How to Apply to Business at UC Irvine: The Merage School’s BA in Business Administration, Choosing the Major When You Apply and a Demanding Change-of-Major Process, With Requirements and Timelines for Chinese and Canadian High School Students and Transfer Students

At the University of California, Irvine (UCI), undergraduate business is taught by The Paul Merage School of Business. The main major is the BA in Business Administration; a BS in Business Information Management is offered jointly with the Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences. Here is what you need to know for fall 2027 entry, based on official information, for students at high schools in China, students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Vancouver students), and transfer students.

1. The BA in Business Administration

• 20 major courses: 8 lower-division foundations (MATH 2A and 2B calculus, Introduction to Business and Management, two economics courses, business statistics, financial and managerial accounting), to be completed by the end of the 6th quarter; 7 upper-division core courses (management science, organizational behavior, marketing, management information science, managerial finance, strategic management and business communication); and 5 upper-division electives.
• Six emphases: Accounting, Finance, Information Systems, Marketing, Operations & Decision Technology, and Organization & Management; three of the five electives must form one emphasis.
• International business requirement: an approved international course, MGMT 195 with a one-week study trip abroad, or a UC Education Abroad Program.
• Admitted students: the Merage undergraduate page lists a mean GPA of 4.15 for admitted students without stating the year.

2. First-year application

• Choose the major when you apply: select Business Administration for UCI in the UC application.
• Submit the UC application between 1 October and 30 November 2026; there is no ED or EA, and only fall entry.
• Comprehensive review: A-G GPA, rigor, honors/AP/IB HL courses, senior-year program, achievements and Personal Insight Questions. UCI does not accept letters of recommendation and does not consider SAT or ACT for admission or scholarships.
• AP and IB credit: AP scores of 3+ earn credit; the IB Diploma with 30+ earns at least 6 quarter units; Higher Level exams at 5–7 earn 8 quarter units each; Standard Level earns none.

3. Students at high schools in China

• Academics: 15 year-long A-G-equivalent courses with a minimum GPA of 3.4 (2 years of history, 4 of the language of instruction, 3 of math, 2 of science, 2 of a second language, 1 of arts and 1 elective).
• Chinese national curriculum: complete 12 years with a graduation certificate and list all grade 9–12 courses. UCI says nothing about Gaokao results.
• A-level: at least 5 IGCSE/GCSE/O-level subjects and 3 A-levels at C or above. IB: scores of 5+ in coursework and exams are encouraged.
• English (if high school was not fully in English or less than 3 years in English): TOEFL iBT 4.5 from January 2026 (80 before), IELTS 6.5, Duolingo 115, or alternatives such as ACT English 24, SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing 680 or AP English 3+.
• Math: the major requires two calculus courses, so strong high school math helps.

4. Students at Canadian high schools

• BC and other provinces except Quebec: complete 12 years with a high school diploma and competitive grades (no specific scores published).
• Three years at an English-medium high school removes the English test requirement.

5. Costs

• 2026-27 fees for fall 2026 entrants (Registrar): California residents US$20,105.05; non-residents add Nonresident Supplemental Tuition of 39,270, for about 59,375. Housing, food, books and transportation are extra; the fee page lists no business-specific charge.
• Tuition stability: under the UC Tuition Stability Plan, tuition and the student services fee stay fixed for up to six years from entry.
• Aid: UCI offers no financial aid to international students, who are also ineligible for federal and state aid. The Merage page links to scholarship information, but amounts and eligibility were not verified here.

6. Changing into Business Administration after entry

• Apply through the Merage internal system, open from Monday of Week 3 to 5 pm Friday of Week 6 each quarter; applications are reviewed after final grades, with decisions after finals or in Week 1 of the next quarter. Space is limited, and completing prerequisites does not guarantee admission.
• Minimums:
  • a 2.70 cumulative UC GPA and a 3.00 GPA in the quarter before changing major;
  • MATH 2A-B, ECON 20A-B (or MGMT 4A-B), MGMT 7, MGMT 30A and MGMT 30B completed;
  • a 3.30 average GPA in required management courses completed;
  • junior standing (90+ units), with all requirements taken for a letter grade.
• 2-minute video: on why you want the major and how your academic and personal experiences prepared you, rated on leadership experience, personal context and demonstrated interest in business; GPA remains the primary factor.

7. External transfer students

• Basics: 60 semester or 90 quarter UC-transferable units by the end of the spring before entry, and a transferable GPA of at least 2.8 for non-residents. All majors are selective, with priority for California community college juniors.
• Business Administration requirements (no TAG):
  • a 3.0 cumulative UC-transferable GPA;
  • calculus equivalent to MATH 2A-B, economics equivalent to ECON 20A-B or MGMT 4A-B, statistics equivalent to MGMT 7, and accounting equivalent to MGMT 30A and 30B.
• Credit: up to 105 lower-division quarter units; non-UC grades transfer as units only and do not count in the UCI GPA. Full IGETC certification clears lower-division general education. Merage notes that transfer students should plan to graduate in the major they were admitted to.
• English: international transfers prove proficiency with two UC-transferable English composition courses at C or better.
• Dates: submit between 1 October and 30 November; 31 January is the priority deadline for the Transfer Academic Update.

Checklist

Students at high schools in China:

• Submit the UC application between 1 October and 30 November 2026, selecting Business Administration at UCI
• A-G GPA of 3.4 or higher; take strong math
• TOEFL 4.5 (new) or 80 (old), IELTS 6.5 or Duolingo 115
• Budget about US$59,375 in tuition and fees plus living costs; no aid for international students

Students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Vancouver):

• Submit by 30 November; no SAT/ACT; three years of English-medium schooling waives the English test

Transfer students:

• 60 semester units and a 3.0+ transferable GPA
• Complete two calculus, two economics, statistics and two accounting courses; two English composition courses at C or better

Sources: UC Irvine and the University of California, Merage undergraduate programs; Merage prospective students and change of major; Merage degree requirements; International applicants; First-year applicants; Dates and deadlines; Transfer applicants; Transfer major requirements; 2026-27 undergraduate fees (fall 2026 entrants); Aid for international students; UC English language proficiency. Information is for fall 2027 entry (fees are 2026-27 figures). Check UC Irvine and the University of California for the latest details.