About UCLA

• Introducing UCLA

• Academic Resources and Programs

• Resources for Research and Study

• Supplementary Educational Programs

• Student Life

• Student Activities

• Student Services

". . . in 10 years . . . we shall look with amazement upon the development of this University, for it is certain to be greater, far greater, than the imagination of any of us can foresee."

Ernest Carroll Moore, UCLA Director, 1919

The year was 1880. With a population of 11,000, Los Angeles was a gaslit pueblo trying to convince the state to establish in Southern California a second State Normal School like the one already existing in San Jose, some 300 miles to the north.

In March of the following year, the State Assembly approved the establishment of such a school. A group of enthusiastic citizens, over 200 of whom contributed between $2 and $500, purchased a site less than a mile from the business section. Soon the towering Victorian form of the school rose from an orange grove which, today, is the site of the Central Los Angeles Public Library. On August 29, 1882, the Los Angeles Branch of the State Normal School welcomed its first students.

By 1914 the little pueblo of Los Angeles had grown to a city of 350,000 and the school, whose enrollment far exceeded its capacity, moved to new quarters -- a Hollywood ranch off a dirt road which would later become Vermont Avenue.

With a view toward expansion, Director Ernest Carroll Moore proposed in 1917 that the school become the first branch of the Berkeley-based University of California. Two years later on May 23, 1919, California Governor William D. Stephens signed the legislation that created the "Southern Branch" of the University of California -- no longer merely a teacher's college but an institution that offered two years of instruction in Letters and Science.

Third- and fourth-year courses were soon added, the first class of 300 students was graduated in 1925, and by 1927 the Southern Branch had earned its new name: University of California at Los Angeles (the "at" became a comma in 1958).

Move Westward

As the student population of the University continued to increase, the need for a new site became obvious and the search was soon under way for a permanent home for UCLA. On September 21, 1927, Director Moore turned the first shovelful of soil that broke ground for the creation of the campus of his dreams.

The choice of Westwood, set squarely in the path of westward-moving Los Angeles, no doubt was an important factor in determining UCLA's future growth. But in 1929, on the barren chaparral-covered hills of Westwood, the four original buildings -- Royce Hall, Powell Library, Haines and Kinsey Halls -- formed a lonesome little cluster in the middle of 400 empty acres. The campus hosted some 5,500 students that fall.

The first priority after the move to Westwood was to establish a graduate curriculum, essential for any major university. The Regents established the master's degree at UCLA in 1933 and, three years later, the doctorate. UCLA was fast becoming a full-fledged university offering advanced study in almost every field.

Los Angeles and the University nurtured each other through the years, and both experienced phenomenal growth and development during the next half century. UCLA's most spectacular period of growth occurred in the 25 years following World War II, when it tripled its prewar enrollment of 9,000 students and undertook what would become a $260 million building program that included residence halls, parking structures, laboratories, more classrooms, service buildings, athletic and recreational facilities, and a 715-bed teaching hospital which is now one of the largest and most highly respected in the world.

UCLA Today

In 1997-98 UCLA celebrates 78 years of growth, from a small two-year college to a comprehensive institution in the elite company of the nation's most prestigious research universities. This 78-year journey is one of the great success stories in American higher education.

UCLA is a large and complex institution devoted to undergraduate and graduate scholarship, research, and public service. Known for academic excellence, many of its programs are rated among the best in the nation, some among the best in the world.

Some 259 buildings on 419 acres house the College of Letters and Science plus 11 professional schools and serve more than 35,590 students. Another major period of campus development is currently nearing completion, providing needed additional space for chemistry, human genetics, law, neuroscience, and science and technology research programs, while several of UCLA's older buildings are now being made earthquake-safe through a broad seismic correction program.

UCLA's top administrative officer is Chancellor Charles E. Young, who retires on June 30, 1997, after twenty-nine years of leadership in that position. The newly appointed eighth chief executive in UCLA's 78-year history is Chancellor Albert Carnesale, who takes his post on July 1, 1997.

