Eleanor Roosevelt College

Eleanor Roosevelt Courses, Curricula and Program of Instruction

Eleanor Roosevelt College (ERC), formerly known as Fifth College, was established in 1988 and is currently home to almost 3,500 men and women. In 1994, the College was named after Eleanor Roosevelt, affirming the connection between the College’s educational program and Mrs. Roosevelt’s legacy as one of the most influential figures of the twentieth century. During the Great Depression and World War II, Mrs. Roosevelt traveled widely in the United States and abroad to understand and propose solutions to social problems and political conflicts. Throughout her life, she was an active champion for civil and social rights in the U.S. She carried that experience into her role as the leading architect of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the United Nations in 1948. She earned worldwide respect and became known as the “First Lady of the World.”

Eleanor Roosevelt College proudly embraces Mrs. Roosevelt’s legacy and has as its primary goal the education of students with a global vision. Consistent with the College’s motto of Developing World Citizens through Scholarship, Leadership and Service, the general education program is designed to prepare students to be effective contributors to their professions and citizens of a rapidly changing world. The core curriculum of the college exposes students to a variety of academic disciplines, providing a foundation in critical thinking, writing, and analysis that is suitable for all career aspirations.  The program develops students’ intellectual capacities, expands general knowledge, and strengthens foundational skills. Students have many choices within the program’s structured framework.

Eleanor Roosevelt College serves students interested in pursuing academic excellence in any of the over 150 majors offered at UC San Diego. The general education program in tandem with majors in all academic divisions (engineering, social sciences, physical and biological sciences, the arts and humanities) prepares students to work effectively in any professional environment. Students planning postgraduate study in fields as diverse as medicine, business, law, public policy, and traditional doctoral programs will be well prepared by the combination of strong training in the major and the broad curriculum of the college.

ERC combines an academic program with student life programs that help students engage in thoughtful leadership and meaningful service. In the college’s supportive community, students are valued and respected. They are challenged and helped to succeed as they make the transitions to college and the world beyond.

General Education

The general-education requirements at ERC are designed to provide all students with a broad intellectual foundation. The curriculum offers undergraduates opportunities to learn about the various fields that may be open to them, thus assuring that their choices in selecting a major, pursuing graduate study, or seeking employment will be based on clear understandings about the nature of the work and their own interests and talents.

Advanced Placement Credits

University credit may be granted for College Board Advanced Placement Tests on which a student earns a score of 3 or higher. The credit may be applied toward general-education requirements (approximately half of which can be met by Advanced Placement credit), elective units for graduation, as subject credit for use in a minor, or as a prerequisite to a major. For further details, see the advanced placement chart in “Undergraduate Admissions, Policies and Procedures.”

ERC academic counselors provide information about advanced placement or courses that meet the general education requirements of the college. Students should take advantage of the counseling available in the Academic Advising Office to help them effectively incorporate the college general-education requirements into their academic program.

ERC General-Education Requirements
for Students Entering as Freshmen

• The Making of the Modern World (six quarters)

This interdisciplinary sequence of six courses incorporates humanities (literature, history, and philosophy) and social sciences as well as writing. The courses examine Western and non-Western societies, cultures, and state systems both historically and comparatively. The Making of the Modern World (MMW) is taught by faculty from many disciplines, including anthropology, history, literature, political science, and sociology.

• Natural Sciences (two quarters)

Two courses are to be chosen from selected offerings in biology, chemistry, physics, and/or earth sciences.

• Quantitative Methods (two quarters)

Two courses are to be chosen from selected offerings in pre-calculus, calculus, statistics, symbolic logic, or computer programming.

For students majoring in scientific fields, these courses are preparation for major study; for students who will continue their studies outside the sciences, they provide a basic understanding and appreciation of methods and developments in the fields. Many of the selected courses are designed for non-science majors.

• Foreign Language (zero to four quarters)

ERC students are required to demonstrate basic conversational and reading proficiency in a modern foreign language, or advanced reading proficiency in a classical language, by completing the fourth quarter of foreign language instruction (or equivalent) with a passing grade.

Students may also complete this requirement by demonstrating advanced language ability on a special proficiency exam. Students considering this option should consult with an ERC academic counselor during their first year at UCSD.

Advanced placement scores in language or literature, and IB scores in language, may exempt students from all or part of the ERC language requirement.

College-level language study is a prerequisite for study abroad in most non-English speaking countries and enhances understanding of those societies. Students wishing to study abroad in non-English speaking countries may need to take additional language classes, and will need to take all language courses for letter grades.

• Fine Arts (two quarters)

Two four-unit courses are required, to include study of both Western and non-Western music, theatre, dance, and/or visual arts. These courses help students appreciate the rich range of human expression to be found in cultures and ages other than their own.

• Regional Specialization (three quarters)

Each ERC student selects three courses dealing with a single geographic region of the world. The college has defined regions broadly enough to assure course availability and narrowly enough to ensure coherence of subject matter. These courses may be chosen from offerings in humanities, social sciences, and fine arts. At least two of the three must be taken at the upper-division level. See “Minors” below about application of this course work to an optional ERC minor.

