FIRST YEAR SCHOLARS PROGRAM
Welcome to UCLA! We are so excited you have chosen us and are bringing your skills, ideas, and leadership to the UCLA community!
Attending and navigating a large research university, and adjusting to a new academic pace and rigor while adapting to a new environment and culture can generate a variety of emotions, particularly given the world situation today and the reality that you are navigating this new experience remotely. College Learning Communities and the First Year Scholars Program (FYSP) are here to support you through this transition!
Learn more about how FYSP can support you during your first year at UCLA below.
Space in FYSP is limited and participation is by invitation only. If you have any questions, please contact the FYSP Coordinator, Dr. Ana Karen Gomez, at agomez@college.ucla.edu.
The First Year Scholars Program (FYSP) is a one-year program specifically designed for incoming first-year students in the Humanities and Social Sciences. FYSP Scholars are part of a community of peers who are committed to academic excellence and personal development through active participation with peers, faculty, peer mentors, and academic advisors. Through these shared experiences you can start building your UCLA community, connect with others across campus, and gain personal and professional development skills to help you thrive at UCLA!
FYSP is structured to offer both the opportunity to experience the broad scope of UCLA, and the smaller collaborative learning-sessions exclusive to FYSP scholars that will help you reach your educational goals and potential. As part of FYSP you will be assigned your own academic advisor/counselor and peer mentors who will support you with course planning, engaging outside of the classroom, adjusting to campus life, and so much more. Additionally, each quarter FYSP hosts lunches, panels, and other events with faculty, alumni, campus partners, graduate students, and student leaders.
Students who have participated in FYSP share that the program made them feel more confident and supported, helped them develop interpersonal communication skills, grow emotionally, mentally and spiritually, provided a support system, and gave them a sense a belonging during their first year at UCLA.
As part of the FYSP program you will:
- receive personalized academic support and advising
- build community
- work closely with faculty
- have a peer mentor
- gain confidence navigating the new UCLA environment
- draw connections between content in different courses
- develop teamwork and leadership skills
- engage with and utilize campus resources and opportunities
- begin to create your UCLA network
- start crafting your UCLA academic & engagement plan
- receive membership and access to the Academic Advancement Program (AAP)
- receive up to $150 textbook reimbursement per quarter upon completion of the program
FYSP scholars will participate in the year-long UCLA Cluster Program. Students will have three Cluster options to choose from:
- Cluster M1A Food: Lens for Environment & Sustainability
- Cluster 20A Interracial Dynamics in American Society & Culture
- Cluster M71A Biotechnology & Society
See an overview of the Cluster course offerings HERE .
Additionally, all students will enroll in the 3-quarter series, University Studies 15, intentionally designed for FYSP scholars to connect and explore a variety of topics ranging from academic to professional and personal development. Fall enrollment will be facilitated by the New Student and Transition Programs (NSTP) during the UCLA New Student Orientation. Winter and Spring enrollment will be facilitated by FYSP.
There will also be a variety of social activities, events with faculty, and academic advising and peer mentoring one-on-one appointments, in which FYSP students will participate each quarter.
UNIV ST 15A, 15B, and 15C are specifically designed for the First Year Scholars Program (FYSP). This 3-course series gives you the opportunity to connect with a group of scholars and explore a variety of topics ranging from academic to professional and personal development. Curriculum has been crafted to help integrate themes being explored in your other academic courses and emphasize the topics of civic and community engagement, service learning, and social change. Through this framework and project-based assignments, this course series provides time to reflect on your transition and adjustment to UCLA. We will explore the type of impact you want to have at UCLA and how you want to engage during your 4 years at the university. You will cultivate actionable steps to achieve these goals. Additionally, campus partners, alumni, advisors, and guest lecturers will join us to talk about everything from how to write an academic paper, to leadership and professional development, to imposter syndrome or how to address microaggressions, and everything in-between.
- To start off our time together FYSP will host a welcome and community building event before the start of courses to orient students to the elements of the program and to start learning about one another. There will be social events led by the peer mentors each quarter as part of the University Studies 15 course series, and an end-of-the-year celebration to celebrate your accomplishment in completing the program. Additionally, each quarter there will be lunches, panels, and engagement opportunities offered with faculty, alumni, campus partners, graduate students, student leaders, and more!
- As an FYSP scholar you will be assigned your own personal academic counselor who will work with you to outline a degree plan that includes your education and career goals. As part of the holistic academic engagement and support offered by FYSP, you will also work closely with FYSP Peer Mentors. Peer mentors will help you navigate life at UCLA, learn the College’s academic policies and procedures, plan your courses, connect to campus resources, and provide weekly social and community building opportunities.
- To support your career development, you will receive the Clifton Strengths Assessment along with a personalized evaluation. Additionally, you will work with career educators from the UCLA Career Center on early-career exploration to develop a personalized 3-year professional development action plan. This early career development will be supplemented with weekly team leadership and group-based activities in your University Studies 15 courses.
- As part of FYSP you will work with FYSP Undergraduate Writing Center Peer Learning Facilitators (PLFs) to expand your knowledge of and skills in academic writing.
- In addition, FYSP provides you membership and access to the Academic Advancement Program (AAP) and all the resources that program provides, including peer learning (tutoring), graduate and professional school mentoring, scholarships, research opportunities, and more!
As part of FYSP you will be partnered with an academic advisor. Academic advisors will reach out to you at least 3 times each quarter during the program, and will meet with you at least twice in Fall and at least once in Winter and Spring. Academic advisors can help you plan your degree at UCLA by working with you to create a strategic and balanced plan that include your interests, such as studying abroad, internships, career readiness, research, leadership and campus involvement, preparing for graduate school, and much more. Academic advisors collaborate with you to foster your academic, personal, and professional development. You are encouraged to continue working with your academic advisor throughout your UCLA career.
As an FYSP Scholar, you will partner with a team of trained undergraduate FYSP Peer Mentors who will support you as you navigate and craft your first-year experience. Peer mentors will meet with you one-on-one every quarter, plan and host social and community building events, and provide tips and insights on how to thrive at UCLA as a first-year student. They are also trained on the College’s academic policies and procedures, and can answer your questions about selecting your major/minor, planning your classes, balancing your academics with campus involvement, summer enrollment, and much more. Peer mentors will facilitate many of the University Studies 15 sessions and introduce campus partners presenting other topics.
- Space in FYSP is limited and participation is by invitation only. If you have any questions, please contact the FYSP Coordinator, Ana Karen Gomez, at agomez@college.ucla.edu.