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The University of California Los Angeles is one of the top universities in the world, currently ranked 4th by the High Impact Universities rankings, 11th by the Times Higher Education World University Rankings, and 13th by the Academic Ranking of World Universities. It is a public research university, founded in 1919, as the second oldest of the ten campuses affiliated with the University of California system.

The institution particularly prides itself with strengths in liberal arts and sciences, together with research, as a result of which it has earned a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa and a membership in the Association of American Universities. Furthermore, UCLA has a very strong Olympic Games tradition – such that few institutions can beat. A UCLA student has won a medal in every Olympics since 1932 (except 1980, when they were boycotting), while the total number of Olympic medals won is 214.

The university can offer over 300 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in a wide array of subject areas, enrolling about 26,000 undergraduate and about 11,000 graduate students from both the United States and around the world. There are fourteen Nobel Prize laureates who are associated with the university as either researchers, faculty, or alumni. At the same time, 40 of the current faculty members have been elected to the National Academy of Sciences, 21 to the National Academy of Engineering, 34 to the Institute of Medicine, and 105 to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

To end with, the university has proved to have a major influence on the Los Angeles economy. It has been estimated that UCLA is the fourth largest employer in the county, and the seventh largest in the region.

The University of California Los Angeles provides to students excellent facilities, meeting both academic, cultural and sporting needs. Lecture halls are fully equipped with microphones, projectors, and so on; overall the environment is light, friendly and convenient, while the campus museum is a great facility, providing all kinds of exhibitions.

There is the Powell Library, and a few other multi-story research libraries, some of which are under renovation. Royce Hall is the place where students have the opportunity to enjoy music, theatre, and other performances at student prices; Ackerman Union, on the other hand, is a multi-story facility where you can get fast food, buy textbooks, and shop essentials. Grand Salon is the place where one can catch student-produced standup comedy or open mic sessions. There is also a planetarium on top of the Math and Science Building, where telescopes are free and open to the public; a modern Student Activities Building, where you can get support of how to get involved in some of the student clubs and visit the Testing Bank to practice for an upcoming exam.

As far as sports are concerned, there are small athletic centers for each dorm, combined with a larger one, fully equipped to meet all needs, for which reason no queues for the machines are formed.

The University of California Los Angeles campus is close to the San Diego Freeway, and encompasses 163 buildings, spread across 1.7 km2. There are all kinds of sculpture gardens, fountains, museums, and a mix of architectural styles on the university’s campus. Moreover, the school describes the campus as ‘a cultural magnet for the entire Southern California region’. There are UCLA Live Performances, crowding Royce Hall; there is also the Hammer museum, showcasing emerging artists; the Film & Television Archive, screening new, classic and international films in the Billy Wilder Theater; and the Fowler museum, exploring global arts and cultures.

The campus’ informal division is such of North Campus and South Campus. North campus is where arts, humanities, social sciences, law, and business programs flourish, and it represents the initial campus core. For this reason buildings there are more old-fashioned and traditional. This is also where the sycamore-lined Dickson Court is placed. As far as South Campus is concerned, it accommodates the physical sciences, life sciences, engineering, psychology, mathematical sciences, all health-related fields, and the UCLA Medical Center.

Other central buildings within the campus are Ackerman Union, the John Wooden Center, the Arthur Ashe Health and Wellness Center, the Student Activities Center, Kerckhoff Hall, the J.D. Morgan Center, the James West Alumni Center, and Pauley Pavilion. There is also Bruin Walk, a pedestrian pathway going straight through the campus.

Finally, a curious fact is that with its close location to Hollywood, the UCLA campus has been the filming location to various movies. Some examples are the 1985 film Gotcha!, John Singleton's Higher Learning (1995), Legally Blonde, "Old School", "The Nutty Professor", Erin Brockovich, "How High" (2001), and American Pie 2. In January 2009, the Bollywood movie My Name is Khan was also shot at UCLA.

