New Student Orientation

Congratulations on your admission to UC San Diego, and welcome to the School of Biological Sciences!

Incoming first-year and transfer student biology majors are expected to enroll in and complete the online orientation session/course, which is separate from the college orientation.

Please ensure your UCSD email address is set up prior to registration. Please note that it may take 24 to 48 hours after activation of your @ucsd.edu account for the registration system to recognize your UCSD email account. Information needed to access the online information session will be sent to your @ucsd.edu email account, either directly following registration, or just prior to the event.

ONLINE ORIENTATION SESSION

The orientation session covers items you need to know before you begin your first quarter at UC San Diego. Topics include:

UCSD's Advising Structure & Biological Sciences Advising Services
Biology Major Requirements
Academic Planning Tools
Fall Quarter Planning

The online orientation session is self-paced and should be completed prior to the start of enrollment, which will begin August 19, 2026 for incoming transfer students and August 20, 2026 for incoming first-year students.
Registration for the orientation

FA26 ENROLLMENT PREPARATION

To better assist students in navigating all required actions prior to fall enrollment, students are encouraged to view these documents:

Virtual Advising Center: If you have major-related questions specific to your record and required coursework, please contact a Biological Sciences Advisor through the Ask a Question tab in the Virtual Advising Center. An advisor will respond in the Contact Record area within 3 business days.