Student resources – UCLA Physical Sciences

Physical Sciences’ students are the pioneers, the explorers, the doers,

they ask “what if?”

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The Physical Sciences are made up of Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences, Chemistry & Biochemistry, Earth, Planetary, & Space Sciences, Mathematics, Physics & Astronomy, and Statistics.

Join the curious.

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Departments

26

Majors

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New Student Welcome events

UCLA mathematics alumna Carmen Mercado (third from right) with first-year Physical Sciences students at the 2018 Welcome to Physical Sciences event reception

UCLA mathematics alumna Carmen Mercado (third from right) with first-year Physical Sciences students at the 2018 Welcome to Physical Sciences event reception

At the start of each academic year, Physical Sciences hosts a welcome event for all first-year (freshmen and transfer) students seeking to major in one of our departments. These events help new students begin to build a supportive network by bringing them together with faculty, alumni, graduate students, and older undergraduates.

2019 New Student Welcome

Click below for videos of these events featuring UCLA Physical Sciences alumni sharing their experiences and advice on being a student and pursuing a career in these sciences after graduation.

2018 New Student Welcome

2017 New Student Welcome

Events for Physical Sciences students

New Student Welcome Events

Throughout the summer, the Division of Physical Sciences will present small, online gatherings for incoming freshmen and transfer students to ask questions of current Physical Sciences undergrads, alumni, and faculty, and hear advice about making the most of being a student in the sciences at UCLA. Stay tuned for dates and sign-up information, and don’t forget to follow us on Instagram and Twitter!

Sunday November 1, 2020: Exploring Your Universe

Join UCLA Physical Sciences for a free day of science fun and exploration for the whole family. The 11th annual Exploring Your Universe festival will offer more than 65 booths of experiments, interactive activities, and chances to talk with UCLA scientists. There will also be short science talks, planetarium shows, and so much more! Click here for more information.

Student News

Climate Science student awarded UC President’s Award for Outstanding Student Leadership

Alex Arnold, a graduate student studying climate science was given this honor for her exceptional leadership in student mentorship and building pathways to STEM higher education for underrepresented students. She has been a huge part of the creation of Environmental Justice and First Nations, a inclusive academic collaboration with Navajo Technical University.

Arnold also takes a large part in both the Organization for Cultural Diversity in Science and the Center for Diverse Leadership in Science at UCLA. Janet Napolitano, the University of California President, chose Alex Arnold, along with one student from UCSD, for embodying what the UC system stands for: student activism and public service.

Click here to read more.

UCLA students touch space with a microgravity experiment

The Bruin Spacecraft Group, is a student group aiming to solve questions of space science and foster a community of space scientists at UCLA. The students used their passion and knowledge to create an efficient fluid pump without moving parts. This type of pump is ideal for moving various liquids on the International Space Station.

The students created a magnetic pump, with a weight of less than one pound, and tested it both on ground and in space. Their pump was aboard Blue Origin’s reusable rocket when it launched on May 9, making it the first space payload developed and built entirely by a UCLA student group.

Click here to read more.