Choosing to attend graduate school is an important decision. Choosing what to study and where to study is as individual as you are. When reviewing your options weigh your career goals, academic interests and financial resources and consider all that UC Merced has to offer.

The small size of the UC Merced individualized graduate groups combined with UC Merced's interdisciplinary approach to learning will foster a unique foundation for students to explore the concepts and connections between related fields while they acquire mastery in their areas of specialization. The University encourages close working relationships between students and faculty in an informal atmosphere conducive to rapid learning and professional growth. UC Merced's graduate groups are built on a foundation of interdisciplinary partnerships that allow exploration of concepts.

Graduate education at UC Merced will be both national and international in scope and stature. Inside the classroom, UC Merced will offer unique research avenues specific to the population and geography of the San Joaquin Valley of California.

Outside the classroom, from the cultural diversity of the San Joaquin Valley to the ecological diversity of the Sierra and coastal mountains, the interior of California offers an abundance of unique living and learning opportunities. The interdependence of the Valley and the surrounding mountains with a backdrop of Yosemite National Park provides a natural laboratory for creating environmental sustainability in the presence of an expanding and diverse population. The 400-mile long San Joaquin Valley has marked its place on the world map by supplying one quarter of the food America consumes - long considered home to the greatest garden in the world. Be a part of the new and developing partnerships with the National Park Service at Yosemite and Sequoia/Kings Canyon Parks, the U.S. Geological Survey, and the Lawrence Livermore and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratories.

When considering the merits of various academic studies, consider becoming part of the newest campus in the University of California system, studying at the first research university of the 21 st Century and contributing to UC's historic commitment to teaching, research and public service.

University of California, Merced is unique in California and unique in the world.