Here's a list of course options. Use the Course Finder below to see courses offered by session.
The nature of culture: survey of the range of cultural phenomena, including material culture, social organization, religion, and other topics.
(Available 6 week session for college credit)TopAn introductory survey of visual culture, encompassing art and film theory and practice, digital technologies, television, advertising and print media, with a special focus on current interdisciplinary methodologies.
(Available 6 week session for college credit)Art 10/ Introduction to PaintingTraditional and contemporary painting assignments designed to provide a strong foundation in fundamental 2D image making. Media include acrylic and oil painting methods.
(Available 6 week session for college credit)Art 18/ Lower-Division DrawingIntroduction to two-dimensional representation with various drawing media, including structural and symbolic implications of the human form. Emphasis on organization of vision and thought. $20 lab fee
(Available 6 week session for college credit)Art History 6A/ Art Survey I: Ancient-Medieval ArtHistory of western art from its origins to the beginnings of the renaissance.
(Available 6 week session for college credit)Art History 6F/ Survey: Architecture and PlanningA selective and chronological survey of architecture and urban design in social and historical context. Individual buildings and urban plans from the past to the present will be used as examples.
(Available 6 week session for college credit)TopExplores historical and current social conditions of black people in the United States. Topics include slavery, emancipation, reconstruction and urban black migration, with particular consideration given to the black church and the black family as bearers and creators of African-American culture.
(Available 6 week session for college credit)TopThis course focuses on the principles of investing and saving, including stocks and bonds. Students spend time discussing credit and investment, the difference between the NYSE and the NASDAQ, and how to deal with interest rates in an easy to understand way. Students make their own individual mock stock portfolios, monitor them throughout the class, and take their newfound investing knowledge and research and make a business proposal.
(Available 6 & 4 week sessions, non-credit only)Marketing and Advertising in the Global MarketplaceStudents learn the fundamentals of marketing and advertising for various international audiences via multiple media channels. The course focuses on students’ creation of integrated marketing campaigns with real-world marketing strategies using digital and traditional tactics.
(Available 6 & 4 week sessions, non-credit only)TopIntroduction to the historical and contemporary development of the Chicano/a community. Course is interdisciplinary in nature. Focuses by quarter on A. history, B. gender, and C. culture.
(Available 6 week session for college credit)TopIntroduction to the principal myths of ancient Greece and the ways in which these myths have been understood. Format and readings vary.
(Available 6 week session for college credit)TopNeurosciences now ask some of the same profound questions posed by writers, artists and philosophers for centuries, thus opening surprising perspectives on memory and morality, dreams and perception, identity and agency. This course explores this emerging concordance.
(Available 6 week session for college credit)Comparative Literature 30A/ Major Works in European LiteratureA survey of European literature. Classical and medieval literature from Homer to Dante.
(Available 6 week session for college credit)Comparative Literature 32/ Major Works of Middle Eastern LiteraturesAn introduction to the diverse literary traditions of the Middle East through an examination of selected works. Regional focus on North Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia varies.
(Available 6 week session for college credit)TopThis course introduces students to computer programming using the Python programming language. Emphasis is placed on common algorithms and programming principles utilizing the standard library distributed with Python. Students learn how to design, code, test, and debug Python language programs.
(Available 6 & 4 week sessions, non-credit only)TopIntroduction to the science of the Earth; properties and processes of its surface and interior, including plate tectonics, volcanism, earthquakes, glaciation, mountain building, formation of rocks, minerals, and the structural basis of landforms. Lab and lecture.
(Available 6 week session for college credit)Earth Science 4/ Introduction to OceanographyIntroduction to the science of the Earth; properties and processes of its surface and interior, including plate tectonics, volcanism, earthquakes, glaciation, mountain building, formation of rocks, minerals, and the structural basis of landforms. Lab and lecture.
(Available 6 week session for college credit)Earth Science 20/ Geological CatastrophesCourse deals with geologic catastrophes, e.g., earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, and landslides. Students will learn the basic physical causes of these naturally occurring events and discuss the consequences.