All Programs Available:
  • Architecture, Building and Landscape
    • Architecture
  • Arts, Design and Crafts
    • Music
    • Theatre
    • Performing Arts
    • Dance
    • Arts
    • Art Studies
    • Design
    • Ethnomusicology
  • Business
    • Management
    • Business Economics
  • Communications
    • Communications
    • Cinema/Film Studies
    • Radio/TV/Video
  • Computing
    • Bioinformatics
  • Economics
    • Economics
  • Education
    • Education
    • Special Education
    • Teaching English as a Second Language
  • Engineering
    • Engineering Science
    • Aerospace Engineering
    • Biomedical Engineering
    • Electrical Engineering
    • Mechanical Engineering
    • Civil Engineering
    • Chemical Engineering
    • Computer Engineering
    • Materials Engineering
    • Bioengineering
    • Manufacturing Engineering
    • Geological Engineering
    • Biomolecular Engineering
  • Health
    • Nursing
    • Pharmacology
    • Medicine
    • Health Occupations
    • Dentistry
    • Neuroscience
    • Microbiology
    • Epidemiology and Public Health Unit
    • Immunology
    • Community Medicine
    • Pathology
    • Neurobiology
    • Environmental Health
    • Dental Surgery
    • Oral Biology
    • Preventive Medicine
  • Human Studies and Services
    • Cognitive Studies
  • Humanities
    • History
    • Art History
    • Philosophy
    • Near Eastern Studies
    • Religious Studies
    • International Studies
    • Classical Civilization and Hellenic Studies
    • Comparative Literature
    • Applied Philosophy
  • Law
    • Law
  • Philology, Languages, Literature
    • Philology and Linguistics
    • African Languages
    • French Language and Literature (in Universities)
    • German language and literature (in Universities)
    • Italian Language and Literature (in Universities)
    • Classics
    • Russian Language and Literature (in Universities)
    • Spanish Language and Literature (in Universities)
    • English Language and Literature (in Universities)
    • Chinese Language and Literature (in Universities)
    • American Language and Literature (in Universities)
    • Greek Language and Literature (in Universities)
    • Asian Languages
    • Applied Linguistics
    • Portuguese Language and Literature
    • Hebrew Language
    • Japanese Language and Culture (in Universities)
    • Korean Language and Culture (in Universities)
    • Latin
    • East European Studies
    • Slavic Studies
    • Asian American Studies
    • Indo-European Studies
    • North African Studies
    • Iranian Studies
  • Public Administration and Services
    • Public Administration/Management
    • Urban Studies and Planning
    • Public Policy
    • Social Welfare
    • Public Affairs
    • Public Health
    • Sustainable Development
  • Sciences
    • Biology
    • Environmental Studies
    • Political Science
    • Physics
    • Geography
    • Geology
    • Mathematics
    • Psychology
    • Chemistry
    • Sociology
    • Library Science and Documentation
    • Archeology
    • Ecology
    • Anthropology
    • Astronomy
    • Biochemistry
    • Materials Science
    • Computer Science
    • Oceanography
    • Statistics
    • Physiology
    • Applied Science
    • Nanoscience
    • Molecular and Cellular Biology
    • Biophysics
    • Marine Biology
    • Computational Mathematical Sciences
    • Biological Chemistry
    • Information Science
    • Applied Mathematics
    • Atmospheric Science
    • Astrophysics
    • Earth Sciences
    • Conservation
    • Space Science
    • Geophysics
    • Geochemistry
    • Biostatistics
    • Space Physics
    • Psychobiology
    • Behavioral Sciences
    • Computational Biology
    • Biomedical Physics
    • Biomathematics
    • Applied Geophysics
    • Molecular Genetics
    • Human Genetics
    • Molecular Toxicology
  • Social and Cultural studies
    • African Studies
    • European Studies
    • Latin American Studies
    • American Indian Studies
    • Global Studies
    • Women’s Studies
    • East Asian Studies
    • Islamic History and Culture
    • South and South East Asian Studies
    • Jewish Studies
    • Middle Eastern Studies
    • Scandinavian Languages
    • Afro-American Studies
    • Arabic Studies
  • Technology
    • Digital Technology
Language of instruction

English

Type of school

Public University

Telephone

(310) 825-4995

Location

International Education Office, B300 Murphy Hall, Los Angeles, CA, The United States, 90095

