University of California

The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley) is a public research university located in Berkeley, California, United States. Founded in 1868 and named after the Anglo-Irish philosopher George Berkeley, it is the first land-grant university in the state and serves as the original campus of the University of California system, accommodating over 45,000 students.

University of California: Highlights

The university organizes approximately fifteen schools of study on a single campus, including the College of Chemistry, the College of Engineering, the College of Letters and Science, and the Haas School of Business.

The university is a significant, primarily residential research university, focusing primarily on undergraduate education while also offering a comprehensive doctoral program. It has been accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior College and University Commission since 1949.

The academic structure includes 1,789 full-time and 886 part-time faculty members, organized into fifteen colleges and schools, which include 180 departments and 80 interdisciplinary units that offer more than 350 degree programs.

Given Berkeley's STEM education, there are a variety of student-run engineering teams that focus on winning design and engineering competitions. Berkeley has two major amateur rocketry teams: Space Enterprise at Berkeley (SEB) and Space Technologies and Rocketry (STAR). Both have launched solid-fueled sounding rockets and are currently developing liquid propellant rockets.

The university also has two Formula SAE teams: Berkeley Formula Racing and Formula Electric Berkeley. Both of these teams participate in Formula SAE powered competitions, with the first team focusing on internal combustion engines and the second team on electric motors. Berkeley has several other vehicle teams, including CalSol, CalSMV, and Human Powered Vehicles.