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Grad STAR 3+1 Access Track

Our Graduate STAR 3+1 Access Track is exclusively for students from our university partners seeking to become competitive applicants and successful students in high-ranking U.S. graduate programs within a five-year period. This program offers a unique curriculum to current fourth year / senior university students who want to accelerate their learning in fields such as Engineering, data science and analytics for business, and humanities. Students will receive integrated academic, professional, and communication skills training through rigorous credit-bearing courses. Moreover, students may be eligible to participate in a 10-week internship to boost their resumes and interaction with business professionals in the U.S. by extending their program.

Upon successful completion of the 3+1 Access Track and graduation requirements for the bachelor’s degrees issued by students’ home universities, students will continue to attend UCI or another graduate school by completing the master’s degree program that has accepted them.

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

Important Notes

  1. Students who meet our preferred admission requirements may be eligible to be exempt from the Academic English courses.
  2. Courses are scheduled based on availability and may vary depending on university partner agreements. Course equivalent substitutions will be recommended when courses become unavailable.
  3. 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.

Program Benefits

  • Major-focused study plan that includes undergraduate academic and professional credit-bearing classes that may satisfy the pre-requisites of and be transferable to your desired graduate program*
  • Gain exclusive networking opportunities with select graduate programs to showcase your strengths and to receive pre-admission consultation
  • Enhance your skills with Intensive Academic English and advanced training in Professional Communication (e.g., interview and presentation) to help you become proficient in English language use in any formal setting
  • Get specialized ACTS (Authentic, Comprehensive, Targeted, Strategic) guidance on your application process for colleges and universities in the U.S.
  • Receive expert-approved standardized test preparation resources for US college admission to help you reach your target score
  • Gain practical work experience in an optional Internship Experience in select fields of U.S. businesses and industries
  • School partnership and scholarship opportunity: STAR is excited to partner with several prestigious institutions in the U.S, including Northwestern University School of Professional Studies, Pepperdine University Graduate Business and Law Schools, and A. Gary Anderson Graduate School of Management at UC Riverside. Highlights of our partnerships include priority application review and English requirement (e.g., TOEFL and IELTS) waiver. Scholarships from our partners are also available

*Final credit transfer is determined by the student's current or future institution.

Eligibility and Requirements

Minimum Admissions Requirements

  1. Copies of all 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 2.0 (or equivalent).
  2. Documentation for any educational gap since the start of university/college attendance must be supported with explanations and evidence.
  3. Proof of English language proficiency (one of the options below taken within the past two years):
    Acceptable Test Minimum Score
    Duolingo 95
    IELTS 6.0
    Internet-based TOEFL 71
    Paper-based TOEFL 530
    TOEIC 685
    CASEC 650
    Kaplan Test of English (KTE) 450
    CEFR or ISE B2
    iTEP 3.5
    Pearson Academic 50
    GEPT High-Intermediate
    Advanced Cambridge Completion
    EIKEN Japanese Test in Practical English Grade Pre-1
    English Program Completion
    • Kaplan International: Higher Intermediate
    • FLS International: Level 16
    • ELS Language Centers: Level 112
    • DCE Intensive ESL: Level 5
    Other Program Completion Attended high school for at least 3 years where English was the main language of instruction;
    or
    Higher education degree taught entirely in English according to the World Higher Education Database

Notes

  1. TOEFL iBT MyBest Scores and Special Home Edition 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.
  3. Students whose native language is not English may be required to take UC Irvine DCE’s online English-as-a-Second-Language Placement Exam before the start of the program. The exam results will determine the appropriate English language courses needed in the program.
  4. Our program entry requirements and English exemption are not the same as any other programs at UC Irvine.
  5. UC Irvine DCE reserves the right to deny acceptance to STAR. Applicants who are not accepted into STAR by UC Irvine DCE will be notified in writing.

Preferred Admissions Requirements

  1. 3.2 GPA or higher for Engineering and Data/Computer Sciences; 3.0 GPA or higher for other majors
  2. Demonstration of English language proficiency (one of the options below):
    • 80 iBT TOEFL
    • 6.5 IELTS
    • 115 Duolingo

Program

Approximate Tuition

$32,050

Format

UC Irvine Campus

Duration

9 months

Please visit our Tuition and Fees page to view a list of associated costs

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Have Questions?

Talk to an enrollment coach

Call: +1 (949) 824-5414
Monday-Friday, 9am-4pm (Pacific)

Curriculum

Required core courses, approved target courses and recommended support courses.

Required Core Courses

Approved Target Courses

(based on the satisfaction of the program advancement criteria)

Recommended Support Courses

Additional Information

Frequently Asked Questions