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Academic Resources
At UC San Diego, we don’t expect students to navigate their academics alone. Everyone’s journey to success is unique, and we’ve got all the support and resources your student needs to help them excel.
Academic Advising
Undergraduate students at UC San Diego have a unique academic advising system to guide them through their academic career at UC San Diego. Students work with both college academic advisors as well as department/major academic advisors.
Advisors assist students in:
- Compliance with academic regulations and policies
- Long-range curriculum planning, along with quarterly course selection and registration
- Efforts to explore a wide range of academic interests, goals and experiential opportunities
Academic Advising Resources
College Advisors
College academic advisors specialize in the general education requirements of your student's college.
Major Advisors
Department academic advisors guide your student through their major and minor requirements.
Virtual Advising Center
Students can use the Virtual Advising Center (VAC) to contact and communicate with their academic advisors.
Other Academic Support
OASIS
The Office of Academic Support and Instructional Services (OASIS) provides a variety of services to maximize student performance and retention, including:
- Transition programs that provide holistic support for students at all entry points into UC-San Diego
- Language Arts Tutorial Services (LATS)
- Math and Science Tutorial Program (MSTP)
- First-Year Interest Groups (FIGS)
Teaching + Learning Commons
The Teaching + Learning Commons offers students support for challenging courses, subjects and projects and helps students develop effective learning and problem-solving strategies.
- Content tutoring
- Learning strategies course
- Supplemental instruction (includes study groups)
- Writing tutoring and workshops
Tips for Academic Sucess
- Check out these great tips to help your student succeed academically.
- Does your student need a new study spot? We’ve got you covered!
Academic Policies and Integrity
At UC San Diego, we believe a culture of academic integrity reinforces quality teaching and learning. Academic policies are in place to encourage academic responsibility and integrity, and to protect your student's educational records, provide clarity about issues like course registration, and ensure all academic pursuits align with UC San Diego's Principles of Community.
- Learn about the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), which governs the disclosure of student records.
- Check out our Academic Regulations and Policies
- The Academic Integrity Office handles reports of academic integrity violations and educates students on academic and professional integrity and ethical decision-making.
Experiential Learning and Academic Enrichment
At UC San Diego, learning doesn't just happen in the classroom. Undergraduates at UC San Diego have access to enriching hands-on experiences and training, no matter their field of study. Check out some of the unique programs that offer your student exciting opportunities beyond the classroom.
Internship, Research, and Mentorship Programs
Research Experience and Applied Learning (REAL) Portal
The REAL portal helps students discover and connect with research, internship, international, service learning, entrepreneurial and other co-curricular opportunities that help build real-world skills and apply knowledge gained in the classroom.
Academic Internship Program (AIP)
The UC San Diego Academic Internship Program provides students an opportunity to earn course credit for internships related to their academic or career goals. Students choose from hundreds of internships across arts and humanities, engineering, sciences and social sciences — integrating academic theory and real-world practice. All students are paired with a faculty advisor for a well-rounded experience. Learn more.
UCDC at UC San Diego
Open to all majors, the UCDC program provides students with the incredible opportunity to study and live at the UC Washington Center while interning in D.C. for a term. Internship opportunities include working for congress people, house caucuses, federal departments, the NAACP, the National Immigration Forum and many more. Learn more about the program and application process.
UC Center Sacramento
Students interested in state-level policymaking or journalism can take classes and intern at UC’s teaching, research and public service site, located one block from the State Capitol Building. Learn more about the program and application process.
Faculty Mentor Program
The Faculty Mentor Program offers valuable research experience to juniors and seniors who want to prepare for graduate or professional school. Participants work as research assistants to UC San Diego faculty members for two quarters and receive independent study credit each quarter; attend seminars on various topics, including how to write and present a research paper; and receive graduate school and fellowship information. At the conclusion of the program, students present their research papers at the annual Faculty Mentor Program Research Symposium. Learn more about the program and application process.
Mentoring for All
UC San Diego’s Mentoring for All initiative connects students with faculty, staff and alumni mentors — formal and informal — across various disciplines and programs. Mentors help students achieve their goals, connect students with campus resources, and serve to enhance students’ overall well-being.
First-Year Experience and Transfer Experience Courses
UC San Diego's First Year Experience and Transfer Year Experience courses are designed to help your student develop connections with faculty, staff, resources, upper-division undergraduate students from their college, and their college cohort. We believe that building these relationships, becoming familiar with college programs and getting involved on campus will help your student to make the most of their undergraduate experience.
Study Abroad and Exchange Programs
Study Abroad
UC San Diego is committed to making global academic and co-curricular experiences accessible to all students. Through the Study Abroad Office, UC San Diego students study and work in more than 70 countries. Programs like Global Seminars, Alternative Breaks and Mexican Migration Field Research Training allow hands-on experience for students traveling abroad with the university. Study Abroad staff help students find and prepare for programs and navigate concerns like financial aid and academic planning. They also provide great resources for parents and families of students studying abroad!
Historically Black Colleges And Universities (HBCU) Exchange Program
Developed and hosted by Thurgood Marshall College, the HBCU Exchange Program invites all undergraduate students to spend a term at Spelman College, Morehouse College or Xavier University of Louisiana. Learn more about the program and application process.
Entrepreneurship and Innovation
The Basement
The Basement offers space for students from all academic disciplines to test innovative ideas, apply theory to real-world experiences, and build companies or social innovation ventures. Programs include the Blackstone LaunchPad Incubator, Venture Well grant opportunities and training, and Design Hackathon.
Makerspace
A 10,000-square-foot facility with over a million dollars of tools and equipment, The Makerspace empowers students to design, build and tinker. All students are welcome to use or learn to use everything from sewing machines to metal-cutting lasers.