Interest Tracks
- Art, Music, and Theater
- Business, Economics, Entrepreneurship
- Engineering
- Film, Digital Arts, Gaming, and New Media
- Humanities
- Pre-Law and Politics
- Pre-Med, Pre-Dental, and Public Health
- Psychology, Sociology, and Linguistics
- Science, Ocean, and Marine Studies
- Social Justice and Feminism
- Sustainability and the Environment
Sample Schedule
M/W – 9 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. | T/TH – 9 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. |
M/W – 1:00 – 4:30 p.m. | T/TH – 1 – 4:30 p.m. |
M/W – 6 – 9:30 p.m. | T/TH – 6-9:30 p.m. |
MWF – 9 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. | MWF 1 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. |
Course Days/Times
- After March 15, you can click on the course from our website or search for it in Class Search.
- If days/times are listed, students are expected to attend during those days/times. All times are scheduled in Pacific Standard Time (PST). If a course Day/Time is blank, it means that there are online asynchronous
- There is not an additional “finals week.” Instructors schedule the final on the last meeting block of the session
- No accommodations can be made to end your UC Santa Cruz course early, so be mindful of dates before enrolling
How to Identify Online Courses
- Check only the Asynchronous Online and Synchronous Online boxes at the bottom of Class Search (starting March 15)
- Online classes are taught in one of two formats:
- Asynchronous – There are no days/times listed in the Class Schedule. You do not “attend” class at a set time; instead, you access pre-recorded lectures and digital curriculum materials and respond through email, discussion boards, and collaborative documents on your own time (although you will have weekly deadlines for assignments): some asynchronous classes do have optional synchronous discussions and office hours
- Synchronous – There are days/times listed in the Class Schedule, and you must attend at the same time as your instructor and classmates. These courses are typically taught in one of the above time blocks
Workload and Course Expectations
- Most courses are 5 credits. Students should expect a minimum of 35 hours of class meeting time. UCSC Academic Advising recommends 2 hours of studying for every 1 hour of class time. One 5-credit course is ideal for 5 weeks – that’s what we recommend.
- A few courses are 2 or 3 credits, meaning a smaller workload and less meeting time
- Students can take a 5-credit course and a 2-credit course for a bit more work, or two 5-credit courses for a total of 10 credits in 5 weeks – a lot of work!
- Lower division classes are numbered 1-99 and upper division classes are numbered 100-199. We recommend starting with a lower-division class for your first course, but you can take an upper-division class if you meet the prerequisites – just be prepared for a heavier workload and more reading.
Lower Division Math Overview (course numbers less than 100)
- Math 2 and 3 are general mathematics courses at the precalculus level. Math 2 is College Algebra, and Math 3 is Precalculus
- Math 11A, 11B, 19A, 19B, 20A, 20B, 22, 23A, and 23B are the calculus courses. Math 11A is Calculus with Applications I, and 11B is Calc 2. Math 19A is Calculus for the Sciences, Mathematics & Engineering I, and 19B is Calc 2
- Math 21 is Linear Algebra, and Math 24 is Ordinary Differential Equations
While prerequisites and restrictions on math courses are lifted for visiting high school students, it is always in your best interest to have met them
Advanced Placement (AP) Score
- AP credit can be assessed using the 2024-2025 AP-IBH Chart (2025-2026 AP-IBH Chart Coming Soon).
Summer Accommodations
- If you need testing or other accommodations, you must first become affiliated with our Disability Resource Center (DRC). Email them at drc@ucsc.edu for an appointment
How to Add a Course
- Enroll via My Student Center on your MyUCSC portal. This enrollment tutorial document and corresponding video show you how to add a summer class
- If you have questions about prerequisites and restrictions, or the course class notes indicate that you need a permission code, email highschoolsummer@ucsc.edu
Please Remember:
- You are responsible for your enrollment. If you add a course and change your mind, you must drop yourself.
- If you do not attend the first day of class, instructors have the right to drop you from the class (but not all do, so keep an eye on your enrollments).
- See our academic calendar for important summer deadlines and our summer-specific add, drop and request for W policies
Summer dates and deadlines
Stay on top of key academic dates.
High school summer opportunities
Contact us
Questions about the High School Summer University? Email us!