B.A. in Organizational Studies

The ORGS major is discontinued; no new students will be added to it and we will support the completion of students currently in the major as of catalog year 2023-2024.

The Organizational Studies major is an interdisciplinary major designed to help students develop skills for careers in a variety of organizations including small businesses, multinational corporations, non-profit organizations, and local, state, and national government agencies. Organizational Studies courses are designed to give students skills for real-world problem solving. Students have the opportunity to take courses across a wide range of social science disciplines including anthropology, communications studies, economics, political science, psychology, and sociology. Organizational studies is ideally suited for students who want careers in business, government, or the non-profit sector, where knowing how organizations work is a key to success.

NOTE: The requirements below apply to students who declared the major in Fall 2019 or after. Other students should see an anthropology advisor for help. 

Requirements in the Major: 38-44 units

Core Requirements (23-24 units)

All Organizational Studies majors must take:

  • ORGS 101 People and Organizations
  • ORGS 102 People, Inquiry and Analysis
  • ANTH 133 Organizational Cultures
  • STAT 095 Elementary Statistics or SOCI 015 Statistical Applications in the Social Sciences
  • ENGL 100WB or LLD 100WB or any Social Science 100W.

Research Methods (3-4 units)

Choose one of the following course:

  • ANTH 149 Ethnographic Methods
  • COMM 150I Inquiry in Organizational Communication
  • POLS 100M Politcal Inquiry

Organizations and Identity (3-4 units)

Choose one of the following courses:

  • ANTH 130 Kith, Kin and Communities 
  • COMM 144F Organizational Communication
  • ECON 101 Microeconomic Analysis 
  • ECON 158 Economics of Entrepreneurship
  • PSYC 170 Industrial and Organizational Psychology
  • SOCI 173 Socialization and Identity

Organizations and Society (6-8 units)

Choose two of the following courses:

  • ANTH 102 Silicon Valley Connections
  • COMM 164F Communication and Global Organizations
  • ECON 102 Macroeconomic Analysis 
  • PSYC 154 Social Psychology 
  • SOCI 146 Work, Power and Leisure 
  • SOCI 163 Social Change

Organizational Processes (6-8 units)

Choose two of the following courses:

  • ANTH 105 Applied Anthropology 
  • COMM 114P Business and Professional Speaking
  • COMM 124P Communication Training and Development
  • ECON 121 Industrial Organization 
  • POLS/URBP 103 Local Government and Politics 
  • SOCI 169 Political Sociology

Capstone (4 units)

  • ORGS 103 Organizational Studies Capstone

Other Requirements

In addition to the above major requirements, students graduating with the B.A. in Organizational Studies must complete a minor degree of 12-18 units approved by an advisor and earn a total of 120 units.

No Area R, S, or V courses may be used for the ORGS major.

Total Units Required for the Degree: 120 units

Please note that a 3-unit maximum of individual studies may be used to meet the degree requirements. In addition to the above major requirements, students graduating with the B.A. in Organizational Studies must complete a minor degree of 12-18 units approved by an advisor.

NOTE: No Area R, S, or V courses will count towards the Organizational Studies degree.