Setting

UCLA is cradled in rolling green hills just five miles inland from the ocean, in one of the most attractive areas of Southern California. It is bordered on the north by the protected wilderness of the Santa Monica Mountains and at its southern gate by Westwood Village. Originally envisioned as a business district to serve UCLA, this picturesque little college town has mushroomed into an entertainment magnet for the entire Los Angeles area.

The cultural treasures of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art are a few miles to the east as are other museums, the community of Beverly Hills, the Music Center, and the downtown business area. Beyond that the deserts, snowcapped mountains, and ski resorts are little more than an hour's drive.

Ambience

The stately Tudor Gothic and Italian Romanesque architecture of UCLA's early buildings blends with the contemporary and modern design of the newer structures. Royce Hall, one of the original four buildings, remains the campus symbol. Contrasting campus moods range from the activity of Bruin Walk to the serenity of the Japanese Garden. Attend a rock concert on the lawn, or a classical recital in Schoenberg Hall. Contemplate a Rodin or a Lachaise in the Sculpture Garden, or participate in a political rally in Meyerhoff Park.

UCLA is a place of surprises. A unique inverted fountain, where water flows over river rocks, recalls the Yellowstone creeks that inspired it. Enter the Bunche Hall Annex and discover a glorious atrium where palms and ferns glisten in filtered sunlight. Step inside the courtyard of Macgowan Hall and come face to face with the impressive stone Tower of Masks, created by the noted sculptress Anna Mahler.

UCLA is a place for serious study in a vibrant, dynamic atmosphere. People must visit the campus to appreciate it. Students thinking of applying to the University as undergraduates should contact Undergraduate Admissions and Relations with Schools (310-825-8764) to take a tour of the campus specifically tailored to prospective students. The Campus Visits Program (310-206-0616), sponsored by the UCLA Alumni Association, arranges both individual and group tours of the campus throughout the year for everyone else. The tours are offered by current students and reservations are required.

Commitment to Research

UCLA is one of the outstanding "research universities" in the country. What does this mean to students?

It means that the same faculty members teach both undergraduate and graduate courses and that these instructors create knowledge as well as transmit it. They spend a major portion of their time engaged in research in libraries and laboratories and out in the field.

At UCLA students are taught by the people making the discoveries, so they learn the latest findings on every front. They may exchange ideas with faculty members who are authorities in their fields, and even as undergraduates are encouraged to participate in research to experience firsthand the discovery of new knowledge. This inseparable commitment to teaching and research is the hallmark of a research university.

Question of Size

Although UCLA has a larger enrollment than other University of California campuses, it is small in comparison to some of the Midwestern universities. Its general campus population of some 31,056 students is about equal to that at UC Berkeley, but the UCLA campus is enriched by an additional 4,538 men and women studying in its health sciences schools of Dentistry, Medicine, Nursing, and Public Health. UCLA makes the most of its size by offering an extraordinary breadth of high quality academic programs and a range of student opportunities available at few other universities in the country.

A major concern of the faculty and staff is to allow students to feel that they belong. UCLA provides orientation sessions and several innovative academic assistance programs for new students, a staff of helpful advisers and counselors in every college/school and academic department, a myriad of student services, and unlimited opportunities for involvement and participation.

All UCLA students share the pride of attending one of the most prestigious educational institutions in the country. Beyond that, no one individual deals with the totality of UCLA. Campus life is made comfortable by interacting and identifying with only certain parts of the whole, whether they be the academic department, residence hall, fraternity or sorority, club or organization, or the spirit of Bruin victories on the athletic fields.

Many prospective students ask about the size of classes at UCLA. Standard instructional formats include lectures, discussion sections, seminars, and laboratory sessions. Although large lecture groups in some introductory courses are not unheard of, 96 percent of all lower division lecture classes in 1995-96 had fewer than 200 students, and the University is making every effort to further reduce class size. Students in most lecture classes also enroll in discussion sections of about 25 students, and seminars and laboratory classes usually have fewer than 20 students. There is an overall ratio of one faculty member for approximately 18 students.