More information about Academic Programs

The university is organized into five undergraduate colleges, seven professional schools, and five professional Health Science schools. Here is a list of colleges and schools:

  • School of the Arts and Architecture
  • School of Dentistry
  • Graduate School of Education and Information Studies
  • School of Engineering and Applied Science
  • School of Law
  • College of Letters and Science
  • John E. Anderson Graduate School of Management
  • School of Medicine
  • School of Nursing
  • School of Public Health
  • School of Public Policy and Social Research
  • School of Theater, Film, and Television

The institution particularly emphasizes on interdisciplinary teaching and research, which it considers a major strength. There have been various projects in the arts, stem cells and other biosciences, nanoscience, international studies and the environment. Furthermore, 91% of students succeed and proceed during the four years of their study.

Admission Requirements

UCLA is an extremely competitive university, receiving applications from a much greater number of students than it can admit. Not surprisingly, it is rated "Most Selective" by the Princeton Review, with an admissions selectivity rating of 98.  For this reason, you should be prepared to present a very strong academic profile, and these minimum admission requirements are just guidelines:

There are the "a–g" subject requirements, which serve as a representation of the 15 minimum academic preparatory courses that freshman applicants must have to be eligible for admission to the University of California. Applicants must complete 11 of the 15 "a–g" requirements by the end of their junior year.

a) History/Social Science - Two years of history/social science are required, and must include one year of world history, cultures, and geography; U.S. history is also included in this requirement

b) English – four years, including classic and modern literature

c) Mathematics – minimum three years, but four are recommended

d) Laboratory Science – two years required, but three are recommended – sound knowledge in at least two of the subjects biology, chemistry, and physics

e) Another Language – two years required, three are recommended; good speaking and writing skills should have been gained during such courses

f) Visual and Performing arts – 1 year required in dance, drama, theatre, music or visual art.

g) College Preparatory Electives – one year in addition to the above listed requirements

Finally, students need to submit scores in SAT Reasoning Test or ACT with Writing in mathematics, language arts, and writing. Test scores have to be sent directly to the university.

As far as international students are concerned, they can also join the university both as freshman and as transfer students. An additional requirement is that they have to take two SAT Subject Tests in two different subject areas of the following: English, history and social studies, mathematics, science or languages. These should be set no later than December in the year prior to entry. The minimum accepted score for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is 550 for the paper-based test and varies by campus for the Internet-based test, ranging from 79 to 83. The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) examination is accepted with a 7 or better band score (academic modules).

Financial Aid

UCLA provides very little if any financial support to international students. On the contrary, it particularly stresses that international students should be very well equipped financially in order to take a place at the university and support themselves throughout their education.

These are the estimated costs provided to students:

  • Tuition and Fees $34,164
  • Books and Supplies $1,565
  • Living (Room and Board) $12,980
  • Personal/Transportation $2,575
  • Health Insurance Allowance/Fee $1,046
  • Total Average Estimated Costs $52,330

As far as US students are concerned, grants, scholarships, loans, and student employment options are offered.

Housing

Housing is ensured for over 10,000 undergraduate and 2,900 graduate students at UCLA. ‘The Hill’ is where a great number of the undergraduate students are housed, and encompasses 14 complexes.

An important point is that freshmen students admitted for Fall Quarter 2011 are guaranteed three consecutive years of on-campus single student housing if they meet the following requirements:

  • The student has submitted their application and non-refundable fee by the deadline.
  • The student has submitted their Statement of Intent to Register on time.
  • All required housing payments are made by the deadlines.
  • The student agrees to the housing contract, terms and conditions.

Most undergraduate students are housed in 14 complexes on the western side of the campus, referred to by students as "The Hill". Living options vary from halls, suites, plazas, to apartments, which offers different levels of privacy and price. On top of that, the dining facilities provided by the university have been ranked by the Princeton Review as some of the best in the United States.

When filling in your application for housing, you should keep in mind that the life preferences section is an extremely important one because, based on your answers, a roommate will be assigned to you. Housing facilities also cater for students with disabilities.

