The University of California Merced (UC Merced) is the newest campus in the University of California and the first American research university of the 21st century.
The University of California Merced continually strives for excellence in carrying out the university's mission of teaching, research, and public service, benefiting society by discovering and transmitting new knowledge and functioning as an active repository of organized knowledge. As a key tenet in carrying out this mission, the University of California Merced promotes and celebrates all community members' diversity.
A research university is a community bound by learning, discovery, and engagement. As the first American student-centered research university built in the 21st century, The University of California Merced's strong graduate and research programs mesh with high-quality undergraduate programs. New knowledge increasingly depends on links among the disciplines, working together on questions that transcend the traditional disciplines. The institution fosters and encourages cross-disciplinary inquiry and discovery.
Interdisciplinary practice in research nourishes undergraduate learning, building a foundation in connecting the ways that academic disciplines understand and grapple with society's problems. The University of California Merced undergraduates experiences education inside and outside the classroom, applying what they learn through undergraduate research, service learning, and leadership development.