Most UCLA faculty members take a genuine interest in their students. They set aside office hours for receiving students, and most appreciate the opportunity for informal conversation. Even professors who seem remote in the classroom may be just the opposite on a one-to-one basis. A brief discussion can benefit both student and instructor.

Professors are often aided, especially in the small discussion sections, by teaching assistants (TAs). These are graduate students who teach on a part-time basis while pursuing their degree. Many students find it helpful to talk to the TAs about academic problems.

Hallmarks of Excellence

Recent surveys indicate that in overall excellence, UCLA is one of America's most prestigious and influential public universities. It is consistently rated among the best universities in the nation.

UCLA is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges and by numerous special agencies. Information regarding the University's accreditation may be obtained in the Planning Office Library, Office of Academic Planning and Budget, 2107 Murphy Hall.

Academics

UCLA has one college and 11 professional schools. The College of Letters and Science offers programs leading to both undergraduate and graduate degrees, as do the School of the Arts and Architecture, School of Engineering and Applied Science, School of Nursing, and School of Theater, Film, and Television. The other professional schools offer graduate programs exclusively: the Graduate School of Education and Information Studies, School of Law, John E. Anderson Graduate School of Management, School of Public Policy and Social Research and, in the health sciences, the Schools of Dentistry, Medicine, and Public Health.

Few universities in the world offer the extraordinary range and diversity of academic programs that students enjoy at UCLA. Undergraduates may earn a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree in one of 115 different disciplines; graduate students may earn one of 85 master's and 104 doctoral and professional degrees.

Academic programs undergo a continuing process of review and evaluation to maintain their excellence, and new programs are added as they are approved by The Regents. For example, new degree programs last year included the B.A. in Comparative Literature, B.A. in Korean, B.S. in Mathematics/Economics, M.Engr. in Integrated Manufacturing Engineering, Master of Public Policy (M.P.P.), M.A. and Ph.D. in Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, M.S.N. and Ph.D. in Nursing, and M.A. in Applied Linguistics and TESL. New undergraduate minors were established in American Indian studies, anthropology, applied developmental psychology, atmospheric and oceanic sciences, classical civilization, cognitive science, education studies, French, German, Germanic languages, gerontology, Greek, Latin, lesbian, gay, and bisexual studies, music history, naval science, Near Eastern languages and cultures, philosophy, public policy, Russian language and literature, Scandinavian, and women's studies.

Faculty

Of the many factors that go into the making of a great university, no single factor is as important as its faculty. UCLA's distinguished faculty includes 1987 Nobel prizewinner Donald Cram, several John Simon Guggenheim fellows and Fulbright scholars, and many members of both the National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. In 1995-97 four faculty members received Fulbright scholarships to conduct research, lecture, and consult abroad, and seven UCLA scientists and scholars were awarded Guggenheim fellowships. Two were elected as fellows of the prestigious American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). With six additional American Academy of Arts and Sciences award winners, seven Sloan Foundation fellows, and one National Academy of Sciences awardee, UCLA placed among the leading universities nationwide in the number of these prestigious awards.

In a recent survey the Conference Board of Associated Research Councils evaluated the quality of the faculty in 274 American research universities. UCLA was judged fourteenth in the nation among both public and private universities. Of the 41 doctoral degree disciplines studied, 12 of UCLA's academic departments were ranked among the top 10 in the country and 30 were ranked among the top 20.

Research

UCLA is among the six leading research universities in the country, receiving a record $403.6 million in 1995-96 in extramural grants and contracts to support its research activities. The University hosts several hundred postdoctoral scholars each year who share its excellent research facilities. Its laboratories have seen major breakthroughs in scientific and medical research; its study centers have helped foster understanding among the various cultures of the world; ongoing pursuits of new knowledge in a myriad of vital areas continue to improve the quality of life for people around the world.

Teaching

Although all UCLA faculty members engage in research and the discovery of new knowledge, they are equally dedicated to disseminating their findings in the classroom. Indeed, excellence in teaching is one of the most important criteria for faculty promotion, and distinguished teaching awards are among those most highly prized by UCLA professors.

