Land Acknowledgment
The land on which we gather is the unceded territory of the Awaswas-speaking Uypi Tribe. The Amah Mutsun Tribal Band, comprised of the descendants of indigenous people taken to missions Santa Cruz and San Juan Bautista during Spanish colonization of the Central Coast, is today working hard to restore traditional stewardship practices on these lands and heal from historical trauma.
UC Santa Cruz offers terminal graduate degrees (master’s and doctoral) from 48 programs. The programs reside in and are administered by five academic divisions—Arts, the Baskin School of Engineering, Humanities, Physical and Biological Sciences, and Social Sciences; however, UC Santa Cruz supports and encourages interdisciplinarity and multidisciplinary and independent design of doctor’s degrees by graduate students. Learn more about UCSC graduate programs and degrees and how to apply to programs and find in-depth information by visiting the academic division websites and pages about their programs and graduate degrees:
Considered one of the most beautiful universities in the world, UC Santa Cruz is nestled among redwoods and meadows on a 2,000-acre parcel overlooking the seaside resort town of Santa Cruz. Many students commute to campus by bike and enjoy the area’s beaches, mountains, redwood forests, and cultural and recreational activities. Coastal access is a major perk for UC Santa Cruz students, not only for recreation but for research purposes. The Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary is just minutes away from campus, and the new Coastal Science Campus allows for expansion of programs in physiology, evolution, coastal sustainability and policy, just steps away from the Pacific Ocean.
A member of the new Alliance of Hispanic Serving Research Universities, UC Santa Cruz is one of only two institutions in the nation recognized as a Hispanic Serving Institution, an Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institution, and member of the Association of American Universities.
Faculty honors include the National Medal of Science, Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences, Benjamin Franklin Medal in Electrical Engineering, Darwin-Wallace Medal, Urey Prize in Planetary Science, Kavli Prize in Astrophysics, Weldon Memorial Prize, and Bower Award and Prize for Achievement in Science.
Graduate students are consistently recognized for their contributions to research, discoveries, and innovations in their work at UC Santa Cruz and in collaboration with other universities. The graduate programs at UC Santa Cruz encourage close working relationships among students and faculty in an atmosphere conducive to rapid learning and professional growth. State-of-the-art facilities and outstanding faculty engage graduate students in research and scholarly discovery, producing influential results with impact on global scholarship and inquiry.
Completing a research project before you apply to graduate school can help you be a competitive applicant. You don't have to be a UC Santa Cruz student to take advantage of the campus's programs.
Undergraduate research opportunities
Summer research opportunities
UC Santa Cruz Division of Graduate Studies
Graduate studies contact:
gradadm@ucsc.edu
(831) 459-5905
