Multicultural Summer Institute

MSI laid the foundation for my experience at Occidental. I met other first-year students before classes started and I had a community that I’m still very close friends with now. It was definitely an amazing transition into college.

Anna Palmer ’19

Occidental’s signature Multicultural Summer Institute (MSI) is a four-week academic, residential program for incoming first-year students who represent a variety of ethnic, regional, and cultural backgrounds. Established in 1987, MSI challenges students to develop their critical thinking, writing, and applied skills while connecting across differences and integrating into the campus community. The program features a team taught 4-unit course complemented by co-curricular experiences focused on community engagement and intergroup dialogues linked to course content.

MSI embodies the College’s investment in diversity, justice, equity, and inclusion by supporting intellectual fellowship and community among emerging student scholar-activists. MSI students build faculty and staff support networks, make lasting friendships, and sharpen their leadership skills before the start of the academic year. Upon completion of MSI, students earn 4 credits toward their degree and fulfill either the U.S. Diversity or Global Connections component of Occidental’s Core requirements. Consider joining us for a transformative college transition experience!

Apply Now

To indicate your interest in becoming part of MSI 2022, we ask that you submit a short application explaining why you are interested in being part of the program. A few things to note:

• The application is due Friday, June 3
• The summer session dates for the program are July 1-30

If you have any questions or would like to speak to someone over the phone about the program, please contact ICC staff at icc@oxy.edu.