Greetings from the UC Riverside College of Natural & Agricultural Sciences, also known as CNAS!
We invite you to use this page in the months ahead to get to know us better. From on-campus and virtual events to opportunities to interact with current students, faculty, and staff, you'll find that there's a lot to love about CNAS!
Who We Are
CNAS is home to world-renowned scholars pursuing research that deepens our knowledge of the universe we live in and improves the quality of life for inhabitants of the state, the nation, and the world. Central to this research is educating the students who come to CNAS to learn science, and who leave with an integrated grasp of how they can change the world. CNAS’s 13 departments encompass the life, physical, mathematical, and agricultural sciences. This structure encourages an extraordinary degree of collaboration, reflected in the interdisciplinary research centers and the many cooperatively taught degree programs. Modern science is team based, and CNAS embodies that principle in everything it teaches and practices. Our mission is to transform lives through discovery, communication, translation, application, and preservation of knowledge.
Learn MoreProspective Transfers
$97 million
Awarded in Contracts & Grants
6,734
Undergraduate Students
987
Faculty & Staff
947
Graduate Students
40+
Citrus Varieties Created
20+
Research Centers & Institutes
18
National Academies Members
3
National Academy of Inventors Members
#2
Entomology Program in the World
2
Nobel Prize Winners
Hear What Our Students Are Saying About CNAS...
genome modification of the glassy‐winged sharpshooter Homalodisca vitripennis (Germar). Glassy-winged sharpshooters(GWSS) cause diseases like Pierce's Disease in grapes and other plants it infests. This poses a significant threat to California's grape and wine industry, so we use CRISPR/Cas9 technology to help target genetic mutations in GWSS, advancing genetic control methods for these species as well as others."
CNAS Majors
CNAS undergraduates have access to 17 majors within 13 departments, with a total of 29 academic options or tracks. In addition to their coursework, more than half of CNAS undergraduates participate in research during their time at the College.
Maybe you're excited about exploring the world for yourself. Perhaps you're interested in CNAS because of the advantage it gives you for a career in one of the medical or health professions. Maybe you love math and science but aren't sure what direction in which to go, or you've already chose your major, but want to have some other experiences, too. No matter which description fits you best, the CNAS Advantage is for you!
CNAS Research
Click below to learn about just some of the fascinating research happening at CNAS today!
UCR Pre-Health Advising
The UCR pre-health advising program is dedicated to providing information, advising, and support for students who aspire to graduate/professional programs in the health professions and wish to enhance their academic and extracurricular preparation. Professional staff and peer mentors are available to guide students as they plan their pre-health professions coursework, health-related experiences, service work, and research in preparation for applying to programs.
In January 2025, the Health Professions Advising Center (HPAC) became the Pre-Professional Advising Center (PPAC), and will offer pre-law professions counseling in addition to pre-health advising to UCR students.
Getting to Know UCR - Season #2
We asked current CNAS Students some random icebreaker questions. Tune in to the Season #2 of the series (also available @UCRCNAS) to hear what they had to say!
Featured Faculty Video:
Sunil Kenchanmane Raju, Assistant Professor & Plant Geneticist
Sunil Kenchanmane Raju, Assistant Professor and Plant Geneticist in the Department of Botany and Plant Sciences at the UC Riverside College of Natural & Agricultural Sciences, discusses his lab, how crops respond to environmental challenges, and the importance of mentoring the next generation of scientists.
Learn More About CNAS Faculty Research!
Check out the videos below to learn more about what CNAS faculty are working on in their laboratories...
Take Your Seat Next To Scotty!
Our mascot, Scotty Highlander, can't wait to see you become a CNAS student...and neither can we!
An education at UC Riverside is more than attending class. It's joining a community where diversity equals vitality. Where support and empowerment lifts spirits and propels ideas forward. Here, you won't just answer problems. You'll be part of global solutions!
Ranked in the top 15 for best universities in the nation - and first for social mobility - UC Riverside has created a new model for what a great public research university can help you achieve!
Experience UC Riverside
Courtesy of our friends at The College Tour! Click "The College Tour" below to watch the whole episode, or select snippets of the UC Riverside experience!
