UCLA: A Hub of Academic Excellence, Research Innovation, and Diverse Programs

The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) stands as a public land-grant research university, located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881. Today, it is a leading institution renowned for its extensive academic offerings, groundbreaking research, and commitment to public service.

Academic Programs: A Wide Spectrum of Opportunities

UCLA offers a vast array of degree programs and areas of study for both undergraduate and graduate students. With over 130 undergraduate majors and more than 90 graduate programs, academic pursuits can be tailored to fit personal and professional goals. Students have the flexibility to study abroad, pursue a minor alongside their major, or even earn dual degrees simultaneously. The comprehensive range of programs ensures that individuals can find a path that aligns with their interests and career aspirations.

With over 140 majors to choose from, undergraduates can easily find areas of study that align with their interests, academic skills, and personal goals. Whether students land on something new or familiar, they are sure to be excited by the many ways their future can begin to take shape.

The university is organized into the College of Letters and Science and twelve professional schools. Six of the schools offer undergraduate degree programs: Arts and Architecture, Engineering and Applied Science, Music, Nursing, Public Affairs, and Theater, Film and Television. Three others are graduate-level professional health science schools: Medicine, Dentistry, and Public Health.

The College of Letters and Science

The College brings together perspectives from many liberal arts fields to analyze issues, pose questions, and train students to think and write creatively as well as critically. Students then concentrate on a particular field in depth. More than 100 majors are offered within four academic divisions: Humanities, Life Sciences, Physical Sciences, and Social Sciences. Applicants to the College are asked to select a major of choice, although if you’re undecided, you can apply with an “undecided/undeclared” status.

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The College of Letters and Science offers a multitude of majors, including:

Humanities: African American Studies, American Literature and Culture, Ancient Near East and Egyptology, Art History, Asian Humanities, Asian Languages and Linguistics, Asian Religions, Central and East European Languages and Cultures, Classical Civilization, Comparative Literature, Disability Studies, English, European Language and Transcultural Studies, European Languages and Transcultural Studies with French and Francophone, European Languages and Transcultural Studies with German, European Languages and Transcultural Studies with Italian, European Languages and Transcultural Studies with Scandinavian, European Studies, Gender Studies, Greek, Greek and Latin, History, Human Biology and Society, Iranian Studies, Jewish Studies, Latin, Linguistics, Linguistics and Anthropology, Linguistics and Asian Languages and Cultures, Linguistics and Computer Science, Linguistics and English, Linguistics and Philosophy, Linguistics and Psychology, Linguistics and Spanish, Linguistics, Applied, Middle Eastern Studies, Nordic Studies, Philosophy, Religion, Study of, Russian Language and Literature, Russian Studies, and Spanish and Community and Culture.
Life Sciences: Biochemistry, Biology, Biophysics, Ecology, Behavior, and Evolution, Human Biology and Society, Marine Biology, Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, Neuroscience, Physiological Science, and Psychobiology.
Physical Sciences: Astrophysics, Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences/Mathematics, Chemistry, Chemistry/Materials Science, Climate Science, Data Theory, Earth and Environmental Science, Geology, Geology/Engineering Geology, Geophysics, Mathematics, Mathematics, Applied, Mathematics/Applied Science, Mathematics/Economics, Mathematics, Financial Actuarial, Mathematics for Teaching, Mathematics of Computation, Physics.
Social Sciences: African and Middle Eastern Studies, American Indian Studies, Anthropology, Asian American Studies, Asian Studies, Business Economics, Chicana and Chicano Studies, Chinese, Cognitive Science, Communication, Economics, European Studies, Geography, Geography/Environmental Studies, Global Studies, Human Biology and Society, International Development Studies, Japanese, Korean, Labor Studies, Latin American Studies, Linguistics and Anthropology, Linguistics and Asian Languages and Cultures, Linguistics and Computer Science, Linguistics and English, Linguistics and Philosophy, Linguistics and Psychology, Linguistics and Spanish, Linguistics, Applied, Political Science, Portuguese and Brazilian Studies, Psychology, Sociology, Southeast Asian Studies, Spanish, Spanish and Linguistics, Spanish and Portuguese, Statistics and Data Science, and Individual Field of Concentration.

Professional Schools

UCLA's professional schools offer specialized programs designed to prepare students for careers in various fields.

School of the Arts and Architecture: This school offers majors in fields such as art, design, and architecture, fostering creativity and innovation.
Samueli School of Engineering: Known for its rigorous programs and cutting-edge research, the Samueli School of Engineering offers majors in various engineering disciplines.
Herb Alpert School of Music: This school provides comprehensive training in music performance, composition, and musicology.
School of Theater, Film and Television: One of the leading programs of its kind in the world, the School of Theater, Film and Television is unique in that it formally recognizes the close relationship among these media. From study of the ancient origins of traditional theater to avant-garde video and technologically advanced stage and film production, students develop analytic skills while acquiring applied knowledge and experience in their chosen fields.
Joe C. Wen School of Nursing: The UCLA Joe C. Wen School of Nursing is ranked in the top 15 nationally and is internationally renowned for faculty research and publications.
Luskin School of Public Affairs: The Luskin School of Public Affairs consists of three departments: Public Policy, Social Welfare, and Urban Planning. The school offers one undergraduate major, three undergraduate minors, three master’s degrees, and two doctoral degrees. The B.A. in Public Affairs gives students an in-depth and engaged educational experience with a clear public service ethos.

