Undergrad STAR

This course is designed to strengthen the writing skills and critical reading skills of students in preparation for university study. Students will learn conventions which are essential to academic writing and practice avoiding and correcting common writing mistakes. They will practice composing and properly citing quotations, paraphrases, and summaries and will produce two academic essays. Throughout the course, students will also read and analyze articles. They will evaluate claims and evidence, synthesize information from multiple readings, and reference passages in their own writing. Additionally, peer discussions and group work will be a regular part of this course, preparing students to engage confidently in the collaborative learning context of their future college courses. 

Prerequisites: Completion of level 4 ESL or equivalent 

This course introduces students to speaking and presentation skills necessary for academic settings. Speaking skills are developed through leading and participating in group discussions, debates, and an individual speaking presentation. Students will practice forming questions, reporting findings, and supporting their own arguments. Examples of learning activities in this course include class discussions, group work, and note-taking practice.

Prerequisites: Completion of level 4 ESL or equivalent

This course helps learners develop strategies and skills to engage with academic content from the perspective of the American academic culture. Learners will use content from Academic Enrichment courses to develop and reinforce skills in areas such as communication in academic environments, note-taking for lectures and readings, and analytical reading and writing. Through class-based discussions and activities, along with reflective writing and presentations, learners will improve strategies and skills for academic success.

Prerequisites: Enrollment in corresponding Academic Enrichment course

This course is designed to help undergraduate applicants understand the importance and ethics of personal written responses on multiple sections of a university application and apply ethical principles to their application process. Learners will be introduced to the holistic review process and how it impacts their individual applications. Additionally, learners will develop an ethical strategy for composing authentic written responses for application sections and prompts. They will discover how tone impacts their application narrative and apply one that is appropriate for the audience reviewing their applications. The objectives of this course will be achieved through lectures, discussions, and interactive written, listening, speaking, and reading comprehension exercises. 

Prerequisites: Completion of Level 4 ESL or equivalent English proficiency 

This course is designed to help international students develop the critical thinking and writing skills necessary to excel in academic, research-related writing tasks in a university-level course. In addition, the course will put great emphasis on academic honesty and plagiarism. Through course discussions, practices, and assignments, students will learn to integrate and comment on multiple academic sources to support an argument and engage with texts to understand, interpret, and evaluate what specific language and rhetorical features communicate. Students will also develop a range of sophisticated sentence structures and a strong command of academic expressions used in academic writing.

Prerequisites: Successful completion of Academic Reading and Writing preferred or equivalent English proficiency level

This course is designed to help undergraduate applicants with the university and college selection and application process.  Students will be introduced to the holistic review process and how their academic credentials impact the schools they choose.  They will be guided through the application process for UC schools as well as the process for the Common Application.  They will explore the ethics of submitting authentic applications and be given structured information on how to write compelling narratives of their experiences under ethical guidelines that promote original, unique work. The objectives of this course will be achieved through lecture and group work, as well as through interactive written, listening, speaking and reading comprehension exercises. 

Prerequisites: A minimum of level 4 ESL placement; level 5 or above preferred. 

This course has been designed specifically to provide STAR students with the necessary tools and support for overcoming academic challenges and successful acclimation to the UCI academic environment. The course will familiarize students with effective strategies for university success. In addition, an important component of this course is an introduction to U.S. History, which all UCI undergraduate students must complete to graduate. Because history is not just learning dates, but developing critical thinking skills to understand why events happen and their consequences, this course embeds U.S. History as content for skills development.

Prerequisites: Completion of level 4 ESL or equivalent English proficiency

View course options here.

View course options here.

View details of the Intensive ESL courses here.

• The English Placement Test is required and is given only once to students who do not meet our Preferred Acceptance Requirements.
• Courses are scheduled based on availability. Course equivalent substitutions will be recommended when courses become unavailable.
• Program approval is required to enroll in more than 12 units in any subsequent quarter. The maximum number of units that are covered by the program tuition is 16.
• High school students who do not meet the minimum UC eligibility will be highly encouraged to enroll in our Early College courses through our recommended partner institution; additional tuition is required.

