Introduction
Undergraduate
Departments
Departmental
Undergraduate Majors
History
UCSD is one of the ten campuses which make up the University
of California system. The other campuses are located in Berkeley,
Davis, San Francisco, Santa Cruz, Santa Barbara, Riverside, Los
Angeles, Irvine, and Merced. Each campus has its own distinct
academic and social character, and each offers programs and facilities
which set it off from the others.
As a member of the ten-campus family of the University of California,
UCSD is a university in scale and scope. Graduate and undergraduate
programs, offered in a wide range of disciplines, lead to the
bachelors, masters, M.D., Ph.D., and PharmD. degrees.
UCSDs Scripps Institution of Oceanography is internationally
renowned, and UCSDs School of Medicine has won national
acclaim for excellence. UCSDs Graduate School of International
Relations and Pacific Studies is the only school of international
affairs in the UC system. The UCSD School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical
Sciences opened this fall, and the UCSD Management School is scheduled
to open in 2004. At both the undergraduate and graduate levels,
UCSDs curricula and programs have been highly ranked in
recent surveys of American higher education.
UCSD enrolled its first undergraduates in 1964. Nevertheless,
the campus can trace its origins in this area as far back as the
late 1800s. At that time, zoologists on the Berkeley campus, seeking
a suitable location for a marine field station, found La Jolla
a very desirable site. The facility they established became a
part of the University of California in 1912 and was eventually
named the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. In the late 1950s,
when the Regents of the University of California decided to situate
a general campus in the San Diego region, the Scripps Institution
formed the nucleus of the new campus.
Today UCSD is recognized throughout the academic world for its
faculty and for its graduate and undergraduate programs. The history
of its growth may help to explain how, in some four decades, UCSD
has been able to match institutions which were founded a century
or more ago.
The faculty of UCSD now includes six Nobel laureates (four of
whom hold joint appointments with the nearby Salk Institute);
six recipients of the National Medal of Science; one winner of
the Pulitzer Prize; sixty-seven members of the National Academy
of Sciences; eighty-one Fellows of the American Academy of Arts
and Sciences; fourteen Fellows of the American Philosophical Society;
eight fellows of the Econometric Society; sixteen members of the
National Academy of Engineering; six members of the International
Academy of Astronautics; twenty-one members of the Institute of
Medicine; and two members of the National Academy of Education.
UCSD houses a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, the best-known honor
society for the liberal arts and sciences in America. The campus
is one of 265 four-year institutions selected for this distinction
since the society was founded in 1776, and more than 200 current
faculty and staff are members.
UCSD is a member of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges
(WASC) and is fully accredited by the Senior College Commission
of WASC. WASC is located at 985 Atlantic Avenue, Suite 100, Alameda,
CA 94501, and may be reached at (510) 748-9001 or by fax at (510)
748-9797.
University and Community
There are certain facts about UCSD to consider in making your
choice. Among them are:
UCSD, a four-year undergraduate campus, is also a full-fledged
graduate and research institution. UCSD faculty and scholars are
continually involved in research and developmental projects that
put this campus on the cutting edge of science, technology, and
the arts and humanities.
San Diego has become one of Americas major centers
for high-technology electronics and biomedical industries. Students
concentrating on sciences or engineering are actively sought by
these industries to fill summer jobs and career positions. Off-campus
internships also are available to UCSD students in all fields
of study, with opportunities to serve at local television stations,
in charity organizations, and in local, state, and federal government
agencies as well as in a diverse array of local businesses.
UCSD is recognized nationally as a major center for the
arts and humanities, including music and theater.
Undergraduates are offered opportunities to participate
in certain research projects conducted by UCSD faculty. A number
of UCSD undergraduates have developed computer skills that have
led to their employment by leading computer manufacturers, and
still others have gone on to form their own software enterprises
as a direct result of their UCSD training.
UCSDs unique small-college structure encourages
undergraduates to play a more active role in student government,
social life, and athletics than is generally open to them in other
major universities. Opportunities for involvement in student governance
are especially strong as there are student governing bodies at
the campus-wide level as well as within the five individual colleges.
Campus athletic facilities include the Recreational and
Intramural Athletic Center (RIMAC), two gymnasiums, two swimming
pools (one twenty-five yard, one fifty-meter), and numerous tennis
and handball courts. The universitys recreational and intramural
athletic programs are among the most varied and extensive in the
nation today.
