Core academic programs develop skills in both traditional and emergent media literacy, emphasizing essential writing fundamentals as well as the latest forms of digital communication.

[citation needed] The core sequence in culture, art and technology develops students' abilities to explore the richness of intellectual and academic multiplicity, write effectively, ask and examine difficult questions, work with multiple media and sensory experiences, collaborate in teams, consider ethical issues, develop digital literacy, and explore art and technology in a cultural context.

The totality of Sixth College is a digital educational ecology that fosters new forms of thought, expression and community for a new millennium.

The Practicum is a unique upper-division requirement that promotes civic engagement and global consciousness, and embodies the college's commitment to active, experiential learning.

[3] The paramount aim is to provide a learning community that is nurturing and stimulating, while equipping students to face the challenges that lie ahead.

The program requires students to enroll in courses that demand a hands-on approach to education while making valuable contributions to communities both locally and abroad.

Students must choose a 4-unit course, program, internship, or research opportunity for their Practicum Project that develops both their academic and professional skills.

[6] Sixth College has begun transitioning to new facilities in a different part of campus, the North Torrey Pines Living and Learning Neighborhood.

The transition process has been staggered due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with some students living in the completed facilities, and the remaining buildings expected to finish construction by 2020 or early 2021.

[9] On April 20, 2012, late-night talk show host Conan O'Brien visited Sixth College in honor of its tenth anniversary.

[11] The Experiential Learning Conference is a biannual event occurring in early Winter quarter (late January), and is free and open to the public.

[12] The second conference was sponsored by Provost Dan Donoghue, organized by Director Diane Forbes Berthoud, and hosted by Sixth College.

[15] The third conference was sponsored by Provost Dan Donoghue, organized by Director Diane Forbes Berthoud, and hosted by Sixth College.