UC Merced Accepting Graduate Student Applications

MERCED, CA — UC Merced, the 10^th campus of the prestigious University of California system and the first major American research university to be built in the 21st century, is currently accepting applications for graduate students to enroll as the campus' first students for the fall 2004 semester.

“The initial class of graduate students at the University of California, Merced will find a special opportunity to work in close association with the founding faculty in a collegial, multidisciplinary setting,” said Vice Chancellor for Research and Dean of Graduate Studies Keith Alley. “They will gain the knowledge and expertise that are hallmarks of a UC graduate degree while being pioneers as our first students.”

Facilities will be equipped with state-of-the-art technology, and a curriculum tied to the process of discovery will include an unusual amount of personal interaction with faculty mentors. Graduate students frequently will be able to work in multidisciplinary clusters with their mentors and other faculty, truly sharing in their achievements and discoveries.

Graduate education at UC Merced is organized around multi-disciplinary graduate groups that will emphasize a highly interdisciplinary approach to solving society's major problems. The faculties of the three current schools have committed to work together to provide course offerings and research experiences that transcend disciplinary boundaries and attack important real-world issues.

The initial three programs of graduate study include: environmental systems; quantitative and systems biology; and molecular science and engineering.

UC Merced has partnerships with Yosemite and Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, which will allow research to be conducted in protected National Forests and Parks. Through this exceptional relationship, graduate students will be able to study natural resources that are otherwise inaccessible. Students can also capitalize on the abundant resources at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and benefit from the campus' strong business connections throughout the San Joaquin Valley.