Major Fields of Study
UCSD offers a wide variety of nationally recognized majors in
a broad array of fields, summarized in the list below. (For a
listing of graduate programs, refer to the section of this catalog
titled Graduate Studies.)
The academic departments of UCSD are listed below. Details and
requirements of the various individual courses are found in the
Courses, Curricula, and Programs of Instruction section
of the catalog.
UCSD has limited the number of its academic departments. For
example, there is only one Department of Literature. This system
has proved especially valuable to undergraduates who choose to
avoid overspecialization early in their studies.
A number of special, individually oriented programs use the
combined resources of two or more departments. Among these are
Chinese Studies, Classical Studies, Computing and the Arts, Critical
Gender Studies, Earth Sciences, Environmental Systems, Human Development,
German Studies, International Studies, Italian Studies, Japanese
Studies, Judaic Studies, Latin American Studies, Study of Religion,
Russian and Soviet Studies, the Teacher Education Program, Third
World Studies, and Urban Studies and Planning.
Engineering students may choose from a number of majors in the
Department of Bioengineering (BE), the Department of Computer
Science and Engineering (CSE), the Department of Electrical and
Computer Engineering (ECE), the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace
Engineering (MAE) or the Department of Structural Engineering
(SE). All five departments seek to educate the engineer of tomorrow,
with increased emphasis on computer methods and systems science.
Undergraduates interested in premedicine and prelaw majors should
note that a variety of departments can serve their needs. For
premed students, the common choices are biology, chemistry, psychology,
and bioengineering. However, more and more students are electing
double majors or are combining nontraditional majors with science
majors. For prelaw students, nearly any undergraduate major will
qualify a student for admission to a law school.
Should you need help in deciding on a major, many UCSD professionals
are available to aid you. Among them are the deans of academic
advising in the provosts offices of the six colleges, faculty
members, and departmental advisers (who can help you to select
an appropriate curriculum). Additional specialists in Career Services
Center and in Psychological and Counseling Services are available
to help you appraise your personal aptitudes.
Summer Session
UCSD offers a Summer Session consisting of courses selected
from the regular undergraduate curriculum and taught by UCSD faculty.
In addition, Summer Session provides special educational opportunities
not easily available during other quarters.
The Summer Session Program is open to UCSD students, students
of other colleges and universities, qualified high school seniors,
and the general public. Credit courses for selected professionals,
such as teachers and engineers, are also offered.
Summer Session catalogs and registration forms are available in
mid-March of each year. UCSD students may enroll via WebReg, http://studentlink.ucsd.edu.
For free copies write to UCSD Summer Session, 9500 Gilman Dr., Dept.
0179, La Jolla, CA 92093-0179; or call (858) 534-4364; or send email
to: summer@ucsd.edu.
What UCSD Does NOT Offer
Although the range and variety of programs offered at UCSD are
very wide, there are certain disciplines which are not available
on this campus. In some instances, the absence of a particular
program reflects the academic philosophy of the UCSD campus and
its faculty. In others, the absence of a curriculum is temporary,
awaiting the availability of funds, personnel, or facilities before
a program can be offered. In still others, programs have not been
included which would, in the universitys judgment, unnecessarily
duplicate comparable offerings on other UC campuses or at other
institutions.
Among undergraduate majors currently not available at UCSD are:
1. Business.
2. Oceanography. Although UCSD does not offer an undergraduate
major in oceanography, some marine science courses are offered
in the Division of Biology. Students planning to pursue oceanography
at the graduate level may select from a large number of undergraduate
courses in the physical, biological, and earth sciences to build
a firm foundation for later graduate work. Graduate-level work
in oceanography is offered by the Scripps Institution of Oceanography,
which is part of UCSD.
3. Nursing.
4. Industrial Arts.
5. Journalism. Although no major in journalism is offered, the
Department of Literature offers a major in writing that can emphasize
journalistic writing, and the development of writing skills is
stressed in many disciplines. Many courses offered in the humanities
and social sciences will provide the kind of broad-based preparation
needed by practicing journalists. Several student newspapers are
published on campus, providing ample laboratory opportunities
for students to practice journalism.
6. Geography.
7. Physical Education. Note: UCSD does not offer athletic scholarships,
and there is no intercollegiate football team at UCSD.