1. Complete the online STAR application form and pay the non-refundable $200 application fee.
2. After you have been provisionally accepted into STAR, an official Acceptance Confirmation Letter will be sent to you. This letter is usually sent by e-mail. It will describe the STAR registration policies and request the required Program Deposit of $10,000 USD to be submitted to STAR within 15 days after the receipt of your Acceptance Confirmation letter. You will also need to submit copies of your or your sponsor’s financial statements (e.g., checking or savings accounts) that meet our financial requirements for I-20 issuance. If you are applying as a transfer-in from another U.S. institution, you will also need to submit a completed Transfer Evaluation Form.

Note: Students who are government-sponsored must provide an official letter of financial support in lieu of the Program Deposit and any additional tuition and mandatory fees to avoid any delay in the application process or enrollment cancellation.

1. After you have signed the acknowledgment form that is part of your Acceptance Confirmation letter and STAR has received your required program deposit, you will receive an official Letter of Acceptance (LOA), Form I-20, and Welcome Packet. With the Letter of Acceptance and Form I-20, you will be able to submit a request for an F-1 student visa from the U.S. Embassy or consulate in your area.
2. You will have 30 days to pay the balance of the program tuition and fees. Confirmation of enrollment must include full payment of tuition and fees.

Please see Registration Policies & Deadlines for cancellation and postponement requests.

UC Irvine DCE is committed to serving students from all diverse backgrounds. While the acceptance preference will be given to students who have met our minimum acceptance requirements, we recognize individual circumstances and offer a comprehensive review of every applicant. So, students who do not meet our minimum acceptance requirements are still encouraged to apply. It is important that students provide additional information (e.g., resume, community service, awards and achievements, and extra-curricular classes and activities) to demonstrate their unique circumstances.

These are the key selection criteria that are taken into consideration for advancing:

• Pass every CE or P/NP graded class
• Score at least 85% in every CE or P/NP class offered by your program
• Maintain at least a B average or cumulative GPA of 3.0
• Comply with the program policies (e.g., in good academic standing) at all times
• Achieve at least TOEFL 80, IELTS 6.5, Duolingo 115, or DCE's Intensive ESL Advanced Level by the last day of the current quarter

Students who meet the above key selection criteria are expected to follow the program curriculum or their designed study plan. When students fail to meet the above key selection criteria, students will be required to follow the alternative study plan or add one or more quarters.

• Undergraduate STAR is an academically rigorous program. Students are expected to demonstrate high levels of engagement and learning. Our classes are typically offered between 9:00 am and 5:00 pm (California Time), Monday – Friday, with breaks between courses.
• Additionally, we place a high value on in-person learning and student experience on the UC Irvine campus. We will follow the UC Irvine policies when it is required for us to change our instruction mode. Students who have special circumstances and can only study remotely in our program should contact us.

There are many student activities, events, and trips organized on- and off-campus every quarter, which you can view on our Activities page.

Students are strongly encouraged to take advantage of all extracurricular activities to enrich their student life experience and to build their extracurricular activities for their university/college applications.

Yes. Please visit Student Resources for more information.

Yes. The minimum full-time requirement is 12 units each quarter. An F-1 student visa is required for students who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents to study in this program on the UC Irvine campus.

Please visit Program Dates for available intakes.

Program Completion clearance will not be granted for a student with an outstanding debt related to their program tuition and fees, any outstanding misconduct charges, or unsatisfactory completion of all program requirements.

You can view the list of schools that have offered admission to our STAR students since 2011.

We recognize that students come from many different educational backgrounds, and we want to support everyone in meeting the admission requirements for the University of California. To help students strengthen their academic background, we have put together a general list of online high school course providers:

• APEX Learning
• Silicon Valley High School Online Curriculum
• VHS Learning
• Accelerate Education
• Classical Learning Resource Center
• Edmentum's EdOptions Academy
• Franklin Academy

Please note: These providers operate independently and are not affiliated with the UC Irvine Division of Continuing Education.

Funding is currently not available for students who are enrolled in our program. However, students may find any financial assistance opportunities by contacting the consulates in their home countries. There are also scholarship websites available: IEFA, International Scholarships, International Student.