Campus Description — UC Riverside

Ranked in the top 10 among "Up and Coming" National Universities by U.S. News and World Report, UC Riverside is a growing campus of great diversity and opportunity. Undergraduates learn from and work with innovative professors who have earned national and international recognition for their teaching and research. New classrooms and laboratories provide dynamic settings for learning and discovery. The Riverside experience is further enhanced by vibrant campus life and a beautiful location in the heart of exciting Southern California.

Academic Highlights

Undergraduate research is a hallmark of the UCR experience, and faculty members welcome the participation of undergraduates on their projects. Some students design their own research under the guidance of a professor.

Exceptional opportunities for undergraduates include UC's oldest and most comprehensive Business Administration major in Southern California, UC's only undergraduate degree program in Creative Writing, and innovative new 5-year combined B.S. + M.S. degrees in several engineering disciplines. Newer programs abound in areas as diverse as business informatics, geoscience education, materials science and engineering, mathematics for secondary school teachers, media and cultural studies, and religious studies.

Undergraduates may choose from 86 majors and 53 minors through the Marlan and Rosemary Bourns College of Engineering, the College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences, and the College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences.

UCR counts among its faculty Guggenheim fellows, members of the National Academy of
Sciences, the National Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science, as well as a NASA-commissioned poet, a PEN/Hemingway Book Prize winner and a National Book Award finalist.

First-year students explore a broad spectrum of ideas through special programs such as the Freshman Discovery Seminars, the First Year Success Series and CHASS Connect. Learning in small classes from distinguished faculty, freshmen get up close and personal with subjects that expand their horizons.

Outstanding students can participate in the University Honors Program. Special lower-division seminars, projects and other courses introduce honors students to the rewards of scholarship and research. UCR juniors and seniors may pursue honors projects or theses under the supervision of faculty members. The program challenges honors students to take an active role in shaping their education.

The focal point for research and study on the campus, the University Library includes collections containing 2.5 million volumes, 44,025 print and electronic serial subscriptions and 2.1 million microforms. Special Collections is the home of the famed J. Lloyd Eaton Collection, the largest cataloged collection of science fiction and fantasy literature in the world.

Campus Life

The 1,200-acre parklike campus and the region's sunny climate provide an ideal setting for outdoor activities. Students can meet for study groups in many of the quiet niches around campus or catch up with friends at the Bell Tower to listen to Wednesday "Nooner" bands. On campus, you'll find students at the brand-new HUB (Highlander Union Building) and its hangout, Latitude 55. Adjacent to campus, the shops, restaurants, coffeehouses and theaters of University Village are popular with students.

More than 300 student clubs, organizations, sororities and fraternities offer opportunities for community service and social activities.

The campus and local community sponsor an abundance of events, including fine arts exhibits and performances, the annual Writers Week, visiting lecturers, comedy shows, up-and-coming bands and annual happenings such as the Block Party, Homecoming, Spring Splash and the music festival HEAT, which has featured performances by Lupe Fiasco, 311, Mos Def, N.E.R.D. and Moby.

UCR competes in the NCAA Division I Big West Conference. In recent years, the Highlanders have captured Big West championships in men's baseball, women's basketball, women's cross country and golf.

The student recreation center is equipped with the latest exercise equipment and offers classes ranging from martial arts and yoga to dance. The center is also home to the intramural sports program and Outdoor Excursions, which regularly plans horseback-riding, sailing, surfing and rock-climbing trips.