College of Natural and Social Sciences
The College of Natural and Social Sciences (NSS) is the largest college at Cal State LA with over 150 outstanding and dedicated faculty who have won more Statewide Outstanding Professor Awards than faculty in any other academic unit in the California State University system. The college is committed to programs of academic excellence in the fields of natural and social sciences that provide access and opportunity for a uniquely diverse student body.
Leadership Announcement
Interim Dean Appointment for the College of Natural and Social Sciences
We are pleased to announce that Dr. Stephen M. Trzaskoma has been appointed Interim Dean of the College of Natural and Social Sciences, effective June 9, 2025.
Student Support
NSS Degree Programs
The College of Natural and Social Sciences provides innovative degree programs leading to baccalaureate and master's degrees in an environment that encourages intentional learning and collaborative research.
NSS Advising
Need help with degree planning and progression, graduation check, exploring or declaring a major, or other academic concerns? The NSS Advisement Center team is here to help.
College of Natural and Social Sciences News
Cal State LA Dean Stephen Trzaskoma named HACU Leadership Academy Fellow
Stephen M. Trzaskoma, dean of the College of Arts and Letters and interim dean of the College of Natural and Social Sciences at Cal State LA, has been selected as a 2025–26 Fellow of the HACU Leadership Academy/La Academia de Liderazgo.
Cal State LA graduate honored with 2025 Outstanding Student Award from Groundwater Resources Association of California
Camila Bautista, a geological sciences graduate from Cal State LA, was selected as the recipient of the 2025 Outstanding Student Award from the Groundwater Resources Association of California (GRA).
Cal State LA professor publishes new study on California’s moving mud spring
Dr. Barry J. Hibbs’s research links the movement of the rare Niland mud spring to the receding shoreline of the Salton Sea, offering new insight into the region’s shifting groundwater dynamics.
Cal State LA and LECO enhance complex chemical analysis with new Pegasus BTX system
Cal State LA graduate student explores ancient rock art in Baja California
Cal State LA's anthropology graduate student Jennifer Leiva conducting pXRF analysis of rock art at a site in northern Baja California, Mexico.
Cal State LA Sociology Professor Publishes Study on Multigenerational Households and Youth Mental Health
Research explores the long-term mental health impacts of growing up in households with parents and grandparents.
Cal State LA’s Arwa Hammad leads with purpose as student body president and future policymaker
From Early Entrance Program student to ASI president, NSS political science major Arwa Hammad is shaping policy conversations on campus and beyond.
Alumni Spotlight
Finding His Element: The Journey of Dr. Antonio Tinoco Valencia
Alumnus Dr. Antonio Tinoco Valencia is committed to mentoring the next generation of scientists and hopes his journey from ELAC to Cal State LA to UCLA will inspire students to dream big and persevere.