hip2btriangle,
you have every reason to be worried about at UC irvine. i am currently a grad student there--and so far, sans a handful of excellent faculty, good classes, and very, very few sharp students, i believe it does not provide a stimulating environment for intellectual growth. i'm sure you have gone to the open house now, but recruitment weekend is always about projecting everything good and beautiful. let me tell you why i think their socio department is not as strong as most people would think otherwise:
1. their entering cohort is the largest i've known--16-18!!! with only about 2-3 graduating from that cohort. most people they accept don't know what they want in life. most are fresh from college, wanting to go to grad school to avoid work and get paid for it. how can the department take care of 18 students, in terms of mentoring and guided study--something that is needed in a PhD program?
2. they do not have international students in their cohorts. diversity anyone? that is why the level of discussions in classes is so US-centric. global sociology anyone? also, while the undergrad is ethnically diverse, the grad program is not. they only have about 1-2 minorities in their cohorts.
3. if you're very political or an activist, do not go to UCI. if you're like me who come from a university where protests, teach-ins, and political discussions are part of student life, you will hate it there (luckily for me, i found a group where i can channel all my activism). the shallowness of the orange county environment rubs on the students. all they wanna do is go to the pub and discuss the mundane aspects of human existence.
4. the socio department is not heavy on theory. we read textbook contemporary social theory, for crying out loud! if you wanna be steeped in theory, do not go to this department.
that is all i have to say. consider this in your decision.
