Academic Resources
USF has a variety of programs designed to empower and support your academic journey. Below, you will find a list of resources aimed at enhancing your learning experience, fostering academic success, and promoting a sense of community.
Academic Support
Academic support programs that currently exist through USF include:
At the Center for Academic and Student Achievement (CASA), students can connect with an academic success coach, get guidance on completing forms, and get connected to resources. Every student is assigned an Academic Success Coach during their first year at USF, in addition to their faculty adviser, for academic coaching and support.
Students can get connected to their academic success coach or pop into CASA's drop-in hours to get support. For more information on how to find your coach, make an appointment, or go to drop-in hours, visit CASA's website.
The Learning, Writing, and Speaking Center Is a collection of academic resource centers for USF students. Services are free and include subject-specific tutoring, writing assistance, and communication-related support. The Learning Center also provides opportunities for academic skill development through 1:1 coaching, group workshops, and online resources. Students can visit the Learning, Writing, and Speaking Center's website for more information about each center, as well as how to make an appointment.
Student Equity and Success
USF has developed several programs geared toward the academic and personal success of students including:
The Black Scholars Program is an ambitious, rigorous, and competitive academic program, grounded in Jesuit values, that seeks to educate the whole undergraduate student and develop their potential to fashion a more humane and just world.
The Humanities Mellon Scholars program allows selected transfer students from the Foothill-De Anza Community College District and our other partner institutions to study the humanities at USF. This program offers financial benefits, internships, individual mentorship, and a community of support to assist transfer students in completing their degrees and enhancing their study of the humanities.
Getty Scholars are students who apply for, and receive, the J. Paul Getty Fellowship. New first-year students with exemplary academic, creative, and leadership records may be invited to apply for the J. Paul Getty Fellowship during the admissions process. Getty Scholars demonstrate exemplary academic, creative, and leadership records, a deep understanding of the mission and interdisciplinary nature of the Honors College, and are able to articulate how they might use the funds to enhance their educational experience at USF.
The Martín-Baró Scholars program is a yearlong living-learning community for first-year students at the University of San Francisco. Examine issues of poverty, social justice, and diversity while fulfilling five core requirements in a single comprehensive curriculum.
The McGrath Scholars Program of the Change the World From Here Institute was created to develop critically aware and goal-oriented system thinkers who are motivated to change their communities for the common good.
The program will facilitate and nurture leaders who practice cooperative, collaborative and inclusive leadership; engage in both courageous and compassionate action; cultivate changes in values by re-framing and reinterpreting situations, and practice contemplative self-reflection.
The Center for First Generation Students/Muscat Scholars Program serves students who are the first in their families to go to college. New students can apply to be a part of the year-long Muscat Scholars Program made of shared classes, retreats, events, and reunions. Muscat scholars receive a peer mentor, staff mentor, and get connected to others on campus who are here to support them. You can find more information about the year long program as well as general support by going to the Muscat Scholars Program Guide.
Career Services and Student Employment
USF’s Career Services & Student Employment services are here to help with exploring career options, seeking internships, or preparing for post-graduation employment.
The Priscilla A. Scotlan Career Services Center serves to support students with job, internship, and career related needs. All of their resources, including counseling appointments, career success workshops, and job and internship search tools, are currently available via Zoom and online. For more information, visit the Career Services website.
The Office of Student Employment helps document work eligibility, coordinate Federal Work-Study, and identify off-campus Federal Work Study positions.
DACAmented Students (students who are currently beneficiaries of DACA) are eligible to work both on campus and off campus with their work authorization card. Students can view available job postings on Workday. During the USF onboarding process, students will need to provide their social security number and their work permit to Student Employment. More information about onboarding can be found on Student Employment's New Hire Checklist for Student Employees page.
Although Undocumented students without DACA are not eligible to work as employees, they are able to work as independent contractors or freelancers to generate income. Immigrants Rising has multiple resources to help students learn more about how to start, including their 5 Tips to Get Started as an Independent Contractor/Freelancer guide and their UndocuHustle Hub, which trains individuals on the basics of entrepreneurship.
Take advantage of the many on and off-campus work opportunities offered by USF. For more information, visit the Student Employment website. You can also find open positions on Workday.