University of California
Overview
The University of California (UC) is a public university system in the U.S. state of California. The system is composed of the campuses at Berkeley, Davis, Irvine, Los Angeles, Merced, Riverside, San Diego, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, and Santa Cruz, along with numerous research centers and academic abroad centers.
History
The University of California was founded on March 23, 1868, and operated in Oakland before moving to its Berkeley location in 1873. Over time, the University of California system has grown to include more than 280,000 students and more than 227,000 faculty and staff, with more than 2.0 million alumni living and working around the world.
Campuses
Each of the University of California's campuses offers a broad range of undergraduate and graduate degree programs. The campuses are renowned for their rigorous academic programs, vibrant campus life, and contributions to research in various fields.
UC Berkeley
UC Berkeley, the oldest of the campuses, is renowned for its rigorous academic programs and vibrant campus life. It is also known for its contributions to research in various fields, including physics, economics, and computer science.
UC Davis
UC Davis is known for its programs in environmental and agricultural science, veterinary medicine, and psychology. The campus is also home to the UC Davis Medical Center, one of the top-ranked hospitals in the United States.
UC Irvine
UC Irvine offers a wide range of academic programs and is particularly known for its programs in business, computer science, and engineering. The campus is also home to the UC Irvine Medical Center, a top-ranked hospital.
UC Los Angeles
UC Los Angeles (UCLA) is known for its programs in arts and humanities, business, and social sciences. The campus is also home to the UCLA Medical Center, one of the top-ranked hospitals in the United States.
UC Merced
UC Merced, the newest campus in the UC system, offers a wide range of academic programs and is particularly known for its research in solar energy and environmental science.
UC Riverside
UC Riverside is known for its programs in business, engineering, and natural sciences. The campus is also home to the UC Riverside Medical Center.
UC San Diego
UC San Diego is known for its programs in science, engineering, and medicine. The campus is also home to the UC San Diego Medical Center, one of the top-ranked hospitals in the United States.
UC San Francisco
UC San Francisco is unique among the UC campuses in that it is solely dedicated to graduate education in health and biomedical sciences. It is home to the UCSF Medical Center, one of the top-ranked hospitals in the United States.
UC Santa Barbara
UC Santa Barbara is known for its programs in engineering, environmental science, and the humanities. The campus is also home to the UC Santa Barbara Medical Center.
UC Santa Cruz
UC Santa Cruz is known for its programs in the arts, humanities, and social sciences. The campus is also home to the UC Santa Cruz Medical Center.
Research
The University of California is one of the world's leading research universities. UC researchers have won 62 Nobel Prizes, and UC campuses consistently rank highly in various national and international rankings.
Governance
The University of California is governed by a Board of Regents, which has "full powers of organization and governance" over the university. The board is composed of 26 members, including the university president, who has a vote.