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| UC MERCED ADMISSIONS

EXPLORE YOUR OPTIONSIf you are one of about 700 students who enter UC Merced every year as a student who has not declared a major, fear not! Being undeclared is not a bad thing, and it is normal not to know what to dedicate your studies to. To this end, being an undeclared major provides a safe and open medium to explore your options and find which passion you wish to pursue. Many of the lower-division courses at UC Merced introduce new students to the wonders of the research or humanities world – courses like CORE, which offers students a taste of many different professions and study regions in one semester.

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UC MERCED ADMISSIONS | PAGE 3

SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES, HUMANITIES AND ARTS

35.2%

SCHOOL OF NATURAL SCIENCES 31.8%

SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING

UNDECLARED

20.1%

12.9%

CURRENT ENROLLMENT BY MAJOR

CHICANO/LATINO 46%

ASIAN 25%

WHITE 14%

AFRICAN-AMERICAN 6%

TWO OR MORE RACES 4%

NONRESIDENT ALIEN 4%

PACIFIC ISLANDER 0.5%

UNKNOWN 0.5%

UC MERCED STUDENT DIVERSITYWOMEN 52.2%

MEN 46.6%



Choosing a Major

It is a common pitfall to apply for a major that seems to lead you to a career with the highest earning potential, or the highest probability of

getting a job. However, the students who find the greatest success in school and in their lives after college, are those who chose majors based on subjects they are passionate about. Questions such as “What can this degree do for me?” should take a back seat to “What do I enjoy doing?” or “Which major interests me the most?” Often, interest in a particular field of study is motivation enough to achieve high academic standing within that major, which in turn leads to satisfying careers and overall happiness.

Majors and careers do not always have direct relationships, but it is not uncommon for people to pursue careers and lifestyles that align with

their majors. A major is just one facet of a person’s life an employer considers. Employers look for a combination of qualifications, evaluating job candidates on many factors, including attitude, related experience, achievements, extra-curricular involvement, leadership, communication abilities, and transferable and adaptive skills.

PAGE 4 | UC MERCED ADMISSIONS

ASK YOURSELF: WHO CAN I BECOME?


FIND YOUR CALLINGMajorsAnthropology (B.A.)

Applied Mathematical Sciences (B.S.)

Bioengineering (B.S.)

Biological Sciences (B.S.)

Chemical Sciences (B.S.)

Cognitive Science (B.A., B.S.)

Computer Science and Engineering (B.S.)

Earth Systems Science (B.S.)

Economics (B.A.)

English (B.A.)

Environmental Engineering (B.S.)

History (B.A.)

Management and Business Economics (B.S.)

Materials Science and Engineering (B.S.)

Mechanical Engineering (B.S.)

Physics (B.S.)

Political Science (B.A.)

Psychology (B.A.)

Public Health (B.A.)*

Sociology (B.A.)

Spanish (B.A.)

* Not open to transfer students until fall 2016

MinorsAmerican Studies

Anthropology

Applied Mathematical Sciences

Arts

Chemical Sciences

Chicano/a Studies

Cognitive Science

Economics

English

Environmental Science and Sustainability

History

Management

Natural Sciences Education

Philosophy

Physics

Political Science

Psychology

Public Health

Service Science

Sociology

Spanish

Writing



Special programs and research opportunities while at UC Merced

THINK OUTSIDE THE BOOKS

SCHOOL OF NATURAL SCIENCES

CalTeach/UC Science and Math InitiativeCenter for Computational BiologyCenter of Excellence for the Study of Health Disparities in Rural and Ethnic Underserved PopulationsGenome CenterHealth Sciences Research InstituteSierra Nevada Research InstituteLawrence Livermore National Laboratory collaboration

SCHOOL OF ENGINEERINGFoster Family Center for Engineering Service LearningInnovation and Design ClinicPathways to InnovationThe Stem Cell Instrumentation FoundryImaging and Microscopy Facility Sierra Nevada Research Institute Environmental Analytical LaboratoryLight Microscopy and Crystallography Modeling Center Mechanical Test Laboratory PG&E Service Learning Laboratory

SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES, HUMANITIES AND ARTS

Foreign LanguagesGlobal Arts Studies ProgramMedia Arts Technique ProgramWorld Heritage


Professor Jennifer Lu is one of the first three faculty

members to establish the Materials Science and

Engineering discipline at UC Merced. Her research is focused on molecular design, rational synthesis, and performance characterization of materials that enable energy conversion and storage. This area is key to a wide variety of

applications in life science, energy and machine intelligence.

Her research group has consistently published in high-

impact journals. Lu teaches popular undergraduate courses,

including Introduction to Nanoscience and Nanotechology

and Nanofabrication. She is a recipient of the Defense

Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Young

Investigator award. She was an invited participant in

the Frontiers of Science and Engineering workshop co-

sponsored by the National Academy of Engineering and the

National Academy of Science. Before joining UC Merced,

she acquired a decade of industry experience at IBM and

Agilent Technologies. She holds 18 patents related to semiconducting device fabrication and measurement-instrument design.

