Enrichment and Scholarship Opportunities

Career, Internship & Graduate School Resources UCSC Career Center

UC Education Abroad Program (UCEAP)

In over 43 countries around the world, you can pick your study abroad adventure available to students at all ten UC Campuses! You will build confidence, adept skills, and gain valuable experience all while learning the global perspective on your major. You are eligible after your first year, so plan ahead and learn about the specific program that best fits your interests.

UCDC

Qualified students from all majors are granted the opportunity to spend a term in Washington D.C! The UCDC Program supervises and supports students who pursue internships and academic study in the nation’s capital. The program is open through a competitive application process to juniors and seniors (occasionally sophomores) in all majors. Students spend 30 hours each week at their internships. Washington, D.C. offers a wide array of internship possibilities, from working on Capitol Hill or in a government agency to interning for a major media outlet, a nonprofit organization, or a cultural institution. Students from all majors are encouraged to apply. Admission is competitive.

To be eligible for consideration, students must:

▪        Currently a junior or senior (although soph. in natural sciences and engineering majors may also apply).

▪        Have a strong academic record.

▪        Provide two strong letters of recommendation (if possible from faculty rather than TAs or employers).

UC Sacramento (UCCS)

UCSC students, from all majors, spend a quarter in Sacramento taking courses and interning with students from the other UC campuses! UCSC will choose its own undergraduate scholar for UCCS and interested applicants should contact Sheila Rodriguez from the Career Center (info below). The internships earn you credit and are created from specific interests just for you.

UCCS Qualifications:

  • Junior or Senior standing must be achieved before entrance into the program.
  • Minimum 3.0 GPA.
  • Personal Essay & Resume
  • Official transcript with evaluations: Unofficial copies ok
  • Required UCSC signatures include: College Adviser approval, Office of the Registrar, & Faculty endorsement required in application. Two additional references help!

Contact: Sheila Rodriguez, Career Adviser | UCSC Career Center | sheilar@ucsc.edu | (831) 459-2184

Undergraduate Research Opportunities

Undergraduate research is an inquiry or investigation conducted by an undergraduate student that makes an original intellectual or creative contribution to the discipline (www.cur.org).

The goals of the Undergraduate Research webpage are:

  • To assist all UCSC undergraduates to engage in the world-class research accomplished at UCSC and/or other programs or institutions
  • To provide a central clearing house to help faculty, staff, prospective students, and the community to become aware of the wide array of research resources in the region available to undergraduates
  • To increase awareness of the important contributions of UCSC undergraduates to research

Contact: UR_Hnrs@ucsc.edu | Sign-up for email updates: ugr.ue.ucsc.edu/email_signup

Chancellor’s Undergraduate Internship Program

CUIP provides on-campus internships in administrative departments throughout campus. Interns work with a mentor to develop personal and professional skills, and take a lead role in producing a product or result in their one year internship, e.g., campus-wide recycling program; department newsletter or web page; policy recommendation report. Interns also attend a two-unit leadership seminar led by the Dean of Undergraduate Education during both fall and spring quarters (Mondays 5-7 pm).

  • Work in a professional environment with a Mentor on an important project.
  • To begin application you must first complete required orientation (link is available in January)
  • Student applications due - Thursday, February 11th, 2016 by 5 pm
  • Please visit careers.ucsc.edu/intern/cuip for more detailed information!

Intensive Programs of Study

UC Santa Cruz offers opportunities for students who wish to add more breadth to their study by pursuing a combined or double major, or who wish to add more depth by writing a senior thesis or pursuing a senior project to fulfill the comprehensive requirement for their major.

Combined Major

A combined major allows students to complete a course of study involving two disciplines offered as regular programs at UC Santa Cruz. A combined major is designed by faculty representatives from both disciplines. In general, fewer courses are required than for a double major, and students complete the comprehensive requirements as specified for each combined major.

Double Major

To complete a double major, students must fulfill all of the requirements for both majors declared, including the comprehensive requirement for each major. In general, a single thesis may not be used for more than one major. There are limitations on the number of upper-division courses that can be counted toward the requirements of more than one major.

Senior Thesis or Project

Typically, in the senior year students must satisfy the comprehensive requirement for their major by satisfactorily completing a comprehensive examination or an equivalent body of work that is defined by the unit supervising the major. For some major programs, a written thesis or other project that involves extensive work and reflects comprehensive understanding of a subject matter may be accepted in place of a comprehensive examination.


Undergraduate Honors Programs

UC Santa Cruz awards several honors for outstanding academic achievement including:

  • Dean’s Honors - eligible every quarter, based on GPA for the term
  • Honors at Graduation - by major and University Honors

Honors Societies encourage and enhance a student's’ academic experience:

  • Golden Key International Honour Society
  • Phi Beta Kappa
  • Psi Chi
  • Tau Beta Pi

Dean’s and Chancellor’s Awards

These awards are designed to encourage and stimulate outstanding scholarship and creativity among undergraduate students.

  • Dean’s Awards: Fifty undergraduates, 10 from each of the academic divisions will receive a Dean’s Award of $100 for outstanding achievement in their division.
  • Chancellor’s Awards: Fifteen Chancellor’s Awardees, three from each division, will be selected from the Deans' Award lists to receive the Chancellor’s Award of an additional $500.
  • Steck Award: The Steck Award will recognize the most outstanding research project chosen from the fifteen Chancellor’s Awardees. This student will receive an additional $1000. In addition, his or her research project will be bound and copies given to the student, the research supervisor, the UC Santa Cruz Library, and the Steck Family whose generous contributions have made this award possible.

Submissions must include:

  • One supporting statement by the faculty sponsor, who will be emailed a link to submit the letter of recommendation  online.
  • Either an attachment of a thesis or a URL to the project or performance.

Winners of the Deans', Chancellor's and Steck awards will be honored during Undergraduate Student Achievement Week, occurring during the first week of June each year. The names of the winners will also be acknowledged at graduation.

Scholarship Information

Donald A. Strauss Scholarship

The Donald A. Strauss Scholarship Foundation allows juniors to pursue a public service project during their senior year by providing $10,000 for educational expenses. The project may be a new undertaking or an extension of the recipient's current activities. UC Santa Cruz can nominate three students for the Strauss Award. To qualify:

    • Students must have one full year remaining until graduation
    • Students must have a GPA in the upper 1/3 of his/her class
    • Students plan to devote a significant part of your lives to public service

AWARD AMOUNT: $10,000 for educational expenses

WEBSITE:   http://www.straussfoundation.org

David L. Boren (NSEP) Undergraduate Scholarships

David L. Boren Scholarship awards undergraduate scholarships for study abroad in selected countries (Study in Western Europe, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand is excluded). Recipients will be selected on the basis of merit with consideration for: academic record, commitment to international education, language interest and aptitude, and the quality and appropriateness of the proposed program and its relevance to the National Security Education Program. This scholarship carries with it a service requirement. WEBSITE: https://www.borenawards.org/

Contact: Ashley Bayman | abayman@ucsc.edu | studyabroad.ucsc.edu

IIE Fulbright US Student Program

Established in 1946 by the U.S. Congress to "enable the government of the United States to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries", Fulbright is the largest U.S. international exchange program offering opportunities for students, scholars, and professionals to undertake international graduate study, advanced research, university teaching, and teaching in elementary and secondary schools worldwide. For application deadlines, see UC Santa Cruz's page on the Fulbright website.

Marshall Scholarship

Marshall Scholarships finance young Americans of high ability to study for a degree in the United Kingdom. Up to forty Scholars are selected each year to study at graduate level at an UK institution in any field of study. Each scholarship is held for two years.

To be eligible candidates must:

    • Be citizens of the United States of America (at the time they apply for a scholarship); (by the time they take up their scholarship ie September)
    • Hold their first undergraduate degree from an accredited four-year college or university in the United States;
    • Have obtained a grade point average of not less than 3.7 (or A-) on their undergraduate degree
    • Have graduated from their first undergraduate college or university after April 2011;
    • Not have studied for, or hold a degree or degree-equivalent qualification from a British university.

AWARD AMOUNT:  University fees, cost of living expenses, annual book grant, thesis grant, research and daily travel grants, fares to and from the United States and, where applicable, a contribution towards the support of a dependent spouse.

WEBSITE:   http://www.marshallscholarship.org

Contact: Alice Michel | acmichel@ucsc.edu | studyabroad.ucsc.edu

Rhodes Scholarship

The Rhodes Scholarship funds two years of graduate study at Oxford University. Thirty-two scholarships are awarded in the U.S. each year. At the time of application:

    • An applicant must be a citizen of the United States; pending application for citizenship does not qualify a person to apply.
    • An applicant must be at least 18 but not yet 24 years of age.
    • An applicant must have achieved academic standing sufficiently advanced to assure completion of a bachelor’s degree.

AWARD AMOUNT: Tuition fees and stipend.

WEBSITE:   http://www.rhodesscholar.org/

Contact: Alice Michel | acmichel@ucsc.edu | studyabroad.ucsc.edu