The Colleges of UCSD
UCSD undergraduates enjoy the benefits of a great university
without the disadvantages of bigness found in many of todays
mega-universities. The master plan conceived by UCSDs planners
borrowed from the Oxford and Cambridge concept to provide a family
of colleges, each with its own special academic and social flavor.
UCSDs students thus gain a sense of belonging through affiliation
with one of the campuss semiautonomous colleges.
There are six colleges: Revelle, John Muir, Thurgood Marshall,
Earl Warren, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Sixth College. Each is independent,
yet all are interrelated: all university academic and support
facilities are available to all students, regardless of their
college affiliation.
Each college is designed to accommodate up to 3,000 to 4,000
residence halls, commons (which include dining facilities and
meeting rooms), and classrooms. Each college has its own educational
philosophies and traditions, its own set of general-education
requirements, and its own administrative and advising staff. The
objective is to give students and faculty the advantages of a
small, liberal arts college combined with the best features of
a major university.
Students applying to UCSD should select a college in order of
their preference.
Details regarding the individual colleges are given in the Choosing
a College at UCSD section of the catalog.
Recreation at UCSD
UCSDs undergraduate colleges are situated on a parklike
site high on the bluffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean at La Jolla.
La Jolla has some of the finest beaches and coves, art galleries,
and other attractions in the nation.
Much of UCSDs recreational and social life centers on
the waterfront, with surfing, SCUBA diving, and beach activities
among the favorite diversions of UCSD students. Throughout the
area, students find a variety of amusements, ranging from the
small-town atmosphere of waterfront Del Mar to the primitive wilderness
of Mexicos Baja California peninsula.
The city of San Diego, some twelve miles south of the campus,
offers a wide range of recreational opportunities, including Old
Town (Californias birthplace), Sea World on Mission Bay,
and the world-famous San Diego Zoo and Wild Animal Park. A year-round
calendar of major league sporting events is offered in the citys
Sports Arena and in San Diego Qualcomm Stadium.
There are numerous theaters in San Diego. A year-round program
of contemporary and classical professional theater may be enjoyed
in the Old Globe and the adjacent Cassius Carter Centre Stage,
and special summer theater fare is featured on the parks
outdoor Festival Stage.
On-campus entertainment includes a year-round series of movies
and cultural programs, dances, chamber music, and rock-band concerts
sponsored by the University Events Office. The Department of Theatre
and Dance presents plays in both the 500-seat Mandell Weiss Theatre
and the 500-seat Forum Theatre. The Department of Visual Arts
offers a continuing series of art shows in the Mandeville Art
Gallery and displays of student art in other campus galleries.
Informal meeting places on campus are hubs of student activity
throughout the day and evening, among them the Muir Rathskeller,
Marshall College Mountain View Lounge, and the Price Center.
Mountains, Deserts, and Beaches
Many Southern Californians enjoy the out-of-doors. The San Diego
metropolitan area enjoys the most comfortable year-round climate
in the United States.
Fishing opportunities are plentiful offshore in kelp beds west
of La Jolla and surrounding the Coronado Islands in Mexican waters.
Fresh water fishing is available in nearby lakes. An hours
drive to the east, the Laguna Mountains provide pleasure during
all seasons for campers and hikers. Beyond the Lagunas lies the
vast Anza-Borrego Desert with its breathtaking display of wildflowers
every spring.
The peninsula of Baja California, one of the worlds last
great wilderness areas, stretches for 900 miles southward from
the international gateway at Tijuana. It is the site every year
of the grueling Baja cross-country auto race.
Sports at UCSD
Through its intercollegiate athletic and intramural programs,
UCSD provides its students with one of the more extensive and
competitive sports programs in the United States. UCSD fields
a wide variety intercollegiate athletic teams along with several
club sports teams, while the intramural program provides for student
competition in a wide variety of sports in three categories of
play: men, women, and coed.
Intramural sports are highly popular with UCSD students. An
estimated 60 percent of all students take part in one or more
of the teams involved in various sports during the course of the
academic year.
Need More Information?
Check the Following:
Note: An admissions packet for students interested in applying
to UCSD can be obtained from any California high school or community
college counselors office. Out-of-state students may request
a packet by writing to the Office of Admissions on any University
of California campus.
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