• Upper-Division Writing Requirement

To demonstrate competency in written English at the upper-division level, students submit to the Academic Advising Office a paper or papers of specified lengths that were written for one or more upper-division courses and graded C– or higher.

Pass/No Pass Grading Options

1. Courses that meet the following ERC general-education requirements may be taken Pass/ Not Pass: fine arts, foreign language, natural sciences, quantitative methods, and one regional specialization course. All other general-education courses must be taken for letter grades.
2. No more than 25 percent of total UCSD units counted in satisfaction of degree requirements may be taken on a Pass/Not Pass basis.
3. Electives may be taken on a Pass/Not Pass basis except if they are to be applied to majors or minors. Check with the appropriate department or college for rules applying to specific majors or minors.

Sample Program

A program like the sample one shown here would lead to completion of most general- education requirements during the first two years of college. Some variation will occur depending upon a student’s academic preparation, choice of major, and individual interests and priorities. For example, students planning to major in science, math, or engineering will be taking many prerequisite courses for their major; those courses typically also fulfill the general-education requirements in natural sciences and/or quantitative methods.

Leadership and Community

ERC students are recognized for their strong sense of community. These bonds are created in part by common classroom experiences in MMW. They also grow from shared explorations in a variety of college programs in which students take active roles: college and campus-wide student government, service to the campus and the larger community, the acquisition of leadership skills, and sports and social activities.

The college is home to UCSD’s International House, which offers informative and dynamic discussions for the campus community at its weekly International Affairs Group meetings. ERC also hosts (with the Programs Abroad Office) a retreat each fall to welcome back study abroad returnees from all six colleges and assist with their re-integration into the UCSD community.

Transferring to ERC

Transfer students may meet most ERC general-education requirements before entering UCSD if they have followed articulation agreements with community colleges, or taken courses elsewhere that ERC deems equivalent in content to UCSD courses that meet the college’s requirements.

All transfer students must take three quarters of MMW, and it is recommended that the three courses be taken in sequence. Students who have not met their freshman writing requirement elsewhere must complete it by taking MMW 2 and/or MMW 3 as part of this three-course requirement.

All transfer students must also take two upper-division regional specialization courses and satisfy the upper-division writing requirement. See “Graduation Requirements” below.

ERC Honors Program

The Freshman and Sophomore Honors programs at ERC have been established to provide exceptionally motivated and capable students with enhanced educational experiences in association with faculty and other honors students.

Selected new students are invited to enroll in the Freshman Honors Seminar. During fall quarter, students meet with a variety of faculty members to learn more about their research and about academic enrichment opportunities at UCSD. Seminar members also participate in other enriching academic and cultural events.

The Freshman Honors Seminar continues during winter quarter (and some years through spring quarter) with faculty speakers who focus on international themes. In winter (and spring) quarters, these seminars carry one unit of credit each (ERC 20). See “Eleanor Roosevelt College” in the department listings.

Sophomores who have earned cumulative grade-point averages (GPAs) of 3.5 or higher have opportunities to pursue independent study with individual faculty for credit (ERC 92). See “Eleanor Roosevelt College” in the department listings.

Additional honors opportunities are offered in MMW. Students with excellent grades in MMW 1, 2, and 3 and high cumulative GPAs are eligible to take honors sections of MMW (4H, 5H, and 6H). These students attend regular MMW lectures and meet in separate honors discussion sections. They also attend special guest lectures and enrichment activities related to course content.

At the upper-division level, students may qualify to enroll in honors programs offered by their major departments. These programs usually include research under the direction of a faculty mentor and the writing and presentation of an honors thesis.

Honors Recognition

Students who earn a quarter GPA of 3.5 or higher are notified of having achieved Provost’s Honors. Students who maintain GPAs of 3.5 or higher for a full academic year are awarded Provost’s Honors certificates.

Every spring, ERC holds an academic honors recognition event to which high achieving students are invited, and graduating seniors are encouraged to invite individual faculty as their guests.

Also each spring, UCSD’s chapter of the Phi Beta Kappa Society invites to membership seniors who have demonstrated outstanding academic achievement (3.65 GPA), breadth in their academic programs (including humanities, language, and quantitative methods), and good character, among other criteria. See “Phi Beta Kappa” in the index.

At Commencement, ERC graduates with extraordinarily outstanding overall academic records are named Provost’s Scholars. Graduates with final cumulative GPAs equivalent to approximately the top 14 percent of UCSD graduates become eligible for University Honors and receive their degrees Cum Laude (with honors), Magna Cum Laude (with high honors), or Summa Cum Laude (with highest honors).

Majors

An ERC student may pursue any of the approximately 150 undergraduate majors offered at UCSD. Students may complete more than one major, provided they comply with all Academic Senate regulations concerning double majors. To declare a double major, a student must have accrued at least ninety but no more than 135 units, have at least a 2.50 GPA, and meet university requirements regarding total maximum number of units earned and quarters attended at UCSD.

