University of California, Riverside

Overview

The University of California, Riverside (UCR), is a public research university located in California's “Inland Empire” metropolitan area. UCR is best known for its pioneering research and contributions to California's citrus industry, particularly in citrus diversity and biological pest control.

The university currently offers bachelor's, master's, and doctoral programs through its colleges and schools, which include the College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences (one of the university's first colleges), the Bourns College of Engineering, and the College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences. UCR is the only University of California campus to offer bachelor's degrees in Public Policy and Creative Writing and it was also the first university in the United States to offer a doctoral program in dance theory. In addition to these courses, UCR offers professional certificate programs through UCR Extension.

UCR started out as the University of California’s Citrus Experiment Station, established in 1907 for research in fertilization and crop improvement for citrus, then Southern California's primary agricultural export. By the 1950s, a liberal arts college had also been established at the station's site, as a result of lobbying from citrus growers and civic leaders. To accommodate the growing California population at the time, the site was officially designated as a general university campus in 1959. The university expanded with a branch campus in 2001, establishing the Richard J. Heckmann International Center for Entrepreneurial Management in Palm Desert.

Staying true to its beginnings as a center for experimentation, UCR remains focused on advanced research, with most of its research activities concentrated in agricultural science. Researchers at the university have made significant contributions to California's citrus industry throughout history, developing new citrus varieties and modern techniques for pest control.

Undergraduates and graduate students at UCR are also given opportunities to pursue research in fields other than agricultural science. The university is home to specialized research centers and facilities, including the High-Performance Computing Center, the Central Facility for Advanced Microscopy and Microanalysis, and the University of California Institute for Mexico and the United States. Students can also participate in activities such as internships, fieldwork, and symposia that support interdisciplinary research.

Aside from its high research activity, UCR is known for its diversity and inclusivity. The university has been ranked as one of the most ethnically diverse universities in the U.S. and also has one of the most economically diverse students in the country, with most of its undergraduate students receiving financial aid. Notably, UCR was also the first public university campus in the country to offer gender-neutral housing options to its student body.