University of California, Irvine: Merage

UCI Paul Merage School of Business, University of California forms part of the University of California, Irvine (UCI) as its business school. It is located in Irvine in the heart of Orange County, halfway between San Diego and Los Angeles.

Established in 1965 as the Graduate School of Administration, it originally offered only masters degrees in science in administration, public administration and business and public administration. The school has been known by its current name since 2005, after a donation from entrepreneur and Orange County philanthropist Paul Merage.

The full-time Master of Business Administration (MBA) is 21 months long. Students spend their first year doing business classes such as financial accounting and corporate finance, before moving on to electives in their second year that focus on three areas: analytic decision making, information technology and strategic innovation. About 44 per cent of MBA students are international.

The school holds a business plan competition, which provides up to $1 million in seed financing for startups by students.

The Master of Finance (MFin) is a one-year, full-time programme that prepares students for positions in areas such as risk management, asset and wealth management and real estate management. It allows up to 36 months of optional practical training after graduation.

The campus in Irvine is surrounded by many tech firms, such as Amazon, Google and Western Digital, as well as digital technology businesses such as Capital Group, Disney and Taco Bell. It is also near to beaches, mountains, hiking trails and plenty of entertainment options.