The University of California, Irvine (UCI) is located in the heart of Orange County in a city that was named “The Safest in America” for five consecutive years. It is one of the ten campuses of the University of California and is regarded as a Top Ten Public Research University. It was established in the 1960s under the California Master Plan for Higher Education. Unlike the other campuses of the University of California, UCI was not named after the city it was built in. It took its name from James Irvine, a landowner who sold 1,000 acres of his ranch to the university for one dollar. The city of Irvine was founded a few years after UCI was established.
Today, UCI is ranked among the best universities in the U.S., private and public, and is a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities. It grants undergraduate and graduate degrees and is divided into several academic units through which these degrees can be pursued. These include a School of Arts; Biological Sciences; Business; Education; Engineering; Health Sciences, Humanities; Information & Computer Sciences; Interdisciplinary Studies; Law; Medicine; Physical Sciences; Social Ecology; and Social Sciences.
Apart from its on-campus courses, UCI also offers an online Master of Advanced Study (MAS) degree in criminology, law and society – the first online graduate program offered at a UC campus. Its Distance Learning unit also offers several courses online especially for busy working adults who want to complete their degrees or further their education by acquiring a graduate degree.
Tuition cost varies based on program selected, number of courses taken and location. Financial aid is extended via loans and scholarships for qualified students.