(Available 6 week session for college credit)TopWork in teams to build and program moving robots to compete in an autonomous sumo-wrestling match. Students solve electromechanical problems, develop skills in brainstorming, concept selection, spatial reasoning, teamwork and communication. Low cost Arduino robots are controlled with micro- controllers and interfaced to sensors and motors using freeware. Learn to make your own robot follow your commands. The course will be taught by a popular lecturer in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering, UCSB. Instructors assist each team member to gain electromechanical knowledge and resolve programming bugs. This hands-on course is based upon existing electromechanical competitions and can adjust to a variety of skill levels.
(Available 6 & 4 week sessions, non-credit only)Mechanism Design and Build ChallengeThis course provides a hands-on, interactive engineering design experience. Using simple materials, you will work in a team to design, build and test a catapult. You will then participate in a competition with your prototype design by slinging foam core cubes and earn points for furthest distance. Students experience the product development cycle by designing, building and testing mechanical prototypes. Throughout the experience, you will learn to solve mechanical problems and develop skills that are basic to all engineering fields i.e., brainstorming, concept selection, spatial reasoning, teamwork, planning, manufacturing processes and reverse engineering. Your design skills will be challenged and tested in this innovative design course!
(Available 6 & 4 week sessions, non-credit only)TopIntroduction to Shakespeare in which a number of major plays are read with close attention to language, dramatic structure, and historical context.
(Available 6 week session for college credit)English 38B/ Introduction to African-American Literature (Part II)African-American literature from the 1930s to the present.
(Available 6 week session for college credit)English 50/ Introduction to U.S. Minority LiteratureAn introduction providing historical and cultural contexts to one or more American minority literatures usually taken to signify writing from an ethnic community: African American, Asian American, Chicano/a, and Native American.
(Available 6 week session for college credit)TopAn overview of the interdisciplinary field of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer studies, including historical and cross-cultural perspectives on same-sex sexuality, queer theory, intersectionality, gender and sexual identities, communities, culture, contemporary social policy, and LGBTQ movements.
(Available 6 week session for college credit)TopAn introduction to the study of film as an aesthetic and social phenomenon, and to various methods of critical analysis. ($30 lab fee)
(Available 6 week session for college credit)TopIntroduction to the oceans and atmosphere and their role in the Earth's climate and its weather patterns. Focus on the flows of solar energy through the ocean and atmosphere systems. Human impacts of the Earth's climate are also introduced.
(Available 6 week session for college credit)Geography 5/ People, Place, and EnvironmentSurvey of spatial differentiation and organization of human activity and interaction with the Earth's biophysical systems. Sample topics include human spatial decision-making behavior, migration, population growth, economic development, industrial location, urbanization, and human impacts on the natural environment.
(Available 6 week session for college credit)TopA survey of the historical processes that have brought different areas of the world into closer contact. Topics include ideologies of nationalism, democracy, and liberalism; international trade and migrations; technological changes; colonialism; the globalization of culture; and the reactions to them.
(Available 6 week session for college credit)Top1715 to present. History 4A-B-C is a general survey course, designed to acquaint the student with major developments that have influenced the course of western civilization since the earliest times. These developments are as likely to be in religion, the arts, and sciences as in the more traditional political field. Weekly discussion sections are an important feature of this course, enabling the student to develop and expand upon material presented during the lecture hour.
(Available 6 week session for college credit)History 17B/ The American PeopleSectional crisis through progressivism. A survey of the leading issues in american life from colonial times to the present. The course focuses on politics, cultural development, social conflict, economic life, foreign policy, and influential ideas. Features discussion sections.
(Available 6 week session for college credit)History 17C/ The American PeopleWorld War I to the present. A survey of the leading issues in american lifefrom colonial times to the present. The course focuses on politics, cultural development, social conflict, economic life, foreign policy, and influential ideas. Features discussion sections.
(Available 6 week session for college credit)TopHow language defines the relationship of the individual to society; the role language plays in constituting power, hierarchy, ethnicity, gender, ideology, and other aspects of social identity; how speakers use language to display identity and define social context. Emphasis on sociolinguistic diversity in American society.
