Campus Description — UC Riverside

Ranked 15th among all U.S. colleges by the Washington Monthly College Guide, the University of California, 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. Newly constructed classrooms and laboratories provide dynamic settings for learning and discovery. The Riverside experience is further enriched by the campus's diversity of ideas, programs and possibilities.

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 Business Administration; Bourns College of Engineering majors ranging from Chemical, Computer, Environmental, Electrical and Mechanical Engineering to Bioengineering, Computer Science and Information Systems, and Materials Science and Engineering; the Blended Program of Undergraduate Teacher Preparation; and UC's only undergraduate degree program in Creative Writing.

Undergraduates may choose from 80 majors and 51 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 million volumes, more than 13,000 serial subscriptions and 1.64 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. The shops, restaurants, coffeehouses and theaters of University Village, adjacent to the campus, are popular hangouts for students.

nearly 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 in the fall, Spring Splash and the music festival HEAT, which has featured performances by Lupe Fiasco, 311, Mos Def and Moby.

UCR competes in the NCAA Division I Big West Conference. Highlander sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, tennis, track and field, and volleyball. The Highlanders captured three Big West championships in '06-'07: men's baseball, women's basketball 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.