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HC-SI FAQ and Important Links

My minor courses are not being reflected on my Degree Audit. How do I get this updated?

Since this is an interdisciplinary minor, all courses must be added manually to your degree audit by one of our advisors. The courses added will be what you initially submitted with your minor declaration form. If you end up taking different classes from what you declared with, only a Warren College advisor will be able to update your degree audit. Please submit a request through our VAC contact tool stating clearly which courses you would like removed from your minor and which you would like added. Please note that if a course is not on our pre-approved list, you will need to have a petition approved before your degree audit will be updated. If you have significant updates to your minor courses, you may also drop the minor in your student portal and redeclare with a new course list.

Am I allowed to take courses for the Health Care - Social Issues minor pass/no pass?

Yes. You can take up to ANY two courses (for a total of eight units) with a pass/no pass grading option.

Can I receive credit for a course not on the pre-approved list?

You may petition to receive credit from a course not currently on the preapproved electives list, including courses completed at another institution, by submitting the completed petition to hcsi@ucsd.edu along with the description and syllabus for the course. Someone will then review the proposed course for its relevance to the minor and notify you whether it may be used for credit via the VAC.

Do I have to be an Earl Warren College student to participate in the Health Care - Social Issues Program?

No. Although it is administered by Warren College, Health Care-Social Issues is available to all undergraduate students at UC San Diego.

Am I allowed to have any of my major and minor courses overlap?

Lower-division courses are allowed to overlap and no more than two upper-division courses may overlap between your major and minor.

I have more than one minor. Am I allowed to have overlap between minor courses?

Lower-division courses are allowed to overlap, but upper-division courses between two or more minors may not overlap.

Can I use Academic Internship credit as part of my minor?

It is possible to use academic internship credit if the internship is health-related and approved by Warren College Academic Advisors for the minor. Up to eight units of academic internship credit can be used in lieu of upper-division elective courses. Please see the Academic Internship Program (AIP) website for more information on their program.

NOTE: AIP courses can only be taken with a pass/no pass grading option. These units will count toward your pass/no pass limit. Therefore, if you use a 4-unit internship as an upper-division elective for the minor you can only take one other course pass/no pass.

Can I study abroad and apply some of those courses to my minor?

All courses taken while studying abroad are subject to the petition process upon return to UCSD. A member of the Health Care-Social Issues Faculty Advisory Committee will review your petitions and determine if the courses you took can be included in the minor. You must include a full course description and syllabus for proper consideration. If you are thinking about trying to take courses for the minor while abroad, ask a question for more information.

Can I use a Heath Care - Social Issues minor in lieu of a Program of Concentration? (Warren College students only)

It is possible to use a HCSI minor in lieu of a Humanities and Fine Arts (H&FA) or Social Sciences (SS) Program of Concentration (PofC).

  • Humanities and Fine Arts
    To use the HCSI minor in lieu of a H&FA PofC, you must complete all minor requirements and at least 4 of the 7 classes taken for the minor must be chosen from the approved History or Philosophy courses.
  • Social Sciences
    To use the HCSI minor in lieu of a SS PofC, you must complete all minor requirements and at least 4 of the 7 classes taken for the minor must be chosen from the approved Anthropology, Cognitive Science, Economics, Ethnic Studies, Psychology, Science, Sociology, or Urban Studies and Planning courses.

How do I know when and if a course I am interested in taking will be offered?

Many of the courses that are included in the Health Care-Social Issues program are not offered on a quarterly basis so it is important to plan ahead and be flexible when selecting courses.  The Program Coordinator will make every effort to ensure courses are offered frequently and publicize available courses at the earliest possible date but the individual academic departments make the final decisions on course offerings. While past course offerings are not a guarantee of future schedules, they can often provide general guidelines. Please view archived Health Care-Social Issues course schedules on the course schedule page of this site.

How do I declare a Health Care-Social Issues minor?

You can declare your minor online using the Major and Minor tool on TritonLink.

I am not exactly sure which courses I will use to complete my minor. Can I still declare the minor?

