Graduate Programs

The Bioengineering graduate program at UC Merced offers individualized research-based programs of study in synergistic areas of Bioengineering, leading to the Master of Science or Doctor of Philosophy degree. Our emphasis focuses on the cellular and biomolecular aspects of Bioengineering in which our faculty has strong and vibrant research programs that enjoy national and international recognition, and in which graduate students will enjoy the unique opportunity to train in the most recent advances of this exciting area. Research projects are available on topics ranging from the more molecular aspects to studies at the cellular and organismal levels, as well as on the development of novel imaging and instrumentation techniques for biomedical research and diagnosis.

Graduate studies in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) offer individualized, strongly research-oriented courses of study. The EECS graduate emphasis area is organized to allow students to pursue cutting-edge research in modern fields of electrical engineering and computer science, emphasizing research and preparing students for leadership positions in industrial labs, government, or academia. Master of Science (M.S.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees with emphases in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science are offered. The EECS graduate emphasis area is highly cross-disciplinary with connections to faculty from all three schools at UC Merced. In particular, strong collaborations with the graduate programs in environmental engineering and cognitive sciences are possible.

The Environmental Systems graduate program trains students to tackle the most challenging problems facing our planet -- water, soil, climate, energy and resources. Through understanding the Earth as an integrated system of atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere and biosphere that intersects human society, ES students are uniquely poised to address critical research needs of the environment and its sustainability. Graduates are prepared for careers in academia, research, government and industry that integrate expertise from across engineering, natural sciences and social sciences.

The Materials and Biomaterials Science and Engineering (MBSE) graduate group offers a multidisciplinary research and training program for doctoral (prioritized) and master-level students at the forefront of the modern revolutions in materials science technology. We have organized our research areas into three emphases: Materials for Sustainability, Materials for Biomedicine, Materials and interfaces for Tailored Functionalities.

Mechanical Engineering is dedicated to the education of a new generation of mechanicists and researchers who aim to master the fundamentals of the mechanical sciences — including disciplines such as continuum mechanics, fluid mechanics, heat and mass transfer and energy conversion — while being exposed to the forefront of research techniques, methodologies and equipment to solve problems that are relevant to modern society, such as green energy, mechanical modeling and synthesis, robotics and mechatronics, control systems and more.

The Master of Management (M.M.) 12-month program offered by MIST faculty ;will provide students with fluency in managerial thinking and practice, enhancing their readiness to fit and succeed in an organization within the private or public sector. The M.M. curriculum is designed for recent graduates looking to complement their undergraduate degree with real-world management knowledge and skills and draws on concepts from business, engineering, natural and social sciences, computing, and data analytics.The MIST Ph.D. in Management of Complex Systems (MCS) is designed to educate a new generation of management scholars with depth in analytical methods and a focus on complexity as the driving force behind issues in management of human-technology systems and in management of coupled human-natural systems.

The MIST Ph.D. in Management of Complex Systems (MCS) is designed to educate a new generation of management scholars with depth in analytical methods and a focus on complexity as the driving force behind issues in management of human-technology systems and in management of coupled human-natural systems.The program draws upon the multidisciplinary composition of MIST faculty and the interdisciplinary spirit of UC Merced to deliver a distinctive educational experience – one that provides students the flexibility to cross-breed coursework and mentorship with other domains of engineering, science, and social science. Likewise, the program does not require prospective students to have any particular undergraduate degree.