Be bold
Inspiring engineers to elevate the world through bold and socially responsible innovation
Be boundless
Inspiring engineers to elevate the world through bold and socially responsible innovation
Be a Baskin Engineer
Inspiring engineers to elevate the world through bold and socially responsible innovation
#2
top public colleges for engineering salaries (Wall Street Journal, 2023)
3
Baskin Engineering alumni named in Forbes 30 Under 30 (Forbes, 2024)
#5
best game/simulation development program in the nation (U.S. News & World Report, 2024)
ASEE
Bronze-level recognition by the American Society for Engineering Education, Diversity Recognition Program (2023-2025)
#13
best public school for making an impact (Princeton Review, 2025)
AAU
UCSC joined just 65 other universities in the Association of American Universities in 2019
#12
national public university for excellence in undergraduate teaching (U.S. News & World Report, 2025)
HSRU
member of the Alliance of Hispanic Serving Research Universities
#7
best applied mathematics bachelor's program in California (College Factual, 2025)
#8
best computer engineering bachelor's degree schools in the far Western US region (College Factual, 2025)
Overview
A campus of exceptional beauty in coastal Santa Cruz is home to a community of people who are problem solvers by nature: Baskin Engineers.
Founded in 1997 alongside the expanding internet, our school is uniquely positioned to address the challenges of the modern world. At the Baskin School of Engineering, faculty and students collaborate to create technology with a positive impact on society, in the dynamic atmosphere of a top-tier research university.
Recent News
Advancing diagnosis for rare diseases
UCSC researchers have demonstrated a way to improve the rate of disease diagnosis while reducing the time to diagnose from years to days—at a much lower cost.
‘Selfish’ genes called introners proven to be a major source of genetic complexity
UC Santa Cruz researchers are studying the ways certain genetic elements hide and make copies of themselves, so they can propagate within a species’ DNA, or even hop from one species to an unrelated one in a process called “horizontal gene transfer.”
Innovative and artful rainwater harvesting nourishes gardens and hope
UC Santa Cruz cosmologist leads widely interdisciplinary project funded by the Center for Coastal Climate Resilience to turn urban runoff into low-cost irrigation
In Memoriam: Allen Van Gelder
Remembering Professor of Computer Science and Engineering Allen Van Gelder
Celebrating 25 years of genomics innovation
July 2025 will mark the 25th anniversary of the UC Santa Cruz Genome Browser, one of the most widely used resources for genomics worldwide.
Bold new solutions to society’s most complex issues
Explore research by impact areas.
Welcome to Baskin Engineering
An exciting academic life awaits you
Join a vibrant community of students, faculty, and researchers committed to building a better future. With a focus on socially responsible innovation in areas such as health engineering, climate and sustainability, machine learning, artificial intelligence, games, and human computer interaction, there are endless possibilities to make a positive impact. We can’t wait to see what you will accomplish here.
Our locations
Baskin Engineering Buildings
The Baskin Engineering Buildings are located on the main UCSC Campus and serve as a thriving space for innovation, collaboration, and academic life. Here, faculty and students develop bold solutions to society’s most pressing challenges – from climate change and disease prevention to developing sustainable AgTech solutions, and engineering socially responsible technology. Get directions and more information.
Westside Research Park
Westside Research Park (WRP) fosters groundbreaking research in genomics, neuroscience, energy, robotics, and more — bringing scientists together to develop novel solutions to complex challenges across disciplines. WRP is home to the UCSC Genome Browser, one of the most widely used tools in genomics worldwide, and hosts many cutting-edge labs.
UCSC Silicon Valley Campus
The Silicon Valley Campus (SVC) is a hub for high-impact research, technological innovation, and interdisciplinary learning. Our faculty and students conduct innovative research relevant to the local tech field, leveraging close ties with Silicon Valley industry partners to extend the impact of their work. Baskin Engineering at SVC is advancing knowledge across three industry-relevant areas, including games and playable media, human computer interaction, and natural language processing.
Upcoming Events
Inclusion at Baskin Engineering
UC Santa Cruz and Baskin Engineering are committed to creating educational equity that will lead to real, transformative change. We are one of only two institutions in the nation that holds the honor of being a Hispanic Serving Institution, an Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institution, and member of the Association of American Universities.
Genomics for everyone
UCSC researchers release the first human ‘pangenome,’ better representing our genetic diversity and setting the stage for new discoveries.
Shaping the future of health technology
Cutting-edge approaches to disease detection are enabling faster, more accurate diagnostics—led by Distinguished Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering Holger Schmidt.
@BaskinEngineering
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