University of California - Irvine Reviews

158 Reviews
Irvine (CA)
Annual Tuition: $44,011

94% of 158 students said this degree improved their career prospects

97% of 158 students said they would recommend this school to others

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Student & Graduate Reviews

Rachel Stumpf

Reviewed: 5/11/2015
Degree: Secondary Education
Graduation Year: 2018

"Very supportive faculty who are willing to help you with whatever you need. Campus is beautiful."

Joseph Cardon

Reviewed: 5/11/2015
Degree: Chemistry
Graduation Year: 2019

"The University of California Irvine Chemistry graduate program is highly ranked and for good reason. The faculty here are highly accomplished and high impact scholars who do good research and treat their graduate students well. Students enjoy each other's company without feelings of competitiveness. The workload is difficult but not impossible, even for a student like me who spends a lot of time on their marriage and physical fitness. The Irvine area is very nice and safe. The beach is close and beautiful. The cost of living in graduate housing is low relative to California but pricy compared to anywhere else but the East Coast. The facilities have very good equipment capable of doing almost any experiment that you would need, however the software used to run the equipment is either free or cheap so it is not easy to use. Overall, UCI is a great choice of a Chemistry Graduate School and I am glad that I came."

VERONIQUE BOUCQUEY

Reviewed: 5/11/2015
Degree: Neuropsychology
Graduation Year: 2016

"A competitive program that will prepare you for success in academia beyond graduate school."

Kasey O

Reviewed: 5/11/2015
Degree: Mathematics
Graduation Year: 2019

"The department as a whole is very invested in our experience and well being. There are plenty of opportunities to get to know other students and faculty, which will improve the advisor selection process immensely."

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Brian Wiley

Reviewed: 5/11/2015
Degree: Sociology
Graduation Year: 2019

"Great program and school. Housing is subsidized which is good because it would otherwise be un-affordable. Faculty support is great and the program provides great structure and has good job placement record."

Aneeka Hancock

Reviewed: 5/11/2015
Degree: Neuropsychology
Graduation Year: 2015

"Pros: really great collaborative environment within my department as well as between departments; GREAT location (Irvine itself is a little boring but UCI is very close to many exciting and cultural events in Los Angeles, San Diego, as well as the beach and mountains). Cons: Until recently, there hasn't been a lot of support for students who would like to pursue careers outside of academia after receiving their PhD. Just this year there have been many new, and very helpful, support programs and workshops to help students develop teaching skills and skills for industry. It will be interesting to see how these grow in the coming years."

Amber Deslauriers

Reviewed: 4/28/2015
Degree: Biology
Graduation Year: 2015

"I felt like the program does a good job of supporting their students. I was supported with grants and TAships. The classes were mostly helpful and geared toward making the student a better writer and researcher as well as being well-rounded."

GDahl

Reviewed: 4/21/2015
Degree: Psychology
Graduation Year: 2016

"My freshman year was super hard because I accidentally got on the wrong side of one professor. He in turn made my life hell by contacting my other professors and telling them random stuff about me. They in turn graded me hard, spoke to me disrespectfully, and never actually heard my side of the story. The whole thing was a misunderstanding and this professor took something way too personally. I almost failed all of my classes because of this. I was placed on probation and the counselor might have heard something too because she was very judgmental. When I tried to talk to the dean and let them know that this professor was making things hard for me they said that they're siding with him and they don't think I'm being discriminated against. It was freaking terrible and I hated the school and the entire system. I lost my financial aid and it was just my first quarter. I spent the rest of the time working my butt off and making sure that I proved all of those people wrong, I'm not a bad person and they were wrong to judge me without clarifying what happened. I'm graduating next year and can't wait to be out of this hell hole. My GPA is better, I have met some amazing professors that were amazing and inspirational, I've learned a lot. I just wish that the administration took the words of a freshman seriously and that a professor wasn't so childish as to go out of his way to ruin my life."

Michelle Fairhurst

Reviewed: 4/9/2015
Degree: Chemistry
Graduation Year: 2017

"Great atmosphere in my graduate program. There is a sense of comradery and collaboration that makes it a great working environment."

Thierry Kodsi

Reviewed: 2/22/2015
Degree: Business
Graduation Year: 2016

"Best part is the diverse group of people assembled for amazing networking opportunities. The worst part is fact that the average grade is a B+ so it is not challenging to get good grades. Harder to get good grades would be more motivating."

Jessica Condon

Reviewed: 1/30/2015
Degree: Environmental Engineering
Graduation Year: 2016

"This school will give you a fantastic education but the administrative processes can be a pain (i.e. financial aid, applying, etc). Parking is expensive. It's all worth it for the education."

Jason Yee

Reviewed: 1/25/2015
Degree: Mechanical Engineering
Graduation Year: 2016

"As expected, graduate school is unlike what is typically experienced in undergraduate school. Much like those at other graduate schools, the graduate professors here at UC Irvine are always open to helping out their students. Since the class sizes are smaller, they can spend more time helping individual students. You also get to know the professors much more so than what is typically experienced in undergraduate school. The graduate students are also very close knit; at the very least, you will recognize everyone by the end of the quarter even if you do not know their names. Everyone has an idea of what is going on and everyone goes through similar experiences, hardships, and joy! At the end of he day, we're all good friends that want to hang out, chat, and just enjoy the academic life to the best of our ability. Unlike undergraduate courses, graduate courses are much more focused on specific topics. The mechanical engineering department supports a wide spectrum of course topics from CAD work to fuel cell technology to biorobotics. The topics vary far and wide and each one is highly captivating! These topics definitely help us graduate students become more well-rounded (as opposed to focusing solely on one subject). The professors, faculty, and staff are all conducting research on practically every topic that is taught in the program. There is not any shortage of research to go around. All you need to do is take that step and ask the professors if you can check out their work!"

Rebecca Fleming

Reviewed: 12/24/2014
Degree: Political Science
Graduation Year: 2014

"My concentration area was shut down for a number of reasons while I was still there, although there are talks of bringing it back (they shouldn't). I left with my MA instead of my PhD. Whether or not you succeed there has a lot to do with the faculty members you work with, so choose very carefully. The funding was decent and the TA-ships were a highlight for me."

anonymous

Reviewed: 12/17/2014
Degree: Sociology
Graduation Year: 2020

"Pros: Great program with excellent faculty in diverse sub-fields. Faculty support is excellent. Extremely collegial department (students and faculty alike). Socially active department and campus; close to beaches and a short drive from LA. Courses offered regularly in primary sub-fields (social movements, immigration, social networks). If interested, there are opportunities to take courses and work with faculty across disciplines. Cons: Need a car if want to really get to know the surrounding area. Living on campus is affordable, but affordable off-campus options are difficult to come by. Graduate stipends are low compared to private institutions."

Jaewoo Cho

Reviewed: 12/17/2014
Degree: Social Sciences
Graduation Year: 2017

"Pros: Student diversity and network Cons: Too high living cost for family, compared to stipend given"

Hollie Washington

Reviewed: 12/16/2014
Degree: Law
Graduation Year: 2016

"I love living in Irvine, and I could spend the rest of my life here. However, other students, especially those of color and LGBT would prefer to leave Irvine because it is not diverse and it is very conservative. UCI Law is inclusive, but not the city of Irvine."