Interdisciplinary Studies Field

Explore the nature of ‘science’ and the human and structural factors that shape its practice, impact, and human drama. This course deeply reads three foundational texts: James Watson’s “The Double Helix” (1968): A first-person unfiltered memoir of DNA discovery, fame, success, and the pursuit of truth. Tracy Kidder’s “The Soul of a New Machine” (1981): A look at what it takes to invent, build, and manufacture a new mini-computer, exploring money, office politics, and ingenuity. John Carreyrou’s Bad Blood (2018): The cautionary story of Theranos, Silicon Valley start-ups, scientific fraud,

Summer 2026 course registration has begun and students from all majors can enroll in the ISF course offerings. If you are interested in the ISF major, are interested in the course topics, or if you need to satisfy L&S breadth requirements, please find more information about each course below! Session A: 6 weeks, May 26 – July 2 ISF 100A: Introduction to Social Theory and Cultural Analysis Taught by Rakesh Bhandari On campus Monday-Thursday 10a-12p Class #: 14183, 4 units Satisfies Philosophy & Values or Social & Behavioral Sciences L&S

The ceremony will be live streamed with captioning, and recorded. This ceremony is for students in the ISF, American Studies, and Media Studies who are graduating in Fall 2025, Spring 2026, Summer 2026 and Fall 2026. More information will be posted as it becomes available on the Commencement page on the ISF website and on the UGIS Commencement website. We recommend students and guests bookmark these pages to easily check for updates in the Spring semester. We look forward to seeing you there!

ISF is offering TWO new courses this upcoming Fall semester. Any Berkeley student may use these courses to satisfy L&S Breadth requirements. Please check the ‘Rules & Requirements’ section on the Class Information page via the Class Schedule or view the details below. Prospective ISF students (registered at UC Berkeley) may use either course to satisfy a declaration requirement and current ISF students may use either course to satisfy a Course of Study requirement with their ISF faculty advisor’s approval. ISF 110: Fundamental Texts: The State Students with Research Fields

ISF 110: An Introduction to Data Analysis and Visualization ISF 100A: Introduction to Social Theory and Cultural Analysis ISF 100B: Interdisciplinary Theories of the Self and Identity ISF 100D: Introduction to Technology, Society, and Culture      

The annual ISF Thesis Poster Session gives graduating students the opportunity to proudly present their senior thesis and to support their peers’ theses! This showcase will highlight the hard work ISF students put in their thesis to family and friends who may already be in town to celebrate them for commencement.   When: Friday May 15, 2026 (end of finals week) 12-2PM Where: UAB (Undergraduate Academic Building)- 5th floor Please be sure to sign up (if you want to have a poster spot) or let us know you want to attend by 5/6. We’re

The Inaugural ISF Symposium, “The Idea of Democracy”, will take place on Friday April 17, 2026 from 2:00-5:00 PM in Philosophy Hall room 223. Professor Daniela Cammack in Political Science, also an ISF Advisory Board member, will present “The Idea of Democracy”: Today, democracy is often defined as self-rule– the rule of all the people over themselves. But the ancient Greeks would have called modern democracy “electoral oligarchy,” meaning the rule of a few officeholders over the rest. What they meant by Demokratia was the rule of an assemble crows (demos)

We are excited to share news regarding the location of our ISF Program Offices. Our campus offices will be closed during spring break, March 23-27 and on Monday, March 30. During this period, the ISF Academic advisors, staff and faculty, will be working remotely. As of Tuesday, March 31, 2026, our ISF Program Offices will be located in the new Undergraduate Academic Building (UAB). Location Transition Details: Current Location: Evans Hall, Second Floor NEW Location: Undergraduate Academic Building, Fifth Floor. When you reach the 5th Floor, please consult the building map across