Yes. You can still declare your minor online using the Major and Minor tool on TritonLink. When you complete the form list all the courses you plan to use for the minor (minimum of 28 units). You can change course selections at a later date by resubmitting your minor form or submitting a VAC request to Warren advising. If there are any discrepancies between the courses you complete and those listed on your minor form your degree audit will be incorrect.

What do I do if the courses I originally selected for my minor change, or are not reflected on my Degree Audit?

If you need to change a majority of your declared course, please resubmit your minor form online using the Major and Minor tool on TritonLink. The tool does not yet have a revision feature so you have to delete the existing minor before you can add it back in with the revised course list. Once the new minor is approved it can take up to two weeks for your degree audit to reflect the changes.

If you only need to update a few courses, you may also submit a VAC request to a Warren Advisor. In your request, clearly state which of your declared courses you would like removed from your degree audit, and which you would like added. (Note: if a requested course is not on our pre-approved list, you must submit a petition to receive credit for the course before requesting the update.)

Is an application required to declare a Health Care-Social Issues minor?

No application is required. Simply declare your minor online using the Major and Minor tool on TritonLink

When should I declare my Health Care-Social Issues minor?

The online minor system requires students who have completed 135+ units to receive special permission from the department before declaring. To avoid this additional step, be sure to declare before you hit 135 units.

Students are encouraged to declare the minor early as there are many benefits:

  • By submitting your course selections for review, you will ensure that your planned courses appropriately fulfill all minor requirements.
  • Your degree audit will be updated to include the minor and more accurately reflect your planned path to graduation.
  • You will receive information from the department about new courses, approved topics courses, social health-realted events, and more

What is the minor code for Health Care-Social Issues?

The minor code is M022.

How can I create a major in Health Care-Social Issues?

The Health Care-Social Issues program does not currently have the capacity to house students for a major. Students who are interested in the major can go through their College’s Academic Advising Office to create an Individualized Studies or Special Studies Major in Health Care-Social Issues. The requirements and process are slightly different at each college but there are some common items:

Faculty Advisor
Students interested in the major will need to secure a faculty advisor who will sign off on selected courses and serve as a mentor throughout the process.

Minimum GPA
Based upon cumulative UCSD GPA.

Statement of Intent
Students interested in the major will be required to submit a written proposal, typically two-pages in length, that explains the purpose of the proposed major, how the major will help with long-term career or graduate school goals, etc.

Please find your college below and contact the appropriate Academic Advising Office for more information on this option.

Can any courses taken for the major be completed with a pass/no pass grading option?

The only courses that may be taken with a pass/no pass grading option are those that do not offer a letter grade option. Examples of such courses include Academic Internship credit (AIP 197) and Independent Study credit (199). Some colleges have a limit on the number of pass/no pass units that may be applied to the major.

How do I go about securing a Faculty Advisor?

The process will be slightly different for each student but here are some tips and ideas to keep in mind.

  • It is strongly recommended that you write your statement of intent first. This will help prepare you to answer the questions “why should I be your faculty advisor” or “what do you hope to gain from this major” when asked.
  • Think about the classes you have taken in the Health Care-Social Issues program. Was there a faculty member you particularly connected with or whose research interests are similar to yours? If so, that faculty member might make an excellent candidate. If not, be proactive in the next class you take — go to Office Hours and speak with the professor about your goals and your plan to create a major within the program. 
  • When you write to or meet with the faculty member be courteous, be prepared, and make sure to be on time. When they agree, be grateful and demonstrate your appreciation with a thank you note.
  • It is important to have a faculty advisor who will be easily accessible throughout your tenure at UCSD as you will need approvals or signatures at various stages during the process.  Therefore, is it generally best not to ask someone who is a Visiting Professor, is planning to take an extended leave of absence or sabbatical, or who plans to retire in the near future.

I still have more questions, who can I contact?

You can ask a question or go to drop-in advising at Warren College Academic Advising. They are located in EBU3B room 1137 and can be reached at 858-534-4350