Thurgood Marshall College

Honors Program and Special Courses

OFFICE: Provost, Thurgood Marshall College Administration Building

The Thurgood Marshall College Honors Program is designed to address one of the greatest responsibilities and challenges of public higher education: the education of students of exceptionally high academic achievement. The program provides the organization and the environment within which students are encouraged to pursue individual excellence.

Honors activities and events are designed to introduce Thurgood Marshall students to the excitement of pioneering research and innovative scholarship in all disciplines at UCSD and to create opportunities for discussion on public issues with locally and nationally known figures. This happens primarily through the honors seminar, offered every quarter, and open to all class levels of honors students. Also, honors students enjoy a relaxed and informal evening with the provost.

To qualify for the honors program, incoming freshmen must have achieved an evaluated high school GPA of 3.8 or better, and mathematical SAT score of 650 and verbal SAT score of 710 or higher. Continuing UCSD and transfer students are eligible upon successful completion of at least twelve graded units with a 3.7 or better cumulative GPA. All honors students must maintain a 3.50 or better cumulative GPA.

Thurgood Marshall College annually recognizes superior achievement. The Provost Award is presented at commencement to a graduating senior who is recognized for outstanding academic achievement and breadth of scholarship. In addition, students may be eligible for universitywide and departmental honors, Provost Honors, Thurgood Marshall College Honors, Phi Beta Kappa membership, and participation in small honors classes in science.

Public Service Minor

Thurgood Marshall College sponsors the Public Service Minor at UCSD, which encourages students to understand the history and practices of public service and to participate in the development of civic skills. This minor is open to all UCSD students in good standing. Please see “Public Service Minor” in the departmental listings.

Courses

10. Thurgood Marshall College Methods of Inquiry (2)    In this course, students learn analytical thinking strategies routinely used by professional scholars. Each student applies strategies from the materials presented in lectures and reading assignments to his or her current course work. Prerequisite: concurrent enrollment in two lecture courses. (P/NP only.)

15. Introduction to Public Service in America (4)    This course is designed to study, discuss, and analyze the history and current role of public service in the United States. Students will be introduced to the different roles held by the three sectors of the American economic structure (government, business, and nonprofit/public service) with opportunity to provide a critical analysis of those roles within American society.

20. Thurgood Marshall College Honors Seminar (1)    Weekly seminar conducted by UCSD faculty and distinguished guest lecturers on topics related to the core curriculum: diversity, justice, and imagination. (P/NP only.)

90. Undergraduate Seminar (1)    These seminars are designed to expose undergraduate students, especially freshmen and sophomores, to exciting research conducted by UCSD faculty. Prerequisite: none. (P/NP only.)

199. Marshall College Special Project (1–4)    Individual, independent research, or creative work intended to satisfy Marshall College graduation requirement. Designated for Marshall College students, topics are supervised by Marshall faculty in association with the honors seminar and honors projects. A written application describing the project is required. See Office of the Provost. Prerequisites: upper-division students with 2.5 GPA and 90 units and approval of the provost or faculty designee. Honors standing required for honors projects. (P/NP only)