Undergraduate Education

Scripps Institution of Oceanography is an academic department of the University of California, San Diego. All undergraduate students admitted to UC San Diego will have access to the coursework and majors offered by Scripps. 

There are several introductory classes for non-majors, as well as upper-division courses intended for students in natural science majors. In addition to formal coursework, dozens of undergraduates benefit each year from individual and group research projects with Scripps faculty and researchers.

For more details about admission to undergraduate degree programs at UC San Diego, please click through the following information and links.

First-Year Student Admission

You are considered a first-year applicant if you are still in high school, or you have graduated from high school and have not enrolled in a regular session at a college or university. (If you attend a summer session immediately after graduating from high school, you are still classified as a first-year applicant.)

UC San Diego looks for students at the first-year level who are well-prepared to succeed in a rigorous and challenging academic setting. Competition for admission is high and meeting the minimum UC admissions requirements does not guarantee your admission.

UC San Diego First-Year Application Requirements | First-Year Application Timeline

Transfer Student Admission

You are considered a transfer applicant if you have graduated from high school and have enrolled in one or more regular sessions (excluding summer sessions) at another college or university. (You may not disregard your college record and apply for admission as a first-year applicant.)

UC San Diego looks for transfer students who have completed a minimum of 60 UC-transferable semester (90 quarter) units by the end of spring term prior to fall admission.

UC San Diego Transfer Application Requirements | Transfer Application Timeline

The following major preparation coursework is currently REQUIRED for incoming transfer applicants and admitted transfer students wanting to declare a major. All transfer preparation courses must be completed prior to the first quarter of enrollment at UC San Diego. Admitted transfer students should contact a department advisor if they are interested in declaring the major.

Marine Biology

• BILD 1, BILD 3
• CHEM 6A, CHEM 6B, CHEM 6C, CHEM 7L
• MATH 10A, MATH 10B or MATH 20A, MATH 20B
• All courses must be completed with a letter grade of C- or higher
• Students must have a minimum GPA of 2.5 in these courses
• AP/IB credit will count toward course requirements but will not be factored into GPA calculation

Ocean & Atmospheric Sciences

• CHEM 6A
• MATH 20A, MATH 20B, MATH 20C
• PHYSICS 2A, PHYSICS 2B, PHYSICS 2C
• All courses must be completed with a letter grade of C- or higher
• Students must have a minimum GPA of 2.5 in these courses
• AP/IB credit will count toward course requirements but will not be factored into GPA calculation

Geosciences

• MATH 20A, MATH 20B, MATH 20C
• All courses must be completed with a letter grade of C- or higher
• Students must have a minimum GPA of 2.5 in these courses
• AP/IB credit will count toward course requirements but will not be factored into GPA calculation