UCLA Samueli School of Engineering

UCLA Samueli School of Engineering
Name	UCLA Samueli School of Engineering
Established	1945
Type	Public
Dean	Krisztina "Z" Holly
City	Los Angeles
State	California
Country	United States
Campus	Westwood
Students	~6,000

UCLA Samueli School of Engineering is the engineering school of the University of California, Los Angeles, offering undergraduate and graduate programs across traditional and emerging fields. The school participates in interdisciplinary collaborations with nearby institutions and industries, contributing to innovation ecosystems in Southern California and beyond through partnerships, patents, and entrepreneurship initiatives.

History

The school's origins trace to the early engineering courses at the University of California, Los Angeles, linked to milestones such as the post-World War II expansion and the growth of California's aerospace sector. Early decades involved collaborations with entities like Douglas Aircraft Company, Northrop Corporation, and Jet Propulsion Laboratory, while federal initiatives from agencies such as National Aeronautics and Space Administration and National Science Foundation influenced faculty recruitment and research foci. Philanthropic gifts and naming rights later connected with donors and foundations associated with the Samueli family and regional technology philanthropists, reflecting ties to corporations like Broadcom Corporation and startups across Silicon Beach and Silicon Valley. Throughout the late 20th century, the school expanded departments in response to developments in microelectronics tied to Intel Corporation, computer science trends linked to IBM, and telecommunications advances associated with AT&T and Qualcomm.

Academic programs

Programs span undergraduate degrees, professional masters, and doctoral programs in departments such as Bioengineering, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, and Materials Science and Engineering. Graduate training connects to professional certificates and Executive Education offered in collaboration with regional partners including Los Angeles County agencies, corporate partners like Google, and non-profit organizations such as the California Institute of Technology-adjacent networks. Cross-disciplinary offerings link students to initiatives with UCLA School of Medicine, Anderson School of Management, and arts programs at the School of the Arts and Architecture, enabling combined degrees and joint research supervision by faculty with affiliations to entities like Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and Argonne National Laboratory.

Research and institutes

The school hosts research centers and institutes that address topics ranging from photonics to robotics and sustainable infrastructure. Notable centers interface with national research priorities represented by the Department of Energy and the National Institutes of Health, and with industry consortia such as the Semiconductor Research Corporation. Institutes include programs focused on nanotechnology with links to IBM Research, renewable energy initiatives connected to Tesla, Inc.-adjacent projects, and artificial intelligence labs engaging with partners like Microsoft Research and OpenAI. Collaborative hubs bring together investigators who have received awards such as the National Medal of Technology and Innovation, Turing Award, and MacArthur Fellowship, and who hold memberships in the National Academy of Engineering and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Campus and facilities

Facilities occupy the Westwood campus, sharing proximity with landmarks like Royce Hall, Powell Library, and the UCLA Medical Center. Engineering-specific infrastructure includes cleanrooms, high-performance computing clusters co-located with regional supercomputing initiatives modeled after systems at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and fabrication facilities supporting partnerships with firms like Applied Materials and Lam Research. Student-centered spaces connect to campus resources such as the Student Activities Center and athletic venues including the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum for broader campus engagement. Recent capital projects were undertaken with support from trustees, alumni, and corporate donors including executives formerly at Hewlett-Packard and Broadcom.

Admissions and student life

Admissions for undergraduate and graduate applicants consider academic records, standardized assessments historically such as the SAT and professional portfolios, as well as research experience with faculty who have grants from agencies like the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and foundations such as the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. Student organizations include design teams that compete in events like the Formula SAE and collaborations in competitions sponsored by companies like SpaceX and Boeing. Career services connect students to internship pipelines with employers including Northrop Grumman, Rivian Automotive, Amazon, and venture incubators in Westwood Village and downtown Los Angeles. Campus life intersects with cultural institutions such as the Hammer Museum and community outreach programs with local school districts and municipal partners.

Notable faculty and alumni

Faculty and alumni have included awardees and leaders associated with honors like the Turing Award, National Medal of Science, and positions at organizations including NASA, Intel Corporation, Bell Labs, MIT, and Stanford University. Alumni have founded or led companies and labs such as YouTube-adjacent startups, semiconductor firms linked to Broadcom Corporation and Qualcomm, and biotechnology ventures with ties to Genentech and Amgen. Faculty have held fellowships from the MacArthur Foundation and memberships in the National Academy of Sciences and the IEEE. Many have participated in advisory roles for municipal and federal initiatives involving the City of Los Angeles and state agencies.

Category:University of California, Los Angeles