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Office of the Dean

ASC, Rosser Hall, B223
Phone: (323) 343-2000
E-mail: nss@calstatela.edu
Website: www.calstatela.edu/nss

Administrators

Dean:   René Vellanoweth
Associate Dean:   Kaveri Subrahmanyam
Associate Dean:   (vacant)
Resource Manager: Tommy Luong
Director of Student Success & Advising: LaVona Thomas
Director of Development: Marissa Garcia

Overview

The College of Natural and Social Sciences (NSS) includes more than over 150  outstanding and dedicated faculty who have won numerous Statewide Outstanding Professor Awards. Composed of ten (10) different departments and two (2) Programs offering a variety of undergraduate and graduate degrees, the College curriculum embraces a range of subjects from A to Z (anthropology to zoology).

At the undergraduate level, the College is strongly committed to natural and social sciences as well as the humanities with courses offered across the blocks of the present General Education program. All of the courses in Natural Science, and most of the Quantitative Reasoning sections are taught by faculty in NSS. In addition, the College offers courses in the Humanities, Social Science, Lifelong Learning and Critical Thinking blocks of the GE program.

Students taking classes in NSS can choose majors leading to a liberal arts degree as well as degrees aimed at preparing for professions in law, medicine, teaching, and science. The Departments of Biological Sciences, Chemistry and Biochemistry, and Psychology work together in the highly successful Minority Biomedical Research Support Program (MBRS).

The Department of Political Science offers a Pre-legal Option in its major and a Prelaw minor for students interested in a legal career. The Biology, Chemistry, Geology, History, Math, Physics, and Natural Science programs offer students a program for a single subject credential.

The College of Natural and Social Sciences houses several programs designed to facilitate collaboration between Cal State L.A. and other institutions. Bridges to the Future is a partnership with the Pasadena, Los Angeles and East Los Angeles community colleges to increase the transfer of minority students in the biomedical sciences disciplines at Cal State L.A. Bridges to the Ph.D. is a collaborative effort by Cal State L.A., UCLA, USC, and UCI aimed at increasing the number of minority students in Ph.D. programs in the fields of biomedical sciences and the 

CSU, Los Angeles Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation is a partnership across the CSU system to increase graduation rates of underrepresented students in science, engineering and mathematics disciplines and to prepare them for graduate school. 

In partnership with Scripps Institution of Oceanography, the Cooperative Institute for Marine, Earth, and Atmospheric Systems (CIMEAS) facilitates collaboration with scientists from the National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA) to provide internships and learning projects for Cal State L.A. students interested in the study of biological, oceanographic, and global change

NSS also has a variety of programs and projects that facilitate collaboration between faculty in the biological, healthsocial and environmental sciences. In addition to the MBRS and CREST programs mentioned above, these include the Minority Access to Research Careers (MARC), the Cal State LA Big Data Project and the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship program.

Mission Statement

We are agents of change, promising to serve and transform Greater Los Angeles and the global society through innovative and intentional learning environments, socially conscious and equity-minded civic engagement, and impactful (inter)disciplinary research. 

The College of Natural and Social Sciences if guided by three strategic priorities: 1) intentional learning environments, 2) socially conscious an equity-minded civic engagement, and 3) impactful (inter)disciplinary research.

Vision Statement

We strive to meet the challenges of an ever changing and dynamic society. 

Nationally Accredited Programs

Chemistry - American Chemical Society (ACS)
Public Administration (graduate) - National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA)

Departments & Programs

Undergraduate Programs The College of Natural and Social Sciences at California State University, Los Angeles is committed to programs of academic excellence that provide educational and research opportunities for our diverse student body. Faculty from  twelve departments and programs are dedicated to instruction, scholarship, and university and community service. In general education and undergraduate and graduate programs, the faculty support students in developing creative and critical thinking skills in preparation for careers or for admission to competitive graduate or professional programs in their respective disciplines. The College prides itself in the close interaction between faculty and students, and in its collaborative research environment that encourages student discovery. The College seeks to inspire in our students an appreciation for the biological, physical, and social aspects of our earth and a life-long commitment to improving the lives of its inhabitants.

Graduate and Postbaccalaureate Programs The College of Natural and Social Sciences offers fourteen master’s degree programs in the fields of natural and social sciences. These graduate programs prepare students for advanced study toward the Ph.D. degree and for careers as professionals in NSS disciplines, community college teaching, industry, and government. Please see below for listing of programs and visit our website for more information.

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