185)
    4. Comparative Democratic Development (POLISCI 147)
    5. Water and Sanitation in Developing Countries (CEE 265D)
    6. Immigration and Multiculturalism (POLISCI 141A)
Language

 

Pathway Requirements:

  1. From Languages to Information (CS 124)
  2. Computational Language Processing (Complete 1 of the following):
    1. Natural Language Processing with Deep Learning (CS 224N)
    2. Spoken Language Processing (CS 224S)
    3. Natural Language Understanding (CS 224U)
  3. Processing and Learning Language (Complete 1 of the following):
    1. Introduction to Semantics and Pragmatics (LINGUIST 130A)
    2. Language and Society (LINGUIST 150)
    3. Language, Gender & Sexuality (LINGUIST 156)
    4. Introduction to Psycholinguistics (LINGUIST 145)
    5. Cognitive Development (PSYCH 141)
    6. Introduction to Personality and Affective Science (PSYCH 80)
    7. Social Cognition and Learning in Early Childhood (PSYCH 175)
    8. Psychometrics and automated experiment design (PSYCH 241)
  4. Language and Digital Media (Complete 1 of the following):
    1. The Rise of Digital Culture (COMM 120W)
    2. Truth, Trust, and Tech (COMM 124)
    3. Personality and Digital Media (COMM 145)
    4. The Politics of Algorithms (COMM 154)
    5. Virtual People (COMM 166)
    6. Media, Technology, and the Body (COMM 186W)
    7. Digital Civil Society (COMM 230B/ 230C)
    8. Exploring Computational Journalism (COMM 281)
Brains and Behavior

 

Pathway Requirements:

  1. Introduction to Neuroscience (Complete 1 of the following):
    1. Introduction to Cognitive Neuroscience (PSYCH 50)
    2. Cognitive Neuroscience (PSYCH 202)
  2. Advanced Neuroscience (Complete 1 of the following):
    1. Brain Networks (PSYCH 162)
    2. Brain Decoding (PSYCH 164)
    3. Advanced Seminar on Memory (PSYCH 169)
    4. Theoretical Neuroscience (PSYCH 242)
    5. Large-Scale Neural Network Modeling for Neuroscience (PSYCH 249)
    6. Social and Ethical Issues in the Neurosciences (NBIO 101)
    7. Philosophy of Neuroscience (PHIL 167D)
    8. Machine Learning Methods for Neural Data Analysis (STATS 220)
    9. Measuring Learning in the Brain (EDUC 464)
  3. Introduction to Cognitive Science and Psychology (Complete 1 of the following):
    1. Minds and Machines (PSYCH 35)
    2. Introduction to Perception (PSYCH 30)
    3. Introduction to Learning and Memory (PSYCH 45)
  4. Advanced Cognitive and Computational Approaches (Complete 1 of the following):
    1. Judgment and Decision-Making (PSYCH 154)
    2. Neural Network Models of Cognition (PSYCH 209)
    3. Experimental Methods (PSYCH 251)
    4. Causal Cognition (PSYCH 291)
    5. Philosophy of Cognitive Science (PHIL 82T)
Technology and Society

 

Pathway Requirements:

  1. Governance and Politics (Complete 1 of the following):
    1. Censorship and Propaganda (COMM 158)
    2. Current Topics in Technology Platform Policy (INTLPOL 261)
    3. The First Amendment: Freedom of Speech and Press (ETHICSOC 151)
    4. The Politics of Internet Abuse (POLISCI 243C)
  2. Data and Society (Complete 1 of the following):
    1. Data Privacy and Ethics (MS&E 234)
    2. The Politics of Algorithms (COMM 154)
    3. Ethics, Public Policy and Technology Change (COMM 180)
    4. Media, Culture, and Society (AMSTUD 1B)
    5. Truth, Trust, and Tech (COMM 124)
    6. Computational Social Choice (MS&E 336)
  3. Markets and Incentives (Complete 1 of the following):
    1. Market Design (ECON 136)
    2. Market Design for Engineers (MS&E 230)
    3. Incentives in Computer Science (CS 269I)
    4. Organizations: Theory and Management (MS&E 180)
    5. Global Organizations: The Matrix of Change (PUBLPOL 168)
  4. Building Better Technologies (Complete 1 of the following):
    1. Building News Applications (COMM 177T)
    2. Introduction to Human-Computer Interaction Design (CS 147)
    3. Introduction to Human Values in Design (ME 115A)
Economic Opportunity and Inequality

 

Pathway Requirements:

  1. Introduction & Overview (Complete 1 of the following):
    1. Causes & Consequences of the Rise in Inequality (ECON 22N)
    2. America: Unequal (SOC 3)
    3. Poverty, Inequality, and Social Policy in the United States (SOC 135)
    4. Historical perspectives on inequality and opportunity in America (ECON 113)
  2. Labor Markets, Human Capital and Inequality (Complete 1 of the following):
    1. Labor Economics (ECON 145)
    2. The Economics of Labor Markets (ECON 147)
    3. The Sociology of Work and Employment (SOC 328)
    4. Education and Inequality: Big Data for Large-Scale Problems (EDUC 107)
    5. The Economics of Higher Education (EDUC 347)
    6. Culture, Learning and Poverty (EDUC 232)
  3. Race, Gender, Immigration and Inequality (Complete 1 of the following):
    1. The Psychology of Racial Inequality (PSYCH 286)
    2. Lockdown America: Race and Incarceration in the Land of the Free (CSRE 22)
    3. The Economics of Immigration in the US: Past and Present (ECON 15N)
    4. Race and Immigration (CSRE 189)
    5. The Feminist Critique: The History and Politics of Gender Equality (AMSTUD 63N)
    6. Histories of Racial Capitalism (AFRICAAM 257)
  4. Policy Options and Inequality Movements (Complete 1 of the following):
    1. Understanding the Welfare System (ECON 11N)
    2. Welfare State (SOC 254)
    3. The Politics of Inequality (POLISCI 147P)
    4. Racial-Ethnic Politics in the US (CSRE 121L)
    5. Activism and Intersectionality (AFRICAAM 141X)
Democracy and Governance

 

Pathway Requirements:

  1. Political Institutions (Complete 1 of the following):
    1. Introduction to American Politics and Policy: Democracy Under Siege? (POLISCI 102)
    2. American Political Institutions in Uncertain Times (POLISCI 120C)
    3. What’s Wrong with American Government? An Institutional Approach (POLISCI 120Z)
    4. Law and Politics of Bureaucracy (POLISCI 228C)
  2. Political Economy (Complete 1 of the following):
    1. Governance and Poverty (POLISCI 247G)
    2. Economic Analysis of Political Institutions (POLISCI 351B)
    3. Political Economy I (POLISCI 460A)
  3. Political Behavior (Complete 1 of the following):
    1. Campaigns, Voting, Media and Elections (POLISCI 120B)
    2. Racial-Ethnic Politics in the US (POLISCI 121L)
    3. The Psychology of Communication About Politics in America (POLISCI 124L)
    4. Political Culture (POLISCI 244U)
  4. Democratization and Political Change (Complete 1 of the following):
    1. Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law (POLISCI 114D)
    2. Populism and the Erosion of Democracy (POLISCI 140P)
    3. Comparative Democratic Development (POLISCI 147)
    4. Political Mobilization and Democratic Breakthroughs (POLISCI 242G)
    5. Authoritarian Politics (POLISCI 244A)
    6. Political Development Economics (POLISCI 446)
Climate and the Environment

 

Pathway Requirements:

  1. Introduction and Overview (Complete 1 of the following):
    1. Introduction to Earth Systems (EARTHSYS 10)
    2. Climate and Society (SUSTAIN 2)
    3. Energy and the Environment (ENERGY 101)
    4. Biology and Global Change (EARTHSYS 111)
    5. Human Society and Environmental Change (EARTHSYS 112)
  2. Complete 3 courses that cover 3 of the following 5 categories:
    1. Energy:
      1. Data Science for Environmental Business (ECON 185)
      2. Fundamentals of Renewable Power (ENERGY 102)
      3. Understand Energy (EARTHSYS 103)
      4. Sustainable Energy for 9 Billion (ENERGY 104)
      5. Engineering and Sustainable Development: Toolkit (ENERGY 177A)
    2. Climate:
      1. Scientific Basis of Climate Change (ESS 102)
      2. Climate Models and Data (ESS 171)
      3. Science for Conservation Policy: Meeting California’s Pledge to Protect 30% by 2030 (EARTHSYS 101C)
      4. Atmosphere, Ocean, and Climate Dynamics: The Atmospheric Circulation (EARTHSYS 146A)
    3. Water:
      1. The Water Course (EARTHSYS 104)
      2. Remote Sensing of the Oceans (EARTHSYS 141)
      3. Quantitative methods for marine ecology and conservation (BIO 143)
      4. Physical Hydrogeology (ESS 220)
      5. Environmental Change and Marine Biodiversity (BIO 125)
    4. Food:
      1. Feeding Nine Billion (EARTHSYS 185)
      2. World Food Economy (EARTHSYS 106)
      3. Urban Agroecology (URBANST 181)
    5. Policy
      1. Sustainable Cities (URBANST 164)
      2. Engineering Economics (ENERGY 110)
      3. Safety and Environmental Aspects of Energy Production (ENERGY 118)
      4. Environmental Justice: Reflection (EARTHSYS 134)
      5. Concepts and Analytic Skills for the Social Sector (URBANST 132)
      6. Race, Nature and the City (AFRICAAM 168)
      7. Engineering and Sustainable Development: Implementation (ENERGY 177B)
      8. Empirical Environmental Economics (ECON 177) 
Health Policy

