Undergraduate Program
Developing leaders engaged in social change
Overview
The UCLA Luskin Undergraduate Program prepares students to understand complex social challenges — and to take action. Home to the BA in Public Affairs, the Gerontology Minor, the Public Affairs Minor, and the Urban and Regional Studies Minor, the program gives students a multidisciplinary foundation in public policy, social welfare, urban planning, data analysis, critical thinking, and communication.
Through rigorous coursework and hands-on learning, students examine issues such as poverty, housing affordability, climate change, criminal justice reform, health, education, migration, aging, and urban change. Public Affairs students learn to analyze evidence, develop persuasive arguments, engage with communities, and apply their knowledge in real-world settings — preparing them for careers in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors, as well as graduate study in fields such as law, public policy, social welfare, urban planning, education, and the social sciences.
Academic Programs
Why UCLA Luskin?
Learn at the intersection of policy, people, and place
UCLA Luskin brings together the strengths of public policy, social welfare, and urban planning, giving students a distinctive lens for understanding how institutions, communities, and systems shape people’s lives.
Connect classroom learning to real-world impact
Through experiential learning, internships, community partnerships, and programs in Los Angeles, Sacramento, Washington, D.C., and beyond, students put their scholarship into practice while building career-ready skills.
Study urgent issues in one of the world’s most dynamic regions
Located in Los Angeles, UCLA offers students a living laboratory for exploring equity, governance, sustainability, housing, transportation, health, aging, and social change — with lessons that extend far beyond Southern California.
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Undergraduate Program Events
Our Student Community
Students in UCLA Luskin’s undergraduate Public Affairs program are part of an engaged, collaborative community united by a shared interest in addressing complex public challenges. They bring a wide range of experiences, perspectives, and academic interests to the classroom, enriching conversations about equity, policy, institutions, and social change.
Beyond the classroom, students connect through research, internships, community-based learning, student organizations, and events across UCLA and Los Angeles. This close-knit community offers the support of a focused academic program along with the opportunities and resources of a world-class public university, helping students build meaningful relationships with peers, faculty, practitioners, and community partners.
Contacts
Undergraduate Program
Luskin School of Public Affairs
3343 Public Affairs Building
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1656
The UCLA Public Affairs Undergraduate Program uses MyUCLA Message Center to correspond with current students as well as potential applicants. The Message Center has replaced email for student/applicant communication with the Public Affairs Undergraduate Program Office.
- Current Students and those with a UCLA logon ID (UCLA Students may also access the Message Center via MyUCLA)
- Potential Applicants and those without a UCLA Logon ID