Skip to main content
John Muir College John Muir College
  1. HOME
  2. Academics
  3. Honors and Scholarships

Honors, Exchange Programs, and Scholarships

Honors Programs

UCSD students have large ambitions and high goals, and UCSD offers many opportunities for students to enhance their educational experiences while at UCSD.

  • The university offers Regents' Scholarships to a small number of incoming students.
  • The Provost hand-picks a select group of incoming freshmen to be part of the Freshmen Honors Seminar, MUIR 90H, to be exposed to research and faculty in Fall Quarter. Regents Scholars are automatically invited to this seminar.
  • You can earn Provost’s Honors every quarter in which your term GPA is 3.5 or higher and you are enrolled in 12 or more graded units.
  • You can earn Latin Honors at graduation (Summa Cum Laude, Magna Cum Laude, and Cum Laude) for graduating in the top 14% of your class.
  • You can earn Department Honors based on completing a specific honors curriculum in your major, earning a high GPA and completing a final project in your major.
  • Muir students who reach senior status and complete at least 44 UC letter graded units with a 3.8 UC GPA are considered annually for membership in the Caledonian Society.
  • Our top graduates each spring quarter are reviewed by the provost to award a handful of awards as Muir Scholars. We review students in April who have filed for graduation and award the top 6-8 students with the Muir Scholars Award. Students are recognized in the commencement program and awarded $100. 
  • Phi Beta Kappa is the most prestigious undergraduate honor society in the liberal arts and sciences in the United States. Each spring they nominate and initiate new members and select graduate initiate award recipients.

Study Abroad

International experience can improve your career options and college experience. Opportunities exist for all majors, language levels, and exist for full year, one semester, or for the summer. You can still graduate on time—advisors will work with you to include study abroad in your long-term plans. Programs are affordable, and may be covered by financial aid and scholarships. For more information, visit the UCSD Study Abroad Office or search for a program to fit your needs.

Taking Classes Away from UCSD

Students may use courses taken at another regionally accredited college or university to count toward graduation requirements. 

You may earn up to 105 quarter units of credit for lower-division transfer courses taken outside of the University of California, not counting AP or IB credit. 

Transfer courses do not count toward your UCSD GPA unless they were taken at a University of California Campus. 

You must have official transcripts showing final grades submitted to UC San Diego Admissions to have them posted to your records.

Muir Special Projects Major

The Muir Special Project (MSP) major is a B.A. degree that offers Muir students the chance to develop a focused individual major culminating in a senior project or thesis. Each proposal must be approved by the Muir provost, and applicants must have a minimum 3.25 UC GPA. For further information on the MSP major, make an appointment to meet with the Dean of Academic Advising.

Scholarships

Muir offers a limited scholarships that provide supplemental funding for students pursuing specific academic opportunities. These are in addition to the scholarships found at the Financial Aid and Scholarships website. 

Triton Research & Experiential Learning Scholars (TRELS​)

The Triton Research & Experiential Learning Scholars (TRELS​) program is sponsored by the Council of Provosts of the Undergraduate Colleges at UC San Diego and the office of Undergraduate Research. TRELS empowers students to pursue intellectual opportunities beyond the classroom, by providing support in the form of funding and mentorship. There are four main initiatives supported through TRELS:

  1. TRELS quarterly awards 
  2. TRELS summer research program 
  3. TRELS study abroad scholarship
  4. TRELS conference funding

Visit the Undergraduate Research Hub - TRELS Program page to learn how to apply.

Jim and Julie Lin Environmental Justice Award

UCSD Muir College will award one $1,000 award to a undergraduate student who is passionate about helping underserved communities in the area of environmental justice. The award is for the 2023-2024 academic year and is available to all registered UC San Diego undergraduate students with at least junior standing and who plan to graduate during academic year 2023-2024. 

Award Description

Many communities are disproportionately affected by environmental hazards and lack of access to the decision-making processes necessary to sustain a healthy community and planet. In order to promote environmental justice in underserved communities, we must not only reduce ecological harm but also ensure that environmental laws, regulations, and policies uplift the voices of all people regardless of race, income, or other forms of bias. This award is intended for a student who is committed to helping underserved populations mobilize, sustain, and protect their communities in the face of our current climate crisis.

Examples may include students who:

  • Bridge various communities around initiatives and campaigns to reduce pollution and improve environmental health in underserved communities
  • Teach sustainability in ways that are tailored to the needs of cultural groups (composting, recycling single-use plastic containers, etc.
  • Organize efforts for underserved communities to reclaim their land
  • Facilitate access to public transit and alternative modes of transportation
  • Create engaging opportunities for underserved communities to learn about the benefits of healthy foods, community gardens, and the environment
  • Implement landscape designs, architectural designs, and community plans that include community gardens, pollution mitigation systems, and ways to reduce carbon emissions

Eligibility Requirements

A currently registered UCSD undergraduate student with good academic standing, upper division status, a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher, who plans to graduate during the 2023-24 academic year, and who submits the following:

  1. Scholarship application form (which consists of short essay answers about your past experiences, proudest accomplishments, and future goals in environmental justice).
  2. One letter of recommendation from a UC San Diego faculty member that expands on your activism, projects or research. 
  3. Optional: Additional letter from a community member, staff, or faculty member familiar with your work.
  4. Resume, and links to articles/websites about your accomplishments.

Travel Scholarships

For Muir students in good standing who are presenting at domestic professional conferences, modest funds are available to defray travel costs. Students may only receive funding for ONE trip per fiscal year (July 1 - June 30), on a reimbursement basis. No other funds must have been accepted by any other departments or units at UC San Diego.  The application MUST be submitted 4 weeks prior to travel for approval.

Eligibility

Currently enrolled and registered students in Muir College, who are in good academic standing.

Amount

$300 per person each fiscal year (July 1 - June 30)
Can be used for the following expenses: Conference registration, transportation, lodging.

Application Procedure

Scholarships are awarded at the discretion of the Provost via a reimbursement basis, the traveler must pay all the expenses on their own. Upon returning, the student traveler must submit all the original receipts to the Colleges Business Office. The traveler will be reimbursed after the receipts have been submitted.

  1. Please fill out this short application form and UC San Diego Student Certification for Business-Related Travel
  2. Email muirprov@ucsd.edu the completed UC San Diego Student Certification for Business-Related Travel form.
  3. Upon return from trip, please provide conference documentation including itemized receipts of any of the following: airfare, conference fees, and/or lyft. Please redact any confidential mailling address information and phone numbers as we are unable to accept those.  We are unable to reimburse non-itemized receipts.  Email these items to the Provost's Office at muirprov@ucsd.edu
    Reimbursements are processed through our College Business Office.

Review

Provost Office will review all the applications and make a decision.

Follow Up

After you complete travel, please email receipts (with your name on there as the person who paid) to muirprov@ucsd.edu, and cc: Alissa Giangregorio, agiangregorio@ucsd.edu, who will follow up with getting you reimbursed. Thanks in advance for your patience, as it's a bureaucratic process that public universities have to go through.