Most majors require the completion of specified “pre-major” or prerequisite courses at the lower-division level before enrollment in upper-division major courses. For some majors, admission to upper-division course work is contingent upon a satisfactory GPA in certain pre-major courses. Students are strongly encouraged to work closely with department advisors as well as college academic counselors to assure adequate and timely preparation for their majors.

Completion of certain majors may take more than four years or the minimum 180 units required for graduation. Time-to-graduation in other instances may be affected by a student’s level of preparation for upper-division work in the major or by a decision to change major. See “The Undergraduate Program(s)” in respective department listings.

ERC Individual Studies Major

ERC offers an Individual Studies major to meet the needs of students who have defined academic interests for which suitable majors are not offered at UCSD. Students who find themselves in this situation should consult a college academic counselor at the first opportunity.

This major includes regular course work and often independent study, representing a minimum of twelve upper-division four-unit courses. A regular member of the faculty serves as advisor to the student. Students admitted to the Individual Studies major may enroll in ERC 199, an independent study course supervised by a faculty member, who tailors the content to fit the major.

Qualifying seniors pursuing an Individual Studies major may undertake an honors thesis research project (ERC 196) under the tutelage of their faculty mentor. See “Eleanor Roosevelt College” in the department listings.

Further information about an Individual Studies major may be obtained from the ERC Academic Advising Office.

Minors and ERC Special Minors

Minors are not required at ERC. However, completion of a minor can be an educational or pre-professional asset. All students have the option of completing any approved departmental or interdepartmental minor.

Alternatively, students may wish to combine foreign language course work with an associated regional specialization to earn an ERC Special Minor in, for example, Asian Studies or Middle Eastern Studies. Such minors must conform to Academic Senate policies: For students entering the University before January 1998, this means completion of at least six courses (twenty-four units), of which at least three (twelve units) must be at the upper-division level. Students entering in January 1998 or later must complete at least seven courses (twenty-eight units), of which at least four (sixteen units) must be at the upper-division level. Upper-division courses applied toward a minor may not be used to meet the requirements of the major.

International Migration Studies Minor

Eleanor Roosevelt College and the Center for Comparative Immigration Studies jointly host the only International Migration Studies minor in the country.  It focuses on one of the most significant social, economic, and political influences in the modern world—the voluntary and forced flow of people across international borders and the dispersal of cultural communities around the world.  The minor, open to students from all colleges, enables students to understand how migration has historically shaped different societies and economies as well as the policies governments have adopted to control population movements.  Requirements include seven courses from a list of approved courses, at least five of which must be upper division.  Students may pursue one of three tracks for the minor:  coursework (seven courses from a list approved for the minor); a combination of courses and an approved, related internship; or field research (participation in the Mexican Migration Field Research program or courses and an independent research project).  The research track affords students an excellent opportunity to work closely with faculty, learning the craft of research and writing a report.  Students in the Mexican Migration Field Research program co-author a published book on each year’s project.  For details on the minor, see “International Migration Studies.”

Study Abroad

Students whose interests extend beyond our borders are encouraged and assisted in finding opportunities to spend part of their college career in another country. There are many options, including short-term or year-long academic programs, work opportunities, and career-related internships.

At one time or another, men and women from ERC have studied in more than forty different countries in Europe, Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, and Asia.

Students on university financial aid who participate in the UC Education Abroad Program pay UCSD fees and retain their financial aid packages, which are budgeted to include study abroad expenses. In addition, there are a number of sources for scholarship aid designated for study abroad.

Internships

Internships, whether for credit, pay, or experience, can be a useful part of a student’s undergraduate experience. They offer an opportunity to apply classroom learning, develop pre-professional experience and networks, and test out possible career paths. Students can find internship placements through the Academic Internship Program (AIP) which offers credit-bearing opportunities in San Diego, Washington D.C., and many other locations. Alternatively, the UCDC and UC Sacramento programs combine coursework and internships in those two capital cities. Finally, through Career Services, students can identify paid and service internships. Some internships require upper-division standing. For details on each program, see separate listings in the catalog.

Graduation Requirements

To graduate with a baccalaureate degree from the University of California, an Eleanor Roosevelt College student must:

1. Satisfy two University of California requirements: the Entry Level Writing requirement in English composition and the American History and Institutions requirement. See “Undergraduate Admissions, Policies and Procedures.”
2. Fulfill the ERC general-education requirements as described.
3. Complete an approved departmental or interdepartmental major, meeting all requirements as specified by the major department or program.
4. Satisfy the senior residency requirement that thirty-five of the final forty-five units must be completed as a registered UCSD student. Students studying abroad in their senior year may petition to have this requirement waived.
5. Complete and pass a minimum of 180 units for the Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree. At least sixty of those (fifteen courses) must be at the upper-division level. The B.S. degree is awarded in biology, physics, cognitive science, chemistry, earth sciences, management science, and designated engineering and psychology programs; the B.A. is awarded in all other majors.
6. Earn a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher.