University of California, San Diego, USA

The University of California San Diego (UCSD) is a public research university located in the La Jolla neighbourhood of San Diego, California. In 2010, The Daily Beast ranked UC San Diego as one of the happiest colleges in the United States, based on nightlife, number of student organizations, retention rate, and sunny days. In all, the University offers classical orchestras, intramural sports, and over 550 student organizations. 

San Diego is a major city in California, on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, approximately 190 km south of Los Angeles and immediately adjacent to the border with Mexico. San Diego is known for its beaches, surfing, parks and warm climate. The immense Balboa Park is the site of the world-famous San Diego Zoo, as well as numerous art galleries, artist studios, museums and gardens.

Mobility partner

>> Follow this link if you are an incoming student

  • Estimated number of mobility places: 20 full-year places or 40 semester places for California's campuses (not per campus) 

Available Subject Areas

Please ensure that you research the courses available to you as an exchange student, and check with your subject coordinator(s) that these courses are suitable for your Glasgow degree programme. Please note that partner course offerings may change on a yearly basis.

Please research course level; content and assessment structures; partner academic pre-requisites for exchange students; whether enough courses / credits are available in your degree subject(s) to meet your Glasgow degree credit requirements; language of teaching and for Joint Honours students, whether the partner has any restrictions on taking courses from different Schools/Faculties.

  • Accounting & Finance
  • Aerospace Engineering/Sciences
  • Archaeology
  • Biomedical Engineering
  • Business & Management
  • Chemistry
  • Civil Engineering
  • Classics
  • Comparative Literature
  • Computing Science
  • Digital Media & Information Studies
  • Earth Science and Geology
  • Economic & Social History
  • Economics
  • Education
  • Electronics/Electrical Engineering
  • English Language
  • English Literature
  • Film & TV
  • Geography
  • History
  • History of Art
  • Life Sciences
  • Maths
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Music
  • Philosophy
  • Physics
  • Politics and International Relations
  • Product Design Engineering
  • Psychology
  • School of Interdisciplinary subjects Dumfries
  • Scottish Literature
  • Sociology
  • Statistics
  • Theatre Studies
  • Theology & Religious Studies
  • University Wide
  • Urban Studies/Public & Social Policy

Key facts

  • Application process: this is a very competitive destination and places here are always in high demand
  • Calendar
  • Grading system
  • Credit guidance: typical full course load per semester = 15 (credit range/semester 15-17)
  • Course listing  
  • Scholarships  

Travel and costs

  • University of Glasgow Financial Support
  • Cost of living
  • Travel
  • USA Immigration: protocol states that students applying to a US partner usually in March/April must provide evidence that they have sufficient funds to cover all expenses while in the United States. Full information of the financial sum required will be found on the US partner webpages and on the US Embassy webpages for their home country. 

Useful weblinks

Applying to the University of California (UC)

UC counts as 1 option on your Go Abroad programme application; you can select 2 additional partners.

Note that you should select 3 campuses at UC and include a learning agreement and a budget for each of the 3 in your application. If offered a place, UC will decide which of your 3 options you will be placed at.

California partner campuses


University of California, 9500 Gilman Dr, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA

Partner web
https://ucsd.edu/

Partner mobility web
https://reciprocity.uceap.universityofcalifornia.edu/discover-uc/discover-uc-san-diego

Disability support
https://disabilities.ucsd.edu/