Grad STAR 3+1 Access Track

Designed to enrich the academic experience of the students coming from our university partners. Independent students who are interested in this track can contact STAR@ce.uci.edu to inquire about their eligibility.

STAR does not offer conditional or guaranteed admission to UCI or any other university. Any STAR program information should be referred to our official website.

Program Curriculum

Minimum 12 units to meet the full-time requirement each quarter

Foundational Course List:

• Academic English for ESL Learners courses
• Analytical Writing and Verbal Reasoning course
• Graduate Application Assistance course
• Scientific Writing
• Standardized Test Preparation courses
• Career Preparation course (part of the Internship Program)

Concentration Course Lists:

• Data Science:
  • DCE Intro to Python Programming course and Practical Math and Statistics for Data Science course
  • Accelerated Data Analytics for Business and Data Science Certificate Program courses
• Engineering:
  • DCE Engineering Tech/EECS courses
  • UCI Undergraduate Engineering courses (departmental approval is required)
• Humanities:
  • UCI Humanities and Global Cultures courses (departmental approval is required)

Important Notes:

1. Concentration course availability may vary depending on university partner agreements and approvals.
2. Program approval is required for enrolling in more than 12 units. The maximum number of units covered by the program tuition is 16 units per quarter.
3. Students must meet the program advancement criteria to enroll in UCI Major courses, ACPs, or Internship Experience.
4. Courses are scheduled based on availability. Course equivalent substitutions will be recommended when courses become unavailable.

Eligibility and Requirements

In addition to being a student whose home university has a partnership with UCI DCE, you, as an applicant, must provide the following documents:

1. The completed Graduate STAR 3+1+1 application with a non-refundable $200 application fee. The application fee must be paid within 7 days of our office’s receipt of your application to be processed; otherwise, the application may automatically be canceled.
2. Has received or is eligible to receive a diploma from the current or last attended college / university upon the completion of the Graduate STAR 3+1+1 Track.
3. Copies of all of your current official academic transcripts to prove your completion of at least three years of college education and to meet the minimum GPA requirement of 3.0 (or equivalent).
   • If you have already completed your bachelor’s degree, provide a copy of your 4-year bachelor’s degree diploma/graduation certificate or a confirmation statement issued by your current university/college with your expected graduation date and year.
4. Copy of your current passport page that shows your photo.
5. Documentation for any educational gap since the start of university/college attendance must be supported with explanations and evidence.
6. Copies of English proficiency proof that meet any of the following minimum test scores:
   • English proficiency tests accepted
     • 71 iBT TOEFL (To send an official TOEFL test score, please select the institution code B166.)
     • 530 PBT TOEFL or 17 on each section
     • 685 TOEIC
     • 6.0 IELTS (To send an official IELTS test score, please select the institution code B166.)
     • B2 CEFR or ISE
     • 3.5 iTEP
     • 450 Kaplan Test of English (KTE)
     • 95 Duolingo
     • 50 Pearson Academic
     • Advanced Cambridge
     • EIKEN Japanese Test in Practical English "Grade pre-1"
   • Completion of English language school
     • UCI 10-Week Intensive ESL: Level 5
     • Kaplan International: Higher Intermediate
     • FLS International: Level 16
     • ELS Language Centers: Level 112

Note:

1. TOEFL iBT MyBest Scores, Special Home Edition, Essentials and IELTS Indicator will be accepted as long as all exams were taken within the past two years.
2. To send an official TOEFL or IELTS test score, please select the institution code B166.

English Requirement Exemption:

1. You have attended a high school for at least 3 years where English is the main language of instruction; or
2. You have obtained a recognized undergraduate or master’s degree from an institution at which English was the sole language of instruction.

Students who have undergraduate majors in STEM and whose GPAs are at least 3.2 will receive priority acceptance consideration and pre-assessment for their intended graduate program.

Our program entry requirements and English exemption are not the same as any other programs at UCI.

UCI DCE reserves the right to deny acceptance to STAR. Applicants who are not accepted into STAR by UCI DCE will be notified in writing.