(Available 6 week session for college credit)TopWhat factors influence climate change? What kinds of policies help protect the environment? Interested in becoming a sustainability-focused professional or green building leader? This course provides an overview of environmental policy, green building principles and practices, and the importance of sustainability. Students learn about businesses and organizations currently leading the march in sustainable design and operations, including car companies like Tesla and Nissan’s Leaf. Students hear from guest speakers, analyze case studies, and enjoy fieldtrips, including a tour of LEED certified buildings on UCSB’s campus. Students gain skills in effective communication, project management, critical thinking, and team performance in the field of sustainability.
(Available 6 & 4 week sessions, non-credit only)Business Leadership and CommunicationThis course provides opportunities for students to develop their skills as innovators, managers, and communicators for a variety of audiences. Students learn effective communication strategies to solve the challenges typical of a business organization in the arenas of public relations, marketing, strategic planning, internal reporting, customer service, and product promotion.
(Available 6 & 4 week sessions, non-credit only)TopThis course presents up-to-date content in biological, environmental, political and economic topics of aquatic nature. Seminar style lectures presented by expert UCSB researchers in these fields, followed by discussions on aquatic ecosystems. Students will learn about cutting edge research projects taking place in oceans, rivers and lakes. Post doctorate researchers, advanced graduate students and interested instructors will present and demonstrate their research and teach basic concepts of their disciplines. Disciplines presented may include aquatic biology, oceanography, blue water biology, ocean chemistry, water pollution, ocean pharmacology, marine biomaterials, marine biotechnology, wave engineering, coastal geology, coastal geography, coastal processes, sustainable fisheries, ocean economics, containment and eradication, and ocean policy. Offered to Summer Discovery @ UCSB students only.
(Available 6 week session for college credit)OceanologyAn introduction to our beautiful vast ocean. The course will have lectures, guest presentations, labs and field trips with ocean activities. Some topics explored are marine wildlife, marine debris, marine ecology, ocean health, how the wind creates waves, beach erosion, water quality, and watersheds. Through hands-on experiences, this course will strive to educate and excite students about our coastal waters and make them feel responsible to create change that will directly affect the oceans health and will explore possible solutions. This course is not taught by UCSB and is arranged exclusively by Summer Discovery. ($150 Supplement)
(Available 6 & 4 week sessions, non-credit only)TopDifferential Calculus including analytic geometry, functions and limits, derivatives, techniques and applications of differentiation, logarithmic and trigonometric functions. Prerequisite: Score of 32 or higher on the Calculus Placement Test.
(Available 6 week session for college credit)Math 34A/ Calculus for Social and Life SciencesIntroduction to differential and integral calculus with applications to modeling in the biological sciences. Not open for credit to students who have completed Mathematics 3A.
(Available 6 week session for college credit)TopThis course provides an in depth look at one of the most complex organs. Students learn how the brain works by exploring topics such as memory and how we think and learn. Students consider answers to these questions: Why do people act the way they do, feel the way they do, think the way they do? The course focuses on our understanding of the science of behavior, as well as what we know (and don’t know) about the role of the brain in in creating our reality.
(Available 6 & 4 week sessions, non-credit only)Introduction to Contemporary MedicineExplore some of today’s most pressing medical issues, which involve the understanding of biology and societal processes and contemporary efforts to translate medical knowledge into usable knowledge for the wider community. This course provides a broad introduction to the field of medicine, combining topics in related sciences like medical biology, kinesiology, pharmacology, infectious diseases, cancer, and mental health, plus innovative work by doctors and health practitioners to reduce health disparities among populations shouldering a disproportionate burden of disease, disability, and death. Students participate in experiential learning activities and explore the various career possibilities that exist within the field.
(Available 6 & 4 week sessions, non-credit only)TopThe study of notes, scales, triads, inversions, rhythm, harmony, and musical terminology. Laboratory activities include keyboard orientation, sight singing, and ear training.
(Available 6 week session for college credit)Music 15/ Music AppreciationA selective survey of music of western civilization; evolution of forms, styles, media. Designed to enable the student to listen with understanding.
