UCR Palm Desert Center

75080 Frank Sinatra Drive
Palm Desert, CA 92211

Tel: (760) 834-0800
Fax: (760) 834-0796
E-mail: palmdesert@ucr.edu

The University of California has been active in the Coachella Valley for nearly 100 years, initially supporting the agriculture industry and more recently impacting modern growth issues through research in areas such as transportation, air quality and energy and water conservation.

Established in 2005, the Palm Desert Center serves as:

• A base for several UCR research programs .
• A host to international academic conferences, continuing education and a variety of public service programs.
• A resource to extend the reach of UCR by providing outreach efforts in local schools to promote and improve college-going rates in the Coachella Valley.

Our Goals

UCR Palm Desert Center aims to:

• Increase the number of students in graduate degree programs.
• Attract even more research by UCR and UC faculty to UCR Palm Desert.
• Engage the community in responding to the real and emerging needs of the region.

Learn about the University of California, Riverside.

About Palm Desert and the Coachella Valley

The city of Palm Desert is about 11 miles east of the city of Palm Springs and about 66 miles east of the UC Riverside campus. The Palm Desert/Palm Springs metropolitan area lies along the south side of Interstate 10 in northern Coachella Valley.

Graduate Programs

Master of Fine Arts (MFA)

The MFA in Creative Writing and Writing for the Performing Arts is a unique seven quarter low residency program that provides writers with a path toward publication and production in all genres of writing including fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and screenwriting. Students explore multiple genres, allowing for a cross-disciplinary approach that is ideal for writers seeking the artistic latitude to move fluidly within the field. A unique feature of the program is that each student meets with a literary agent in their last quarter to examine their work. Visit MFA for more information.

Continuing Education

Explore. Advance. Connect.

Whether you're looking to train for a new career; advance in your current field; explore
the wonders of our changing world; or connect with people who share your interests,
UCR Extension offers you more than 90 certificate programs and enrichment
courses online and in classroom settings to meet your educational, career and enrichment needs. Visit UCR Extension, search for classes , or find out more about the OSHER Lifelong Learning Institute.

UCR Extension Courses at the Palm Desert Center

• Beginning Excel
  Develop and manage spreadsheets in Microsoft Excel for presentation in charts, forms, and graphs. Any questions, call (951) 827-1723 .
• Social Media Marketing Strategies
  Understand the dynamics of social media applications and learn more about how they apply to product marketing. In this hands-on course, students will use of social media platforms to improve marketing, brand reputation, communications, and research. November 7 & 14. For more information, please call (951) 827-1723 .
• Weekend Writing Seminars
  Kickstart your writing with one of four intensive workshops in fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and travel writing. Taught by the faculty and alumni of the MFA in Creative Writing & Writing for the Performing Arts, the Weekend Writing Seminars feature immersive courses in the craft of writing. Our fall courses will be held November 7th & 8th on the campus of UCR Palm Desert. Fee includes a two-day course, editorial feedback, and a continental breakfast each day. Call (760) 834-0926 for more information.


Programs that Make a Difference in Our Community

UCR Palm Desert sponsors a series of programs that unite the resources of the University of California, Riverside with the needs and interests of the people of the Coachella Valley, including these programs:

• UC Master Gardener

  The UC Master Gardener program is open to individuals who wish to increase their knowledge and horticultural skills -- no previous experience necessary. Classes meet three times per month and run September through February. Topics include botany, composting, soils, water management, fruit/ornamental tree culture and sustainable landscape practices. General information

• UCR University Extension

  UCR Extension is the continuing education branch of the University of California, Riverside. For more than 50 years UCR Extension has provided educational opportunities to people of all ages — with or without a college degree — seeking professional advancement, personal fulfillment or a new career.

  General Information
  Current Classes Offered in Palm Desert

• UCR Nonprofit Management

  Interested in getting your Nonprofit Management Certificate? In this 10-month program, students complete 140 hours of coursework, focusing on many facets of nonprofit management including fundraising, social media, communications, grant proposal writing, and case studies in the nonprofit sector. General information.

• UCR Osher Lifelong Learning Institute

  The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) is designed to provide a stimulating learning experience at a modest cost that enriches the intellectual, social, and cultural lives of people over the age of 50. Courses are limited to OLLI members, so learning takes place in a peer environment. Money Matters financial wellness workshops are located at the Palm Desert Center.