Student Life

UCLA is a large campus with more than 1,300 student organizations, top-ranked athletics, on-campus housing, and a home in Westwood at the center of Los Angeles. This page points families to the campus resources behind student life, from academics and clubs to dining, recreation, and getting around.

Academics and academic support

UCLA offers more than 125 majors and over 90 minors across five academic divisions, plus advising, research, and support services that help students plan their path and stay on track. The links below cover the offices students use most.

Plan a course of study

Undergraduate Education coordinates UCLA’s undergraduate programs, including Freshman Clusters and Fiat Lux Seminars.
Explore the full list of majors and minors, and the directory of academic departments and resources.
The UCLA General Catalog presents the academic opportunities on campus; the Schedule of Classes lists current course offerings.
The Annual Academic Calendar captures key dates, including add/drop deadlines, tuition due dates, and the start and end of each term.
The UCLA Registrar manages class schedules, registration, enrollment, grades, transcripts, and diplomas.

Academic counseling and advising

Each division has an advising office that helps with program planning, degree requirements, and counseling for scholastic challenges. For a departmental counselor, visit the department’s website or call the Parent and Family Association Helpline and we can connect you.

Research, libraries, and student support

The UCLA Library system ranks among the top 10 research libraries in the United States, with more than eight million volumes plus archives, digital resources, and special collections.
Honors Programs give students an environment to pursue individual excellence.
Undergraduate Research Centers serve students in the sciences and in humanities, arts, and social sciences.
The Student Retention Center (SRC) offers peer counseling, study groups, mentorship, and writing programs, with first priority to students facing academic difficulty.
The Center for Community Engagement (CCE) connects faculty, students, and staff with community partners through community-engaged research and teaching.
The Dashew Center for International Students and Scholars advises UCLA’s 5,400 international students on immigration, academics, and adjusting to life in the United States.

Study abroad

The UCLA International Education Office is the one-stop shop for studying at institutions around the world, with several program types and financial aid and scholarships available.

UC Education Abroad Program (EAP): 170 programs in over 40 countries, with direct credit transfer. Students can study abroad for a summer, semester, or year.
UCLA Travel Study: study abroad through classes taught by UCLA faculty.
UCLA Global Internship Program: intern abroad for academic credit across diverse career sectors.
UCLA Exchange: study and research at partner universities worldwide.
Non-UC Programs: other options through a Planned Academic Leave (PAL). Students should speak with a counselor in the International Education Office first.

Career services

The UCLA Career Center helps students choose and prepare for their careers, apply to graduate or professional school, build job search skills, and find employment. The Center acts as an educational resource rather than an employment agency, and families can play a supportive role.

Campus involvement

With more than 1,300 student-run organizations, students build their own community at UCLA through shared interests and passions. Involvement spans student government, clubs, media, volunteering, Greek life, and campus events, with offices that help students find their place.

Organizations and clubs

The UCLA Student Alumni Association (SAA) connects students to one another, to alums, and to the University, planning social, career-oriented, and school-unifying events such as Dinners for 12 Strangers, Entertainment Networking Night, Interview with a Bruin, and Spring Sing.
Bruin Leaders Project is a campus-sponsored leadership development program with year-round seminars on public speaking, self-realization, conflict resolution, and more.
Student Organizations, Leadership & Engagement (SOLE) advises UCLA’s organizations, including student government, academic, leadership, spiritual and religious, club sports, and community service groups, and runs SOLE Sessions workshops on leadership, communication, and volunteer recruitment.
Student Media UCLA is the home of UCLA’s student-run media, including The Daily Bruin, magazines, and radio and television stations.
The Undergraduate Students Association Council (USAC) is the governing body of the Undergraduate Students Association, whose membership includes every UCLA undergraduate. Students take part in programs from the Campus Events Commission, more than 20 Community Service Commission outreach programs, and Student Welfare Commission efforts such as health awareness, blood drives, and CPR and first aid training.

Volunteer opportunities

Students can get involved by volunteering in the community and finding ways to make a difference.

Community Partnerships offers community-based opportunities that reflect UCLA’s presence in Los Angeles.
The UCLA Volunteer Center connects students with academic programs, campus programs, community organizations, and health and medical programs.

Campus events and Greek life

There is always something to do on campus. The UCLA Community events calendar captures sporting events, lectures, concerts, art exhibits, dance recitals, theater productions, and student activities.

UCLA also has over 60 traditional, honors, and service Greek-letter organizations, advised by the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life. About 13% of the student body is involved in fraternities and sororities, which offer leadership development, community service, a support network, and access to affordable housing.