(Available 6 week session for college credit)Music 17/ World MusicAn introductory course surveying the unity and diversity of folk, traditional, and classical music of the non-western world. Emphasis given to dance, theatre, musical instruments, and the role of music in society.
(Available 6 week session for college credit)TopAn introductory course in western philosophy.
(Available 6 week session for college credit)TopAn introduction to central texts and problems of political philosophy with an emphasis on such concepts as liberty, equality, authority, justice, and obligation.
(Available 6 week session for college credit)Political Science 6/ Introduction to Comparative PoliticsIntroduction to the workings of various political systems with an emphasis on governmental institutions and political processes. Comparison of political systems using some of the basic concepts of political analysis.
(Available 6 week session for college credit)TopA consideration of major themes, issues, types of figures and phenomena, and traditions--all selected from the history of religion so as to illustrate the great variety of religious phenomena and to suggest some of the ways such things may be responsibly studied.
(Available 6 week session for college credit)Religious Studies 3/ Introduction to Asian Religious TraditionsAn introduction to the basic texts, institutions, and practices of the religious traditions of South Asia and East Asia.
(Available 6 week session for college credit)Religious Studies 4/ Introduction to BuddhismThe historical and cross-cultural exploration of Buddhism through the examination of basic texts, institutions, and practices of diverse Buddhist traditions.
(Available 6 week session for college credit)Religious Studies 7/ Introduction to American ReligionReligion and religions in America. Survey of the variety of religions or religious traditions in America, including Native American, Asian American, African American, Jewish, Roman Catholic, Muslim, and notably Protestant. Focus also on such common features as "civil religion."
(Available 6 week session for college credit)Religious Studies 12/ Religious Approaches to DeathSurveys twenty world religious traditions in their approaches to the problem of death, care for the dead, and death-related doctrines and practices within their broader cultural, historical, and social contexts from a cross-cultural perspective.
(Available 6 week session for college credit)Religious Studies 25/ Global Catholicism TodayAn introduction to Roman Catholicism as a global religion with particular attention to the basic structures of the church and the beliefs and practices of Catholics as lived out in different regions of the world today.
(Available 6 week session for college credit)Religious Studies 31/ The Religions of TibetSurvey of Tibetan religions focusing on Tibetan Buddhism (from its origns to the present) but also touching on the Tibetan indigenous religion, Bon and on Tibetan Islam. Special attention is paid to the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism, their history, doctrines, and meditation practices.
(Available 6 week session for college credit)TopBasic concepts and issues in the study of human society. The structures and processes of human conduct, social organization, and social change.
(Available 6 week session for college credit)TopStudents will learn to use Spanish for communication in real, meaningful situations. This course will develop an understanding of basic grammatical concepts along with obtaining an appreciation of the various cultures of the Spanish-speaking world. The course follows a communicative approach and class time is primarily used for communication practice and Spanish will be spoken in class 99% of the time. By the end of this course students are expected to develop proficiency at the Novice-mid level.
(Available 6 week session for college credit)Spanish 2/ Elementrary Spanish IIStudents will learn to use Spanish for communication in real, meaningful situations. This course will develop an understanding of basic grammatical concepts along with obtaining an appreciation of the various cultures of the Spanish-speaking world. The course follows a communicative approach and class time is primarily used for communication practice and Spanish will be spoken in class 99% of the time. By the end of this course students are expected to develop proficiency at the Novice-high level.
(Available 6 week session for college credit)TopRandom variables, sampling distribution, estimation hypothesis testing, correlation and regression, other topics from statistics. Computing labs required.
(Available 6 week session for college credit)TopIntroduction to local performance traditions in Africa and the Caribbean, such as storytelling, ritual, and Carnival. The course also examines how African and Caribbean playwrights put those traditions to social and political uses by incorporating them into post-colonial plays.
(Available 6 week session for college credit)Theater 5/ Introduction to ActingAn introduction for majors and non-majors to the multiple problems of the actor's art and craft.
(Available 6 week session for college credit)Top