Academic Programs

Center for Academic Advising in the College

University Studies

University Studies offers courses designed to help students transition from previous educational experiences to UCLA, equipping them with tools to engage effectively in a rigorous academic environment. Courses, taught by faculty and graduate student assistants versed in higher education theories and learning strategies, aim to foster student belonging and connection with campus resources.

Center for Community Engagement

Community Engaged Courses

Supported by the Center for Community Engagement, community-engaged courses blend academic rigor with real-world experiences, fostering deep engagement with societal issues while enhancing student learning. These courses emphasize collaboration with community organizations, experiential learning, and critical reflection. There are opportunities for direct service and research.

Look for the XP suffix in UCLA’s course catalog and schedule of classes. Some community-engaged courses also satisfy GE, writing, diversity education, and other graduation requirements.

195CE Internship Courses

195CE internship courses allow students to engage in internships with nonprofit organizations, businesses/corporations, or governmental agencies that complement their academic studies and represent fields of interest for their future careers. Through hands-on experiences at their internship site, students gain practical skills, advance their academic learning, and gain pre-professional experience.

Students earn upper-division academic credit for their internship experience by enrolling in a 195CE course, which involves weekly readings and critical reflection, bi-weekly 30-minute meetings with a graduate student instructor, and culminates in a research paper. Students who take a 195CE course along with an internship routinely report how the coursework enhances their internship experience.

Study Away Programs

Quarter-long “study away” programs where students from a wide range of majors can gain state and national-level perspectives through coursework and internships, not to mention career connections.

Quarter in Washington

Students engage in academic coursework focused on public service, policy and leadership while completing internships with government agencies, nonprofits, and advocacy organizations. This immersive experience allows students to gain firsthand experience in the nation’s capital, develop professional skills, and make meaningful contributions to public service.

UC Center Sacramento

Students spend a quarter in California’s capital, combining academic coursework with internships in government agencies, nonprofits and advocacy organizations. Students gain hands-on experience in policymaking, contribute to real-world projects, and engage with the legislative process, fostering professional growth and meaningful contributions to public policy.

Americorps Programs

These programs offer one-year service opportunities for students.

JusticeCorps

Students participate in service projects aimed at addressing disparities in the legal system and promoting access to justice for marginalized communities.

Jumpstart

Students engage in early childhood education through mentoring and tutoring, fostering school readiness among children from low-income communities.

Honors Programs

Honors Collegium Courses

The Honors Programs provide an opportunity for UCLA students to expand their knowledge, challenge themselves and broaden their academic horizons. Within the college, students can enroll in two honors programs:

- The College Scholars Program is designed for entering first-year students. Students must enroll in a first-year cluster.

- The College Honors Program is open to transfer students. Requirements include 28 unites of UCLA Honors coursework, 2 approved experiential engagements, a capstone project, and maintaining a 3.5 cumulative GPA.

Learn more about Honors Programs.

Undergraduate Student Initiated Education (USIE)

This innovative program provides select juniors and seniors with the opportunity to develop and facilitate a lower division seminar for their peers.

Learn more about the USIE requirements here.

Departmental Scholars Program

Certain programs may offer students the opportunity to enroll in the Departmental Scholars Program. This program is open to juniors or seniors who are nominated by faculty in their major department to pursue their bachelor’s and master’s degrees simultaneously.

Individually Designed Major Program

UCLA students can craft an individualized course of study to meet their specific educational goals. This program, while overseen by the Honors program is open to all students regardless of honors status.

Learn more about the Individually Designed Major Program.

Undergraduate Education Initiatives

Fiat Lux – First Year Seminars

As a cornerstone of our innovative undergraduate curriculum, the Fiat Lux Seminar Program offers more than 100 seminars annually, providing an intellectual space for our students and faculty to have transformative conversations and create community. The Fiat Lux seminar program was born in the weeks following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack and has remained a signature UCLA undergraduate program, responsive to the critical questions and debates of our time.

Learn more about Fiat Lux courses.

UCLA Cluster Program

Designed to help first-year students successfully transition to UCLA, Clusters are year-long, collaboratively taught, interdisciplinary courses open only to entering first-year students. This supportive and dynamic structure creates unique learning experiences for first-year students to skill-build and begin lifelong relationships with fellow students, teaching assistants, and faculty across that crucial first year of college. Taught by some of the university’s most distinguished faculty and seasoned graduate students, Cluster courses allow learners to explore some of today’s most pressing topics, such as the global environment, interracial dynamics, and biotechnology from perspectives as varied as philosophy, urban planning, and biology.

Learn more about the Cluster Program.

Capstone Initiative

The Capstone Initiative is another example of UCLA’s commitment to enhancing the scholarly development of our undergraduate students by providing them with opportunities to culminate their baccalaureate education with a demonstration of their knowledge and skills. The Capstone Initiative aims to broaden the availability of such experiences. Of the 142 undergraduate majors offered across UCLA’s campus, 73 of them have been certified as Capstone Majors or Programs as of Spring 2023.

Learn more about the capstone initiative and current capstone programs here.

Undergraduate Research Centers

Research Practice Courses

The Research Practice (RES PRC) subject area includes interdisciplinary courses in the practice of research. Hosted by the Undergraduate Research Center – Sciences and the Undergraduate Research Center – Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, Research Practice courses cover the development of research questions and the application of methodologies, forms of qualitative and quantitative analysis, and research communications and publications. The courses combine the theoretical and the practical, and emphasize experiential learning. In the Research Practice subject area, students do not just gain knowledge and skills in their discipline; they also develop an understanding of how knowledge is created and applied across the university.

Student Research Program (SRP-99)

The Student Research Program (SRP) assists undergraduates in formalizing their research experience and joining the university research community. Enrolling in an SRP-99 course allows undergraduates to receive university credit for engaging in research experiences under the supervision of a UCLA faculty mentor. SRP-99 courses are particularly suited for entry-level research experiences for lower-division and first-quarter transfer students.