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Summer Philosophy Launch and Social Hub

Summer Session 2, August 4 to September 6, 2025

SPLASH is a summer program for all incoming transfer UC San Diego students with an interest in philosophy.  The program helps students adjust to upper-division courses in philosophy at UC San Diego. 

The program involves:

  • A meet and greet with world-famous philosophy professors to discuss philosophy life at UC San Diego 
  • A workshop with the Director of Undergraduate Studies to learn about course requirements for the philosophy major or minor
  • Personalized writing assistance with philosophy graduate students
  • Social Hours with faculty, graduate and undergraduate philosophy students
  • A kayak trip in La Jolla Cove led by award-winning local waterman and philosopher Craig Callender

The 2025 SPLASH course is PHIL 163: Biomedical Ethics (4 units), taught by Prof. Reuven Brandt

Together, all of these activities will provide a smooth and fun transition to UC San Diego Philosophy, preparing students for successfully completing the degree and developing relationships that will last beyond graduation! 

Program Information

Once accepted to program, participants must: 

  • Enroll in UC San Diego's Summer Session 
  • Sign up for PHIL 163 (4 credit units) with Dr. Brandt in Summer Session 2
  • If a participant is only taking one course (PHIL 163) at UC San Diego in Summer 2025, they must also enroll in PHIL 199 (2 credit units) to qualify for financial aid.

Key Links

PHIL 163: Biomedical Ethics

In PHIL 163: Biomedical Ethics, students learn about moral issues in medicine and the biological sciences, such as patient’s rights and physician’s responsibilities, abortion and euthanasia, the distribution of health care, experimentation, and genetic intervention. Under the guidance of Dr. Brandt, students will develop and hone core philosophical and writing skills that will set them up for success in upper-division writing courses at UC San Diego.

PHIL 163 satisfies requirements for the philosophy major and minor, along with requirements for many other majors and minors across campus, including:

  • ERC
    Upper-Division Writing GE Req. Option
  • Sixth College
    Narrative, Aesthetic, and Historical Reasoning Req.
  • Eighth College
    Humanities Breadth Req. Option
  • Cognitive Science Major (except for B.S. Cognitive Behavioral Neuroscience)
    Approved Elective
  • Global Health Major (B.A. & B.S.)
    Medical Humanities Course & Upper-Division Significant Writing Course (for B.A.)
  • Public Health (B.S., B.S. with Concentration in Medicine Sciences)
    Upper-Division Elective
  • International Studies (B.A.) Interdisciplinary Elective Course (for all programs)
  • International Studies Philosophy Major (B.A.)                                                                                                       Disciplinary Focus Course Cluster B Option
  • Bioethics Minor - Biomedical Ethics Req.
  • Law and Society Minor -Elective

Summer Campus Housing

SPLASH participants have the option of living on campus at a discounted rate through UC San Diego's Summer Success Program. Participants must indicate interest in this housing program by JULY 4th, 2005. Participants are not required to live on campus.

APPLY to SPLASH NOW!

Apply to SPLASH here. 

Applications are due July 15th, 2025. 

Applications submitted after July 15th may still be considered if spots are available.

All eligible students are encouraged to apply. SPLASH does not consider race, color, national origin, gender, or any other protected status as part of the application and selection process.

SPLASH is made possible by the Department of Philosophy at UC San Diego. 
Dr. Reuven Brandt and Craig Callender serve as faculty co-directors.
Dr. Cami Koepke serves as the program manager.
Contact Us
splash@ucsd.edu