UC Irvine

The University of California, Irvine is one of the backbones of the city of Irvine. Its origins stem from the same company, the Irvine Company, that is responsible for the establishment and running of all of Irvine, and it provides the city with a top rated educational institution. Programs at UC Irvine cover everything from network marketing leads to medicine, and draw in thousands of students from all over the country. Extra curriculars at the school extend from choirs to sports where you can attend a hockey tournament Ontario. If you're considering moving to Irvine, California so you or your children can take advantage of all that UC Irvine has to offer, this article should provide you with an overview of the school.

Establishment

After World War II, the G.I. Bill made provisions for large numbers of veterans to receive college educations once they returned stateside. This created the need for more schools where former sailors could study how to make keel designs and former soldiers could train for a career outside of the military. The University of California system was created to meet this demand, and UC Irvine was one of its campuses. The Irvine Company then sold 1,000 acres of land in 1960 to the government for one dollar to aid in the construction of the campus.

UC Irvine and the City of Irvine

The city of Irvine didn't exist before the campus was built. Instead, soon after the establishment of the university, the community of Irvine was master-planned with the school at its center and the two entities grew up together. Today scarcely a license plate cover exists in Irvine that doesn't bear the logo of this much beloved institution. The university is the largest employer in the city, and not just in terms of academics. It also provides employment opportunities to administrators, service staff, and construction workers, since the campus is nearly always in the process of renovating or expanding.

Academics

The University of California, Irvine is a nationally ranked public research university. It is considered a "public ivy" institution, which means it offers an Ivy League quality education at a public university price. In addition to providing graduates who go on to firms specializing in internet marketing, Toronto's sick kids hospital, and courtrooms all over the nation, UC Irvine also has numerous undergraduate programs in social sciences, ecology, business, physical sciences, computer studies, fine arts, and engineering. Many of these programs have been ranked in the top 50 in the nation.

Sports

The UC Irvine Anteaters play in the NCAA Division I. They are competitive in basketball, track and field, baseball, volleyball, water polo, soccer, rowing, swimming and sailing.

Research and Institutes

The university has under its wing a number of institutes that range from a laser laboratory to an arts clinic which provides lessons in faux painting instruction to the public. These research endeavors draw in top minds and allow undergraduates to participate in the process. Some of the more well known are the Beckman Laser Institute, the Center for Global Peace and Conflict Studies, the National Fuel Cell Research Center, and the Keck Center for Accelerator Mass Spectrometry.