University of California-Riverside Reviews

  • 70 Reviews
  • Riverside (CA)
  • Annual Tuition: $43,946
87% of 70 students said this degree improved their career prospects
80% of 70 students said they would recommend this school to others
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Student & Graduate Reviews

Anonymous
  • Reviewed: 7/19/2013
  • Degree: History
"Tell us about your college experience.College definitely taught me how to think critically and write at an above average level, however in the last year I started to stress over future employment. I decided to go to graduate school afterwards so I can hopefully obtain a job in my field of history.Would you get the same degree if you could start over?Sometimes I think I would not because it is not an in demand degree, but then I think about what college is really about and I have no regrets.What advice can you offer other students?Follow what you are passionate about, any degree from a decent university will open up opportunities that you wouldn't have had otherwise. If you really hate what you're studying, you probably won't enjoy the job that comes afterwards."
Anonymous
  • Reviewed: 7/19/2013
  • Degree: Computer Science
"Tell us about your college experience.I felt like I had an average time at my school. It was tough at first to make friends and to acclimate to the new environment. Overall, I believe I got a good value, and a decent experience, but things could also have been much better.Would you get the same degree if you could start over?I would choose the same degree as I believe it is very valuable and it is one of the tougher degrees to get.What advice can you offer other students?To make friends that are hard working and in a similar situation as you because sticking together throughout your college career makes it easier to study and work together. Working together as a group helps."
Aleksandr Peterson
  • Reviewed: 5/9/2013
  • Degree: Liberal Arts
"I feel satisfied with and impressed by most of the elements of this program. The classes are small and intimate, and most professors make themselves accessible to you. The faculty is a strong lineup of writers and professionals who really know their stuff--people like Susan S, Andrew W, Chris A, etc.--and are more than willing to work with you one-on-one concerning your thesis, and sometimes make connections with editors, agents, and so on. My biggest complaint, and possibly my only complaint, is that not enough of the program is centered around helping you finish your thesis project (in my case, a novel). The courseload and extracurricular work keeps my quite busy, and I feel like I spend my time doing everything BUT work on my own project, which is why I'm here in the first place. Riverside itself isn't too bad, but I wouldn't exactly recommend it, especially when compared to the surrounding cities."
natalie williams
  • Reviewed: 5/6/2013
  • Degree: Liberal Studies
"The pros of my graduate program are that there are 3 NAS members that are faculty in my department. It is very satisfying knowing that I am learning from the elite members of science with great mentors. Another pro is that our graduate program sets students up for success with a requirement of taking a "core" class which focuses on career development, grant writing, ethics, and everything necessary for a graduate student to know. Cons are that the only way to get funding is if you start out as a PhD student in the program. Being that I am currently a Masters student and am planning to switch to a PhD program, I will not be considered for departmental funding. This is extremely difficult since I currently have to work a second job while conducting research. It would be ideal to have my full focus on the research so that I can accomplish my goals in a more timely manner."
Ian Johnson
  • Reviewed: 5/2/2013
  • Degree: Biomedical Engineering
"Good school, with a very competitive engineering program. Many research opportunities."
Leslie Paprocki
  • Reviewed: 2/28/2013
  • Degree: Art & Design
"Small programs have pros and cons because of their size. What UCR's program can sometimes lack in variety, they more than make up for in depth of teaching and accessibility to faculty and staff. If there are faculty teaching in your area of interest here, I would more than recommend UCR."
Paulina Tran
  • Reviewed: 12/6/2012
  • Degree: Liberal Studies
"My Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Master's program was very informative but the communication between the advisers and the students was a bit lax."
Aaron Devries
  • Reviewed: 11/26/2012
  • Degree: Liberal Studies
"The program has recently moved into a new building, and has hired several new faculty members. However, they have trouble encouraging students to participate in seminars, clubs, or other activities without making it a requirement."
Tien-Huei Wang
  • Reviewed: 11/26/2012
  • Degree: Liberal Studies
"Too much teaching and other out-reach activities, which financially supports graduate students but consume too much time beside research. Everyone is encouraged to write grant for themselves, but extra grants are not used to reward graduate students for more focuses on research. Not enough organized classes for graduate students. There should be an organized, systematic and designed courses to select from for the graduate students. But this is missing. Meetings among faculty members should determine and hopefully foster responsibilities for all faculties, until they can come up with better courses and take the responsibilities. Otherwise it will be difficult to attract good students or retain current scientists."
Ihsan George Azzu
  • Reviewed: 11/15/2012
  • Degree: Liberal Studies
"Pros: -UCR is a great research school especially in the sciences. -Relatively easy to get into the program (if you have above a 3.00 gpa in undergraduate degree) -There is a lot of help around if you need it. Cons: -The work load is heavy (but it is a graduate program). - It is expensive especially for international students. -Both of the Libraries close early. -No 24 hour study facilities."