Discoveries Today for a Better Tomorrow
In 1960, the first students to enroll at the newest University of California campus, in San Diego, were graduate students in physics. The first professors, whose names mark our historical buildings, included Nobel Prize winners who were at the forefront of scientific research and inquiry. Today, our graduate programs are ranked in the top 20 nationally, and nearly all of the university’s undergraduate students take our courses as part of their general education requirements.
In the departments of Astronomy & Astrophysics, Chemistry, Biochemistry & Molecular Biophysics, Mathematics and Physics, we build on UC San Diego’s tradition of interdisciplinary collaboration to conduct groundbreaking, impactful research — and to attract distinguished faculty and an exceptional student body.
Our Faculty
More than 180 faculty scholars • Recognitions include the Nobel Prize, Fields Medal and Breakthrough Prize, with memberships in the National Academy of Sciences, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, American Association for the Advancement of Science and more.
Academics
More than 500 graduate students • More than 4,000 undergraduates • Nearly 75,000 student enrollments in physical sciences undergraduate courses each year
Our History
Nobel laureates, astronauts, density functional theory, green fluorescent proteins, the Manhattan Project and more. We put a lot of science into the last 60 years.
School of Physical Sciences
