Humanities Institute Overview

COVID-19 Updates

• Masks are still common but not required on campus.
• The Cowell Student Health Center offers free COVID tests for students, faculty, and staff.
• UCSC is fully in-person for the 2022-2023 school year and will continue to be in-person going forward.
• Tuition and student fees are unchanged.
• Detailed information is available on the UCSC COVID response website.

Slugapedia

• Guides may encounter questions beyond the tour script.
• Questions are categorized into groupings to facilitate informed responses.
• Each section includes a "key points” summary for quick reference.
• Not every question about UC Santa Cruz can be answered directly.
• Guides can direct guests to relevant campus resources.

Academic Structure

• Four academic divisions and one professional school (Baskin School of Engineering)
• 75 majors are offered; the top 5 most popular are listed.
• A total of 44 minors are available.
• Three-year pathway programs for selected majors exist, including Agroecology, Anthropology, Art, and Business Management Economics.

5-Year Bachelor's/Master's Programs

• A variety of programs allow students to earn a bachelor's and master's degree in 5 years
• Programs are department-specific (e.g., Biomolecular Engineering, Computer Science and Engineering, Critical Race and Ethnic Studies and Education, Earth and Planetary Sciences, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, or Electrical and Computer Engineering)

UCSC Summer Session

• Anyone (high school students, current students, and community members) can enroll in classes.

Did You Know?

• UC Santa Cruz has the highest percentage of women faculty in the UC System (36%).
• It is the 3rd most diverse UC faculty percentage-wise.
• Ten scientists and engineers at UCSC were included in 2020’s list of the world’s most highly cited researchers.
• UCSC ranks 7th in the nation for Astrophysics and Astronomy (2021).
• It has 3 satellite locations, one in Silicon Valley, and another in Coastal Science Campus, Santa Cruz.
• UCSC is home to the human genome draft, a UCSC human Genome Browser project
• It has a leading role in cancer genomics projects like the Treehouse Childhood Cancer Initiative and the International Cancer Genome Consortium.
• Named 2nd best public university in the nation for “making an impact” (2022 Princeton Review).
• Ranks 3rd in promoting social mobility (2021 US News).

2024 Admission Rate

• Freshman: 64.9%
• Transfers: 65.4%

Undergraduate Ethnicities, Fall 2023

• Data on various ethnic groups is included (African American, American Indian, Asian American, Pacific Islander, Chicanx/Latinx, European American, International, and Not Stated).

In-State/Out-of-State/International

• 91% in-state
• 7% out-of-state
• 2% international
• Similar criteria for in-state, out-of-state, and international applicants, except for a minimum GPA requirement.

Class Size

• Total enrollment: 19,938
• 90 % undergraduates
• Transfer students: 3,528
• New transfers in Fall 2024: 1,275
• Re-entry students (age 25+ undergrad/age 29+ graduate): 1,536
• Number of California community colleges with at least one Fall 2022 admit: 112

Largest Lecture Hall

• Kresge Academic 3105 with a capacity of 600 students

Academic Support

• Faculty, teaching assistants, advisors, and programs like ACE and DRC provides crucial support.
• Department/Major Advisors provide course planning.

Student Services and Accommodations

• Extended testing time, accessible furniture, captioned videos, alternative testing environment, flexible attendance policies, DRC kitchen, and housing accommodations are available.

Educational Opportunity Program (EOP)

• Offers support for first-generation, low-income, and educationally disadvantaged students.
• Includes textbook access, housing priority, academic success workshops, and a textbook lending library.

International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS)

• Provides visa assistance, workshops, information, and referrals to international students.

Learning Support Services (LSS)

• Supports undergraduate students with course-specific academic support services and writing tutoring.

Academic Support Programs

• Include Writing Tutoring, Large Group Tutoring, and Small Group Tutoring

MARC (Maximizing Access to Research Careers)

• Offers research training to prepare students for graduate programs in biological sciences.

MEP/MESA

• An innovative academic learning community to promote success for educationally disadvantaged students.

Slug Support

• Early intervention to help prevent problems from escalating.

Smith Renaissance Program

• Services for current or former foster youth, wards of the court, orphans, or homeless youth.
• Offers financial grants and mentoring.

STARRS Office (Services for Transfer, Re-entry, and Resilient Scholars)

• Aimed at supporting transfer, re-entry, and resilient scholars in higher education.
• Works to remove institutional barriers and co-create a campus supportive of equitable access, belonging, persistence, graduation, and excellence.

Career Center

• Offers advising, career fairs, and workshops, assisting with career goals and recruitment.

Disability Resource Center (DRC)

• Assists students with disabilities by providing support for equal access to education.

Athletics

• Varsity college sports for over 10 sports, include accomplishments in Men's/Women's Soccer
• Club sports: competitive and non-competitive.
• Intramural sports: for various team games and activities.

Physical Education

• Courses are offered covering swimming, scuba diving, sailing and many more
• Courses are free
• Training and private lessons are offered

Beyond UCSC

• The UCSC career center offers resources for students to prepare for job and internship opportunities
• The center utilizes a job-board to connect students with relevant opportunities.

Dining Halls

• 5 dining halls on campus
• Meal plan options: Gold, Blue, or Banana (based on number of points for purchase of meals)
• Students living in residence halls are required to have a meal plan.

The University Library

• Two locations, including the McHenry Library and the Science & Engineering Library
• The Digital Scholarship Commons (DSC): has equipment to support student projects, podcasts, VR experiences
• Special Collections & Archives: contains historical and rare materials (e.g., historical materials, artwork, and historical objects)