FACULTY PROFILE JENNIFER LUPROFESSOR SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING

Ph.D., University of Michigan



Professor Spivey’s cognitive science lab studies how

people combine what they see with what they hear.

By continuously recording eye movements and computer-mouse movements, Spivey’s lab finds evidence supporting the claim that different brain systems (for language and for vision) interact with one another on a millisecond timescale. The work has resulted in

a dynamical-systems account of how the human mind

smoothly and gradually travels from one mental state

to the next mental state, recounted in Spivey’s 2007

book, “The Continuity of Mind.” Spivey is the recipient

of multiple teaching awards, UC Merced’s Distinction

in Research award and Sigma Xi’s William Procter Prize

for Scientific Achievement.

FACULTY PROFILE

MICHAEL J. SPIVEYPROFESSOR SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES, HUMANITIES AND ARTS

Ph.D., University of Rochester



CAROLIN FRANKASSISTANT PROFESSOR SCHOOL OF NATURAL SCIENCES

Ph.D., Uppsala University, Sweden

Professor Frank and her students work on bacteria

called endophytes that live inside plants. Just like

humans and other animals, plants are colonized

by bacteria that are essential to plant health, but

almost nothing is known about endophytic bacteria

in natural ecosystems. Frank’s students use DNA

sequencing and genome analysis to study this

endophytic “dark matter” in plants — particularly

conifers — in the nearby Sierra Nevada and in other

high-elevation ecosystems across the Western

U.S. They have recently discovered what appears

to be a previously unknown kind of symbiosis

between pines and bacteria that fix atmospheric

nitrogen. The research has the potential to radically change our perspective on how some plants acquire nitrogen, and also our understanding of the terrestrial nitrogen cycle.

FACULTY PROFILE

UC MERCED ADMISSIONS | PAGE 9UC MERCED ADMISSIONS | PAGE 9


“The reason I love Merced correlates with a quote by Helen Keller: ‘Walking with a friend in

the dark is better than walking alone in the light.’ HERE AT UC MERCED, I AM NEVER ALONE – I always have friends and mentors to help me find my way. I really appreciate this

aspect of my school.”

STUDENT PROFILE

LIHAI LIN HOMETOWN: Manila, Philippines

YEAR: Freshman

MAJOR: Undeclared (pursuing Management and Business Economics, and Psychology)

WHY YOU ARE INTERESTED IN THESE MAJORS: At a young age, I was exposed to business and finance. This is the reason I chose Management and Business Economics. I also have an interest in psychology, as I believe that it relates with my other major.

ACTIVITIES/ORGANIZATIONS: Alpha Kappa Psi fraternity, campus tour guide, UNICEF

PLANS FOR AFTER GRADUATION: Following graduation, I am looking to start up my own business.



HOMETOWN:

Valencia, Calif.

YEAR:

Junior

MAJORS:

Economics and Public Health

MINOR:

Psychology

KENNETH PUNO

STUDENT PROFILE “I chose UC Merced

because it was the only

school where I felt I could

achieve greatness while

also staying true to myself.

OUR UNIVERSITY DOES A FANTASTIC JOB OF HELPING YOU TO ACHIEVE GREATNESS, from

studying abroad or finding

a fantastic internship to

working on research with

well-respected professors.

UC Merced is there to

make sure you are given

the same opportunities as

any other UC student.”


WHY DID YOU CHOOSE YOUR MAJOR? I came to this school as undeclared, but after taking a couple of intro classes, I became really interested in many different fields. I am very glad I was able to major in subjects that spark my interest.

ACTIVITIES/ORGANIZATIONS: Recreation attendant at the Joseph Edward Gallo Recreation and Wellness Center; internship with the city of Merced Department of Planning; member of the Pilipino American Alliance; member of the Delta Sigma Pi fraternity; member of Colleges Against Cancer

PLANS FOR AFTER GRADUATION: I hope to attend a graduate school that allows me to receive concurrently a juris doctorate degree and a master’s degree in Public Health.

COME VISIT UC MERCED AND FIND OUT WHAT MAKES OUR CAMPUS SO SPECIAL. Schedule a tour online at admissions.ucmerced.edu/tours, or call us to arrange a guided tour of the campus any weekday and on

most Saturdays during the year. Visiting UC Merced will give you first-hand knowledge of our academics, housing and student life.

PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER

Office of Admissions209-228-7178

[email protected]

admissions.ucmerced.edu

School of Engineering209-228-4411 engineering.ucmerced.edu

School of Natural Sciences209-228-4309 naturalsciences.ucmerced.edu

School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts209-228-7742 ssha.ucmerced.edu

Tours209-228-6316

[email protected]

Take a virtual tour at admissions.ucmerced.edu/virtualtour

UC Merced Office of Admissions5200 N. Lake Road | Merced, CA 95343

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