Student Body

UCLA's students pride themselves on academic excellence. The Fall Quarter 1996 entering freshman class had an average high school GPA of 3.99, with an average composite score on the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) of 1,236 out of a possible 1,600.

One of the University's highest priorities is to advance the ethnic diversity of its students, faculty, staff, and administrators. The diversity of UCLA's student population -- nearly equally divided between men and women -- yields the wide range of opinion and perspective essential to a great university. Although most students are from California, they come from all 50 states and more than 115 foreign countries to study at UCLA. The University now enrolls the most ethnically mixed and culturally diverse undergraduate student population -- both in total students and as a percentage of enrollment -- of any major university in the U.S. Ethnic minorities comprise 65.3 percent of the undergraduates and 43.3 percent of the graduate student population. And international students and scholars presently number over 1,800, making this one of the most popular American universities for students from abroad.

Numerous Other Factors

With more than six and one half million volumes, UCLA's library is rated among the finest in the country. Its athletic teams have made the University an acknowledged leader in intercollegiate sports. Its Center for the Performing Arts ranks as the largest, most diversified and comprehensive program of its kind in the country. And management of the UCLA at the Armand Hammer Museum of Art and Cultural Center and acquisition of the Geffen Playhouse in Westwood Village enhance the entire arts program.

The University played a significant role in the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, and the campus reprised that role in July 1991 for the U.S. Olympic Festival '91. On both occasions, UCLA housed a large Olympic Village and served as the venue for several events.

All these factors plus its research facilities, its community service, and its international links with all parts of the world make UCLA today a very special kind of institution.

University of California

The University of California traces its origins to 1868, when Governor Henry H. Haight signed the Organic Act providing that California's first "complete University" be created.

Classes began the following year at the College of California in Oakland. The first buildings on the Berkeley campus were completed in 1873, and the University moved into its new home. The following June, the University of California conferred bachelor's degrees on 12 graduates.

Today the University is one of the largest and most renowned centers of higher education in the world. Its nine campuses span the state, from Davis in the north to San Diego in the south. In between are Berkeley, San Francisco, Santa Cruz, Santa Barbara, Riverside, Irvine and, of course, Los Angeles.

All the campuses adhere to the same admission guidelines and high academic standards, yet each has its own distinct character, atmosphere, and -- to some degree -- academic individuality. Riverside, for example, excels in the plant sciences and entomology; Davis has a large agricultural school and offers the University's only veterinary medicine program; San Diego has excellent oceanography and marine biology programs; San Francisco is devoted exclusively to the health sciences. Among the campuses there are five medical schools and three law schools, as well as schools of architecture, business administration, education, engineering, and many others.

The UC campuses have a combined enrollment exceeding 166,700 students, over 90 percent of them California residents. About one fourth study at the graduate level. Some 150 laboratories, extension centers, and research and field stations strengthen teaching and research while providing public service to California and the nation. The collections of over 100 UC libraries on the nine campuses are surpassed in size on the American continent only by the Library of Congress collection.

The faculty of the University of California is internationally known for its distinguished academic achievements. On its nine campuses the University has 18 Nobel laureates, and membership in the National Academy of Sciences is the largest of any university in the country.

University Administration

The University of California system is governed by a Board of Regents whose regular members are appointed by the Governor of California. In addition to setting broad general policy and making budgetary decisions for the UC system, The Regents appoint the President of the University, the nine chancellors, and the directors, provosts, and deans who administer the affairs of the individual campuses and divisions of the University.

The Regents delegate authority in academic matters to the Academic Senate, which determines academic policy for the University as a whole. The Senate, composed of faculty members and certain administrative officers, determines the conditions for admission and granting of degrees, authorizes and supervises courses and curricula, and advises University administrators on budgets and faculty appointments and promotions. Individual divisions of the Universitywide Academic Senate determine academic policy for each campus. Students participate in policy-making at both campuswide and systemwide levels.