Applications Open! Enroll for Summer 2027 at 2026 Tuition Pricing Until Sept 30
Create and break ciphers, then design an original encryption system in this 3-week program for middle school students at UCLA.
Course Description
A secret message is a mathematical puzzle with a purpose. Students trace cryptography from Caesar shifts and substitution systems to the Enigma machine and the public-key ideas that protect modern communication. Each new cipher reveals both an encoding strategy and a weakness a codebreaker can exploit.
Hands-on challenges include building cipher wheels, encrypting and decrypting partner messages, using frequency analysis, and testing Vigenère and Polybius-based systems. Students connect those activities to modular arithmetic, matrices, prime factorization, number theory, and the way computers represent information. Historical cases show how cryptanalysis influenced events and how security standards change when technology advances.
For the capstone, students design and analyze an original cryptographic system or complete an in-depth cryptanalysis project. They document the key, method, mathematical reasoning, strengths, limitations, and evidence from testing, then present their findings to the class.
This three-week course is part of Summer Discovery’s Institute for the Gifted program on UCLA’s campus. The course is available to residential and commuter students. Beyond class, students connect focused academic exploration with campus life, growing confidence and independence, and clearer direction about interests students may want to explore next.
What Will You Do?
• Encrypt and decrypt messages with Caesar and substitution ciphers
• Use frequency analysis to test and break simple systems
• Explore Vigenère, Polybius, Enigma, and public-key ideas
• Apply modular arithmetic, matrices, primes, and number theory
• Compare cipher strengths, weaknesses, and historical consequences
• Design or analyze a cryptographic system for a final presentation
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
• Explain how major classical and modern cryptographic ideas protect information
• Apply mathematical patterns and frequency evidence to encrypt or break messages
• Design, test, and present an original cipher or cryptanalysis project
Students will leave with encrypted work, documented codebreaking strategies, and a capstone that demonstrates mathematical reasoning and security analysis.
Why Cryptography Skills Matter
Cryptography makes abstract mathematics consequential. Modular arithmetic explains repeating alphabets, frequency analysis turns patterns into evidence, and prime factorization helps students understand why some modern systems are difficult to break. Students learn that a method can appear clever yet fail under systematic testing.
Designing a cipher develops precision because every rule must work consistently for both sender and receiver. Breaking one develops persistence, pattern recognition, and the willingness to revise a hypothesis. These skills support future learning in mathematics, computer science, cybersecurity, history, and any field that values logical reasoning.
Who Should Attend?
This course is for middle school students who have completed 6th, 7th, or 8th grade and enjoy puzzles, mathematics, history, computers, or secret messages. It is a strong fit for students who like looking for patterns and testing whether a rule works in every case.
No prior coding or advanced mathematics experience is required, though comfort with basic algebra is helpful. Students should be ready to calculate carefully, collaborate on codebreaking challenges, explain their reasoning, and improve a design after classmates test it.
A strong participant brings curiosity, patience, and a willingness to revise. The most important preparation is readiness to ask questions and take part.
Why UCLA?
UCLA gives middle-school students an energetic place to learn, have fun, and experience campus life in Los Angeles. The setting brings together science, technology, creativity, entertainment, and culture, helping new subjects feel connected to a wider world of ideas.
The program combines hands-on academics with friendships, campus activities, clear routines, and support as students become comfortable in a large university environment. Students can try new challenges, share interests with peers, and build confidence through participation without needing to decide where those interests will lead. For families, UCLA offers a structured middle-school experience that balances substantive learning with fun, community, and age-appropriate independence. Students leave with new memories and a clearer sense of what they may want to explore next.
Summer Discovery Certificate of Completion
After successfully finishing this course, you will be awarded a certification completion for your accomplishment.
*This is a preview, not what you will receive