Summer Precollege Focus Series
Earn college credit while advancing your skills in a focused area of study.
Where classroom knowledge meets real-world experience
As the only official academic precollege programs offered by UCLA, Summer Precollege Focus Series provide motivated and driven high school students the opportunity to earn college credit in three weeks while advancing their academic career and abilities in an area of study of their interest.
Through co-curricular components including hands-on projects and performances, field visits, and guest lectures, students receive a comprehensive and immersive study of their chosen subject that goes beyond classroom instruction. Our Summer Precollege Focus Series are open to high school students from around the world. We invite you to join our diverse and inclusive UCLA community full of respect, ideas, and optimism.
All Summer Precollege Focus Series programs offered through Summer Sessions are commuter-only with NO HOUSING provided.
All participants in Summer Precollege Focus Series must be a minimum of 15 years of age by the first day of Summer Sessions 2026 on June 22nd, no exceptions allowed. Individual programs may have older age requirements, please check the program page for details.
2026 Summer Precollege Focus Series
Critical Thinking
July 13, 2026 – July 31, 2026
Evaluate arguments, make model decisions, and avoid reasoning traps with lectures on psychology of reasoning, foundations of deductive + inductive logic, and probability + decision theory. Media literacy and journalism workshops prepare you to write an article for publication.
Discovering College Math
July 13, 2026 – July 31, 2026
Introduce yourself to the creative and problem-solving aspects of mathematics, with a focus on discrete math, while covering topics like logic, sequences, counting, and graphs all through group-based learning and individual problem-solving activities.
Economics
July 13, 2026 – July 31, 2026
Expand your knowledge of critical economic issues affecting the United States and the world at one of the top-ranked economics departments in the world! Learn economic policy and analysis while building your data analysis skills.
Engineering Design
June 22, 2026 – July 10, 2026
Commuter
July 13, 2026 – July 31, 2026
Experience engineering design with computing while building teamwork and examining engineering majors offered at UCLA and of engineering careers.
Engineering Design: Internet of Things
June 22, 2026 – July 10, 2026
Commuter
July 13, 2026 – July 31, 2026
Experience engineering design with computing while building teamwork and examining engineering majors offered at UCLA and of engineering careers.
Introduction to Investments
June 22, 2026 – July 10, 2026
Virtual
June 22, 2026 – July 10, 2026
Build a financial plan and learn the structure of global financial markets at one of the top-ranked economics departments in the world. Gain a financial literacy of the investing landscape in business and personal investment decisions.
Political Science
June 22, 2026 – July 10, 2026
An introduction to American politics that will develop your critical thinking & writing skills, and expose you to the myriad careers one can pursue with a Political Science degree.
Python for Economics and Finance
July 13, 2026 – July 31, 2026
This course is a basic introduction to Python for basic data exploration, analysis, and visualization. Students will learn about data types and focus on analysis through a hands-on approach.
TeenArch Studio
June 22, 2026 – July 10, 2026
Virtual
June 22, 2026 – July 10, 2026
Experience the field of architecture through hands-on design projects, landmark buildings, and LA based architectural offices. Develop your design skills in a studio environment while creating an architecture portfolio.
World Politics
July 13, 2026 – July 31, 2026
An introduction to the study of world politics and the present-day international system, including a look at how foreign policy affects issues such as human rights, environmental pollution, and economic development.