Resource centers

The Bruin Resource Center (BRC) is home to several centers and programs that support specific student communities. The centers below provide further support across identity, accessibility, and military service.

Bruin Resource Center (BRC) supports students who have been part of the foster care or probation systems, students who are undocumented or part of mixed-status families, parenting students and student caregivers, students in recovery, students formerly incarcerated or impacted by the carceral system, and students who have experienced houselessness.
The LGBTQ Campus Resource Center provides education and advocacy services and fosters a safe, inclusive environment for UCLA’s LGBTQ community.
The Center for Accessible Education (CAE) facilitates academic accommodations and disability support. Students seeking accommodations should register with CAE as early as possible.
UCLA Military Science runs the Army Senior Division Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC), which lets students qualify for an Army officer’s commission while completing their degree.
The Veteran Resource Center (VRC) provides personalized support to military-connected students, including educational benefits guidance, academic support, career development, and community building.

First Year Experience

First Year Experience (FYE) equips first-year students with the skills, tools, and knowledge to support their transition to UCLA. FYE works with Residential Life and the Division of Student Affairs, and offers research-based programming across four areas:

Academic success: services and actions that help first-year students succeed academically and develop career aspirations.
Get involved: interactions with the UCLA community and greater Los Angeles that build belonging and leadership skills.
Personal health: physical, mental, and emotional well-being.
Finances: building financial literacy to support overall well-being.

Housing and dining

UCLA Housing Services manages all on-campus housing, and UCLA Dining Services runs the meal program. UCLA became the first UC to offer all undergraduates housing in fall 2022. The links below cover housing guarantees, dining options, and resources for families.

On-campus housing

First-year students admitted for fall quarter are guaranteed up to four years of on-campus housing. UCLA became the first UC to offer all undergraduates housing in fall 2022.
Transfer students admitted for fall quarter are guaranteed up to two years of university housing.
For the matching and assignment process, accepting an offer, assignment changes, and special accommodations, visit Housing Assignment Information.

Dining and meal plans

UCLA Dining Services is a nationally recognized program offering a range of menu choices, dining hours, and meal plans for students, faculty, staff, and visitors.

Academic year meal plans
Hours of operation for all dining facilities
Menus and nutritional information
Special services and programs
Dining Green, UCLA’s commitment to sustainability in dining

Resources for families

These resources can help as your student navigates living on campus.

Recreation and athletics

UCLA Recreation offers a broad range of recreational activities and services across campus, including fields, gyms, and pools. UCLA Athletics teams are nationally ranked and give students a way to show their Bruin pride. The links below cover recreation programs and student access to games.

Recreation programs

Intramural Sports: leagues, tournaments, and events with more than 7,000 participants a year, across three or more competitive levels. Nominal fees apply.
Club Sports: more than 54 clubs and over 2,700 participants competing against other universities outside Division I, organized by student officers within the Competitive Sports Program. Club dues may apply.
Adaptive Recreation: therapeutically based programs for people with cognitive and physical disabilities.
Classes and activities: instructional classes in arts, dance, fitness, martial arts, sports, swimming, tennis, water aerobics, yoga, and more, plus group exercise and personal training.
Outdoor Adventures: experiential, adventure-based education focused on outdoor pursuits, risk management, and environmental stewardship.

Athletic events

UCLA Athletics programs are nationally ranked. Students can purchase the Den Sports Pass for access to the student section at every regular-season home football game at the Rose Bowl and men’s basketball game in Pauley Pavilion.

Football tickets are available in February for season and individual games, and basketball tickets are available in October for season and individual games. Students receive free admission to all sports other than football and men’s basketball.

Westwood and Los Angeles

UCLA sits in Westwood, a West Los Angeles neighborhood next to Bel Air, Beverly Hills, Brentwood, and Santa Monica, with restaurants, shops, and theaters within walking distance of campus. Los Angeles is the second largest city in the United States, giving students access to world-class dining, arts, and attractions.

Dining in Westwood

Beyond on-campus dining, students head into Westwood for the Village’s restaurants, coffee shops, food stands, and ice cream and frozen yogurt shops. UCLA favorites include BJ’s Restaurant and Brewery, California Pizza Kitchen, and Diddy Riese, known for fresh-baked cookies and ice cream sandwiches. Rocco’s and Barney’s Beanery are popular for watching sports, and coffee shops like Starbucks, the Coffee Bean, and Peet’s Coffee are common study spots. For a student-compiled dining guide from the UCLA Law School, see the link.

