Why Apply?

We are located in the heart of Orange County, the largest concentration of medical device companies in the nation. In addition, we are just 70 miles north of San Diego County, the nation's third largest concentration of biotech companies. The majority of our faculty collaborate and interact with these companies, providing a unique environment to perform relevant research addressing real-world concerns. It also provides for abundant opportunities to familiarize oneself with potential employers during the course of the graduate studies.

The faculty members in our program were selected specifically to focus on building up the core technologies and clinical research areas. You will find the research topics of our program to be at the cutting edge of their fields and the faculty members eager to work across boundaries. Our program's research in Biophotonics and Micro/Nano medicine is already widely recognized as among the top in the nation whilst the other areas are rapidly establishing themselves through the strength of the existing research accomplishments and the ongoing recruitment of world-class researchers. We have available to us:

• Beckman Laser Institute
• Integrated Nanosystems Research Facility (INRF)
• California Institute for Telecommunications and Information Technology (Calit2)

Students admitted to the Ph.D. degree option are provided with a generous stipend and tuition/fee payments through departmental or faculty resources. During the first year, the students are given the opportunity to rotate in up to two research labs under a "matching" process that allows the students to identify their eventual research advisor.