Each of these emphases is career preparatory, and admission to the program is highly competitive, attracting top applicants from across the country through interview and audition. The University of California, Irvine is one of nine campuses of the University of California, one of the great universities of the world.
Nearby cities are Newport Beach, Costa Mesa, and Laguna Beach.
An hour's drive north brings one into the heart of the film and television industry, not to mention a Los Angeles theatre scene that is the second largest in the nation. The Old Globe Theatre, and the La Jolla Playhouse. Ten minutes away from UCI are the Tony Award-winning South Coast Repertory and the Orange County Center for the Performing Arts. UCI concentrates its professional training at the graduate level, offering M.F.A. degrees in Acting, Directing, Costume Design, Scenic Design, Lighting Design, and Stage Management. All the faculty who teach in the M.F.A. program also teach in our undergraduate B.A. major in Drama.