The summer class is tuition free and all incoming first-year students who pass receive one unit of course credit to kick off their academic journey at USD.
1 unit
course credit
$0
tuition free
5
weeks
pass
or no credit grade
The 1st@USD Summer Seminar brings together a diverse team of faculty from across the university, with expertise spanning the arts and humanities, business, social sciences, engineering, natural sciences, nursing and more. It's designed to introduce students to the interdisciplinary nature of USD's liberal arts education.
1st@USD Summer Seminar
The five-week seminar is taught online in July and August. It includes one weekly meeting of the entire class, plus smaller discussion sections that provide students with opportunities to interact directly with each other and their instructors and to engage deeply with a complex contemporary issue using an integrative approach.
How to Register
Incoming first-year students who have confirmed their enrollment for the fall semester may register for this class through the invitation sent by admissions@sandiego.edu at the beginning of June. If you are experiencing any issues registering, please reach out to Undergraduate Admissions at admissions@sandiego.edu.
Current Seminar
Summer 2026 | Democracy, Power and the Struggle for Civic Agency
What makes democracy work? What causes it to weaken? And why does democracy matter?
Previous Seminars
Summer 2025 | The Environment and Action
How can we create, and participate in ways that promote a more just, sustainable and healthy world?
Summer 2024 | The Changing Face of Humanity: AI and Identities of the Future
What can AI teach us about intelligence and the nature of knowledge and learning?
Summer 2023 | The Changing Face of Humanity: AI and Identities of the Future
What does it mean to be human when artificial intelligence is shaping our world?
Summer 2022 | Speaking Truth to Power: Citizenship and Community
How can critically informed and engaged citizens of the world build and restore communities?
Summer 2021 | The Story of Now: Why Knowledge Matters
Consider the nature of knowledge and information in the modern world.
Summer 2020 | Pandemic Times: Human Experiences and Responses
The inaugural seminar in the series provided an interdisciplinary perspective on pandemics, with an emphasis on COVID-19.
Questions? Contact
Ron Kaufmann, PhD
kaufmann@sandiego.edu
(619) 260-5904