Shopping in Westwood

Westwood Village has clothing chains, electronics stores, and gift shops, along with grocery stores including a 24-hour Ralph’s, Trader Joe’s, and Whole Foods. Drug stores with toiletries, office supplies, housewares, and first-aid include CVS and Rite Aid. Students can also shop in on-campus marketplaces, though Westwood stores often have longer hours. See the directory of stores in the Village.

Entertainment in Westwood

Between sporting events, film screenings, arts performances, and lectures, students do not need to go far for a night out. Westwood offers more options nearby.

Movie theaters: premieres frequently take place at Westwood’s historic Fox Theater, and the Village has many movie theaters.
Hammer Museum: this UCLA-run museum is always free to UCLA students, staff, and faculty, and its Billy Wilder Theater hosts nightly events and screenings.
Geffen Playhouse: world-class theater performances just down the street from campus.

Arts and culture across Los Angeles

Los Angeles is an international center for film, television, and music, and home to hundreds of museums and art galleries. UCLA’s School of the Arts and Architecture brings the UCLA and Los Angeles arts communities together and lists a schedule of arts events.

The Getty Museum (near Westwood) and the Getty Villa (Malibu)
The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) (Mid-City)
The Museum of Contemporary Art (Downtown)
Walt Disney Concert Hall (Downtown)
Hollywood Bowl (Hollywood)
LA Opera, Los Angeles Philharmonic, and Center Theatre Group are among the nation’s largest companies in their disciplines.

To learn how UCLA is making a difference in Los Angeles, see UCLA’s community work.

Top attractions for Bruins

Encourage your student to explore Los Angeles beyond Westwood. These are popular activities and attractions to enjoy while at UCLA or while visiting your student.

The Getty Museum: Western art from the Middle Ages to the present, set among architecture, gardens, and city views.
The Grove: an outdoor shopping center east of campus, with a dancing fountain, a theater, and the historic Farmers Market.
Santa Monica Pier and the 3rd Street Promenade: beachside shopping, dining, sand and surf, and a boardwalk pier west of campus.
Griffith Park and Observatory: hiking trails, city and Hollywood sign views, and a world-famous observatory and museum.
La Brea Tar Pits and the Page Museum: a National Natural Landmark in Mid-City, next to LACMA.
Hollywood Boulevard: views of the Hollywood sign, the Walk of Fame, and the TCL Chinese Theatres.
LA Live and Downtown LA: restaurants, clubs, theaters, and the Crypto.com Arena.
Beaches: Venice, Santa Monica, Manhattan, Hermosa, and beaches in Malibu, up and down the coast.
Rodeo Drive: designer boutiques in Beverly Hills.
Theme parks: the UCLA Central Ticket Office offers discounted student tickets to Disneyland, Universal Studios Hollywood, Six Flags Magic Mountain, and Knott’s Berry Farm.

Getting around campus

UCLA Transportation covers getting to, around, and from campus, with daily and quarterly permits and a range of commuter options. Students do not need a car at UCLA: many neighborhoods and attractions are a bus ride away, and the campus and Los Angeles offer extensive transit.

Parking for visitors

To find parking near your destination, refer to the campus maps. Visitors can buy all-day or hourly permits at pay stations in parking structures and lots (exact cash or credit cards only), or use the ParkMobile app. Rates vary by time and length of stay. See Parking for Visitors for details.

Student campus access

Parking for students is extremely limited during the academic year and is not guaranteed. UCLA Transportation offers a quarterly Parking Application for permit requests, along with sustainable commute options including discounted public transit fares and a subsidized vanpool program serving 85 Southern California communities. Students who join a vanpool, use public transit, or join a three-person carpool can register for the Bruin Commuter Club.

Explore commute options
Apply for parking online

Public transit

Students can get around Los Angeles without a car. Routes and schedules change often, so map a route using the Los Angeles Metro planning website.

BruinGo!: ride any Santa Monica Big Blue Bus or Culver City Bus line for $45 per quarter.
Go Metro: a quarterly pass with reduced fares on Metro Bus and Metro Rail lines. Reduced-fare options also include LADOT Commuter Express, City of Santa Clarita Transit, and Antelope Valley Transit Authority commuter buses.
Nearly all buses have bike racks, so students can bike to a stop and bring the bicycle aboard.

For the latest on public transit from Westwood across Los Angeles, see UCLA Transportation.

BruinBus

BruinBus is a year-round bus serving the UCLA campus and Wilshire Center, free and open to everyone at its many stops. Buses are wheelchair accessible and air-conditioned, and BruinBus also offers charter and driver services to UCLA departments and student organizations. Track buses in real time through the real-time map or the TripShot app for iPhone and Android.

For office hours, parking costs, citations, and other questions, see the UCLA Transportation website or contact UCLA Transportation.