 

Pathway Requirements:

  1. U.S. Healthcare System (Complete 1 of the following):
    1. The American Healthcare System and Health Policy (HUMBIO 120B)
    2. Economics of Health and Medical Care (HRP 256)
    3. Health Economics & Policy: exploring health disparities, child health & health care spending (HUMBIO 123E)
    4. Health Care Policy & Reform (PUBLPOL 156)
  2. Health Disparities and Social Determinants of Health (Complete 1 of the following):
    1. Beyond Health Care: the effects of social policies on health (HUMBIO 122)
    2. Health Economics & Policy: exploring health disparities, child health & health care spending (HUMBIO 123E)
    3. Social Epidemiology (EPI 263)
    4. Social and Environmental Determinants of Health (PEDS 150)
  3. Global Health (Complete 1 of the following):
    1. Introduction to Global Health (HUMBIO 29)
    2. Global Change and Emerging Infectious Disease (HUMBIO 114)
    3. Global Child Health (HUMBIO 124C)
    4. Economics of Health Improvement in Developing Countries (ECON 127)
  4. Health and Technology (Complete 1 of the following):
    1. Introduction to Health Policy Modeling (MS&E 92)
    2. Law and Economics of Biomedical Innovation (ECON 48)
    3. Outcomes Analysis (HRP 252)
Education

 

Pathway Requirements:

  1. Foundations (Complete 1 of the following):
    1. Education & Society (EDUC 120C)
    2. Education & Inequality: Big Data for Large-Scale Problems (EDUC 107)
    3. Introduction to Teaching and Learning (EDUC 101)
    4. History of Education in the United States (EDUC 201)
    5. Introduction to Philosophy of Education (ETHICSOC 204)
    6. Introduction to Learning Sciences: Understanding Learning and Learning Environments (EDUC 333A)
    7. Learning in Formal and Informal Environments (EDUC 366)
    8. Cognitive Development in Childhood and Adolescence (EDUC 368)
  2. Policy and Context (Complete 1 of the following):
    1. Education Policy in the United States (EDUC 271)
    2. Research and Policy on Postsecondary Access (EDUC 117)
    3. Resource Allocation in Higher Education (EDUC 222)
    4. The Economics of Higher Education (EDUC 347)
    5. Economics of Education in the Global Economy (EDUC 306A)
    6. Global Education Policy & Organization (EDUC 306B)
    7. World, Societal and Educational Change: Comparative Perspectives (EDUC 306D)
  3. Race, Ethnicity, Diversity and Inequality (Complete 1 of the following):
    1. Child Development in Contexts of Risk and Adversity (EDUC 360)
    2. Re(positioning) Disability: Historical, Cultural and Social Lenses (EDUC 144)
    3. Race, Ethnicity, and Linguistic Diversity in Classrooms: Sociocultural Theory and Practices (EDUC 103B)
    4. Education and Inequality: Big Data for Large-Scale Problems (EDUC 107)
  4. Educational Research Methods (Complete 1 of the following):
    1. Foundational Course in Testing (EDUC 142)
    2. Introduction to Psychometrics (EDUC 252)
    3. Simulation in Education Research (EDUC 452)
    4. Computer Vision for Education and Social Science Research (EDUC 463)
    5. Measuring Learning in the Brain (EDUC 464)
Develop Your Own

The option to define an individualized pathway is available for students who have an interest that is more specific (not more general) than those offered in the predefined pathways.

The individualized pathway would need to be cohesive with a narrow focus that centers on a social problem. It is not simply a collection of classes that interest the student. 

Students who would like to pursue this option must create an Individualized Pathway Proposal and have it approved by (a) a faculty advisor and (b) the program. Ideally, students should get their pathway approved before they start taking the classes to ensure that the classes will fulfill pathway requirements.

Learn more about designing an individualized pathway. 

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