Specialized Tracks

Some degree programs offer specialized tracks to help students focus on specific interests. For instance, one can earn an M.F.A. in film and television with a specialization in screenwriting, an M.M. in music performance with a specialization in jazz, or an M.S. in biology with a specialization in the ecology and evolution of medicine.

Academic Advising and Orientation

If one is unsure about what to pursue, attending New Student Orientation before starting at UCLA can be immensely helpful. During orientation, guidance is provided on selecting a major, planning courses, understanding graduation requirements, and exploring graduate programs and professional schools. Additionally, UCLA’s academic advising services are available throughout studies to support navigation of academic and career goals.

Research: Driving Innovation and Discovery

At UCLA, research is fueling breakthroughs that shape a brighter future. Each study carries the potential to improve health, strengthen communities, and expand knowledge in ways that touch everyone. UCLA offers many resources for deepening knowledge in chosen fields, including hundreds of research centers, institutes, and labs that encourage collaboration across disciplines.

Key Research Areas and Achievements

Medicine and Healthcare: Across the university, surgeons and scientists are rethinking how to fight brain cancers, particularly glioblastoma, the most aggressive and deadly form of brain cancer. A blood stem cell gene therapy co-developed by UCLA’s Dr. Donald Kohn offers hope for children with ADA-SCID, a rare condition where day-to-day activities can lead to life-threatening infections. Immunology researcher Jerome Zack is a pioneer in developing innovative approaches aimed at eradicating HIV.
Climate and Environment: UCLA professor Alex Hall and a team of climate scientists have conducted research that conclusively shows how climate change made fire fuels 25% drier. After wildfires destroyed thousands of homes, cityLAB-UCLA turned community-engaged research into action. Gaurav Sant is tackling climate change as a third-generation civil engineer. Air-quality researcher Yifang Zhu leads a research team that is helping the public better understand the air they breathe during and after fires.
Technology and Innovation: If you’ve had an MRI in recent years, you have UCLA mathematician and Fields Medal winner Terence Tao to thank for the technology. For bioengineer Dino Di Carlo, invention is inseparable from practice. UCLA and UC San Diego researchers have developed a probiotic that detoxifies methylmercury, a toxic form of mercury found in seafood.
Social Sciences and Humanities: Castel and an international team of psychology researchers have shown that curiosity doesn’t have to fade with age - certain types of curiosity can persist into later life and actually increase. UCLA researchers are finding new treatments to ease the physical ailments caused by post-traumatic stress disorder.

Research Programs for Undergraduates

UCLA offers a variety of research programs designed to provide undergraduate students with hands-on experience and mentorship opportunities. These programs include:

The Nanosystems Chemistry and Engineering Research (NanoCER) program: A Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) site sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the California NanoSystems Institute (CNSI).
The NIH Biomedical Science Enrichment Program (BISEP): Prepares students for upper division science coursework and undergraduate research, consisting of a biotechnology lecture and laboratory, journal clubs, career development workshops and seminars, and laboratory visits.
The UCLA Summer Programs for Undergraduate Research (SPUR): Offer upper division undergraduate students the opportunity to work closely with faculty mentors on research projects.
The CARE SEM Summer Program: A 10-week opportunity for UCLA undergraduates to undertake research with a UCLA faculty and receive professional development through workshops and seminars.
The Undergraduate Research Scholars Program: Supports juniors and seniors conducting research during the academic year, awarding scholarships of up to $3,000 to Juniors and up to $5,000 to Seniors.
The Integrated and Interdisciplinary Undergraduate Research Program (i2URP): An intensive, two-year program that prepares incoming juniors committed to pursuing a graduate degree for a career in biomedical research.
The MARC U*STAR Program: A two-year, NIH-funded, undergraduate honors program that seeks to increase the number of biomedical scientists from diverse backgrounds that significantly impact health-related research.

Rankings and Recognition

UCLA consistently receives high rankings and recognition for its academic programs and research contributions.

U.S. News & World Report ranked UCLA second among public universities and 17th among national universities.
The Times Higher Education World University Rankings ranks UCLA 18th in the world for academics and 15th in the world for reputation.
The Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) ranked UCLA 13th in the world.

Many of UCLA's graduate programs are also highly ranked, including Clinical Psychology, Fine Arts, Education, Psychology, Math, History, Sociology, English, Public Health, and Nursing.

Campus and Facilities

UCLA's campus is located in the western part of Los Angeles, north of the Westwood shopping district and just south of Sunset Boulevard. The campus includes 163 buildings across 419 acres (1.7 km2). The original four buildings were designed by the local firm Allison & Allison in the Romanesque Revival style.

Notable campus features include:

Powell Library: The first library, founded in 1884, now holding a significant portion of UCLA's vast collection.
Royce Hall: One of the iconic original buildings, known for its Romanesque Revival architecture.
The Franklin D. Murphy Sculpture Garden: Features a bust of Ralph Bunche, a UCLA alumnus and Nobel Peace Prize winner.
The Hannah Carter Japanese Garden: Located north of campus in Bel Air, designed by landscape architect Nagao Sakurai.

UCLA Impact

Apparel, fashion accessories, and other items with UCLA's logo and insignia are popular in many parts of the world due to both the university's academic and athletic prestige, and its association with colorful images of Southern California life and culture. This demand for UCLA-branded merchandise has inspired the licensing of its trademark to UCLA brand stores throughout Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.

UCLA discoveries and scholarship drive innovation that keeps our country healthy and safe. Research propels medical breakthroughs, fuels economic growth, strengthens national security, and enhances global competitiveness - all vital national priorities. Nearly 260 companies have licensed technologies developed here, with UCLA faculty creating more than 280 inventions in a single fiscal year.

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