These camps and programs held at UCSD are open to children of staff, faculty, students, returning families, and the community.

In the right place? You can also see a list of Summer Camp Programs at UCSD which are not necessarily sponsored by the University.

• Summer Session, grades 9–12

Students may choose from lower division courses (1-99) offered during two 5-week sessions to:
• Get an early start on a college career
• Fulfill 1 year of language in only 6 weeks
• Take courses to prepare for Fall Quarter
• Accelerate time to graduate

• Academic Connections, grades 9–12
  • Residential and non-residential program
  • Pre-college summer program
  • Hands-on college subject matter courses
  • Low student-to-teacher ratio
  • Online application

• COSMOS, grades 8–12
  • Residential academic experience for top high school students in mathematics and science
  • See individual campus program information:
    • UC San Diego
    • UC Davis
    • UC Irvine
    • UC Santa Cruz

• Knock Around Camps, ages 5 and up
  • Sponsored by UCSD Recreation
  • June through August
  • Includes general camps plus leadership, sports, and beach camps
  • Download a brochure/ registration form (PDF).

• La Jolla Playhouse
  • Programs:
    • Conservatory, grades 10–12
    • Young performers workshop, grades 2–9
    • Teen acting lab, ages 13–17

• Mission Bay Youth Watersports Camp at the Mission Bay Aquatic Center offers classes for ages 6–17:
  • Kayaking
  • Marine science
  • Sailing
  • Surfing
  • Wakeboarding
  • Waterskiing
  • Windsurfing

• San Diego Area Writing Project, grades 3–12
  • Young Writer's Camp
  • YWC — College Writing
  • YWC — The College Admission Essay

• Sea Kayak Leadership Skills, completed grades 7-9
  • July 23-27
  • In Los Arbolitos, Mexico
  • Sponsored by UCSD Recreation

• StudentTECH Introduction to Maya and 3D Modeling Summer Workshop (PDF)
  • Sponsored by the UCSD Supercomputer Center
  • For high school students

• Surf & Turf, completed grades 7-9
  • Surfing and horseback riding in Mexico
  • August 6-12
  • Sponsored by UCSD Recreation

• Summer Discovery @ UCSD, grades 9-12
  • Attracts high school students from across the United States and around the world
  • 5 weeks of study, learning, friendship and college living
  • Choose from more than 40 college credit and non-credit enrichment courses
  • Live on campus in a UCSD residence hall

• Summer Learning at Birch Aquarium, ages 4–15
  • Week-long camps
  • Day camps
  • Animal encounters
  • Arts and science

• UCSD Jazz Camp, ages 14 – Adult
  • Jazz history and theory
  • Improvisation workshops
  • Master classes
  • Performance ensembles
  • Jazz composition and arranging
  • Online application

• UCSD Recreation classes
  See descriptions of quarterly classes and activities for children, including:
  • Dance
  • Gymnastics
  • Martial arts
  • Sports
  • Swimming

• UCSD Sports Camps, ages 5–18
  Specialized sports camps and clinics available through UCSD:
  • Athletic performance camps
  • Baseball
  • Boys' basketball
  • Girls' basketball
  • Fencing
  • Softball
  • Swimming & diving
  • Tennis
  • Girls' volleyball
  • Girls' water polo

• Wilderness Orientation
  • Backpacking, river canoeing, sea kayaking
  • Sponsored by UCSD Recreation