For graduate students, there are five apartment complexes, constructed for their needs. These also vary in privacy and pricing. Last but not least, the Student Housing Master Plan has been released in October 2007. It includes plans to refurbish residence halls, expanding facilities to allow for four years of guaranteed housing for freshmen.

The university operates a sustainable transportation program. There is a campus shuttle, called BruinBus, together with vanpools, discounted carpool permits, and subsidized transit passes. BruinGO is one of the programs, giving the opportunity to students and staff members to purchase discounted one-way or quarterly passes to ride Santa Monica's Big Blue Bus and Culver City's Culver CityBus. There are also a few metro lines that serve the campus.

Services and Activities

Activities offered outside of class schedule are diverse and interesting. There are over 600 campus clubs and organizations, on top of classical orchestras, intramural sports, recreation classes, outdoor adventures, and so on.

Some of the organizations and clubs available are Bruin Leaders, Community Service, Dance Marathon, Fraternities and Sororities, which actually represent 13% of the student population; Spirit Squad – for which you can audition while you are still at high school; Student Government – governed by a student majority board of directors; Student Groups, and an Alumni Organization.

Sports and recreation activities are also diverse with an intramural sports program, consisting of 30 leagues, tournaments, meets, and special events with more than 8000 participants each year. On top of a huge number of club sports and aquatics, adaptive programs are offered to people with cognitive and physical disabilities with the aim to enhance physical fitness, health and wellness, achieve increased self-esteem, and greater functional independence.

Outdoor adventures include a Challenge Course and Wilderness outings, while recreational classes include arts, dance, fitness, water aerobics, yoga, martial arts, and many more. Another point worth mentioning is that UCLA also operates a waterfront facility known as the UCLA Marina Aquatic Center in Marina del Rey, where students and staff participate in dinghy sailing, surfing, windsurfing, rowing, and kayaking.

Not to forget campus events, including a Dalai Lama visit, on top of the regular sports happenings, lectures, shows, and concerts.

Activities offered outside of class schedule are diverse and interesting. There are over 600 campus clubs and organizations, on top of classical orchestras, intramural sports, recreation classes, outdoor adventures, and so on.

Some of the organizations and clubs available are Bruin Leaders, Community Service, Dance Marathon, Fraternities and Sororities, which actually represent 13% of the student population; Spirit Squad – for which you can audition while you are still at high school; Student Government – governed by a student majority board of directors; Student Groups, and an Alumni Organization.

Sports and recreation activities are also diverse with an intramural sports program, consisting of 30 leagues, tournaments, meets, and special events with more than 8000 participants each year. On top of a huge number of club sports and aquatics, adaptive programs are offered to people with cognitive and physical disabilities with the aim to enhance physical fitness, health and wellness, achieve increased self-esteem, and greater functional independence.

Outdoor adventures include a Challenge Course and Wilderness outings, while recreational classes include arts, dance, fitness, water aerobics, yoga, martial arts, and many more. Another point worth mentioning is that UCLA also operates a waterfront facility known as the UCLA Marina Aquatic Center in Marina del Rey, where students and staff participate in dinghy sailing, surfing, windsurfing, rowing, and kayaking.

Not to forget campus events, including a Dalai Lama visit, on top of the regular sports happenings, lectures, shows, and concerts.

As you can imagine, LA definitely has a lot to offer in terms of off-campus life. The beach is close and is a popular destination among students. Local museums, theaters, or other entertainment venues are another option for those wishing to get some ‘fresh air’ outside of campus. Popular places are the J. Paul Getty Museum, showcasing some very impressive collections; Madame Tussauds Hollywood; Universal Studios Hollywood; Griffith Park – one of the largest urban parks in the world; Walt Disney Concert Hall, which is considered to be one of the most acoustically sophisticated in the world, together with many other museums and places to visit and have fun.

Another thing you can do is explore the cuisine, which is considered to be one of the many strengths the city has. Places to eat are extremely diverse, and there is a constantly growing number of Middle Eastern, Spanish, Thai, and Mediterranean restaurants. It is not surprising that nightlife is amazing, too, with trendy clubs and bars, packed every night of the week.


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