UCI Samueli School of Engineering

Name

UCI Samueli School of Engineering

Legal name

The Henry Samueli School of Engineering at UC Irvine

Website

https://engineering.uci.edu

Company type

Public

Founded year

1965

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education Engineering and Research

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology) (541715), Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (54171)

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

STEM-Focused Public Research Universities (EDAHAAAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Research Universities with Comprehensive Graduate & Professional Schools (EDAHAAAF), Polytechnic & Applied Sciences Universities (EDAHAEAB)

Keywords

• Engineering education
• Materials science research
• Advanced manufacturing
• University research programs
• Corporate research partnerships

Headquarters

HQ city

Irvine, CA

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: Primary funding from University of California system, state government appropriations, and federal research grants from agencies including NIH, NSF, DOE, DOD, NASA, and Air Force Office of Scientific Research
2. Private Donations: Private contributions from alumni, friends, and corporate partners through the Dean's Circle ($1,000+ annual), scholarships, fellowships, and research support
3. Sponsored Research: Industry-sponsored research contracts and Corporate Partners Program membership fees
4. Corporate Partnerships: Annual membership levels from corporate partners supporting curriculum development, experiential learning, and research

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Henry Samueli School of Engineering at UC Irvine delivers undergraduate, master's, and doctoral engineering degree programs across six departments and conducts sponsored research in advanced manufacturing, materials science, clean energy, aerospace, and biomolecular engineering. It runs shared research facilities (IMRI, IDMI, NFCFC, ACRC), industry-sponsored research centers, graduate fellowship programs, and K-12/community college outreach, supported by state appropriations, federal grants, corporate partnerships, and private donations.

Product overview

UCI Samueli School of Engineering's Materials Science and Engineering Department offers a comprehensive academic portfolio centered on its MSE@UCI program, which includes an ABET-accredited B.S. degree, minor, doctoral program, and three master's options. The department supports research through multiple institutes including the Irvine Materials Research Institute (IMRI), Advanced Casting Research Center (ACRC), and Pratt & Whitney Center for Solidification Science. Educational offerings include the UCI-LANL-SoCalHub Graduate Fellowships and the M-SPIRE outreach program. The school also produces The Lab Beat podcast and participates in the ARCHES hydrogen hub initiative. Research spans seven thrust areas from advanced manufacturing to nanoscale materials.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Materials Science and Engineering Academic Programs (MSE@UCI) ABET-accredited B.S. in materials science and engineering, a minor for other majors, a doctoral program, and three master's degree options (thesis M.S., comprehensive exam M.S., professional M.Eng) for prospective undergraduate and graduate students.
• Biomedical Engineering Academic Programs Academic department offering undergraduate and graduate degrees and research programs in biomedical engineering.
• Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Academic Programs Academic department offering undergraduate and graduate degrees and research programs in chemical and biomolecular engineering.
• Civil and Environmental Engineering Academic Programs Academic department offering undergraduate and graduate degrees and research programs in civil and environmental engineering, including a CEE Affiliates industry partnership program.
• Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (Nhu EECS) Academic Programs Academic department offering undergraduate and graduate degrees and research programs in electrical engineering and computer science, including an International Center for international students.
• Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Academic Programs Academic department offering undergraduate and graduate degrees and research programs in mechanical and aerospace engineering, including a Corporate Affiliates industry partnership program.
• UCI-LANL-SoCalHub Graduate Research Fellowships Funded graduate research fellowships bridging UCI engineering doctoral students and Los Alamos National Laboratory scientists in climate/environment, renewable energy, and materials/chemical research areas.
• Advanced Casting Research Center (ACRC) Industry-sponsored research center partnering with 45 global corporations in aerospace and automotive sectors to develop advanced metal manufacturing processes, including 100% recycled aluminum alloys and cold spray 3D-printed metals.
• Pratt & Whitney Center for Solidification Science Joint UC Irvine and Pratt & Whitney research center focused on the solidification science of critical jet engine components, directed by Prof. Diran Apelian.
• Irvine Materials Research Institute (IMRI) Research institute housing state-of-the-art high-resolution microscopes and characterization facilities for atomic-scale materials research accessible to UCI faculty, students, and external collaborators.
• ARCHES (Alliance for Renewable Clean Hydrogen Energy Systems) California's $12 billion clean hydrogen hub public-private partnership, with UCI faculty serving as interim directors for business development, covering over 400 industry, government, and academic partners.
• UCI Corporate Partners Program Industry membership program providing companies with access to engineering talent, research collaborations, curriculum input, and recruiting events through annual membership tiers.
• Engineering+Sustainability Institute Research institute focused on critical materials research for sustainable engineering solutions and environmental sustainability challenges.
• The Lab Beat Podcast Award-winning audio podcast featuring cutting-edge UCI engineering labs, with 2-5 minute episodes highlighting discoveries, innovations, and lab tours, hosted by audio journalist Natalie Tso.

Quantifiable outcome

• Created in 2018 as new department, MSE@UCI has rapidly established research prominence
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability10 records

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship, major and minor.

• Pratt & WhitneycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 March 2025UC Irvine and Pratt & Whitney established a Materials Science Center of Excellence focusing on the solidification science of critical jet engine components. Prof. Diran Apelian serves as director of the center.
• Alliance for Renewable Clean Hydrogen Energy Systems (ARCHES)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 November 2023California's $12 billion clean hydrogen hub led by ARCHES, a public-private partnership including the University of California system. UCI Chancellor's Professor Plamen Atanassov and Prof. Jack Brouwer serve as interim directors for business development. The initiative includes over 400 partners, $1.2B federal funding, $2B state funding, and $9B industry commitment.
• Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 January 2022Collaborative partnership to increase research collaboration between UCI faculty and DOE national laboratories, create educational opportunities, and enhance workforce development. Includes UCI-LANL-SoCalHub Graduate Fellowships in three broad areas: climate and environment, renewable energy, and materials and chemical research. Fellows receive co-mentorship from UCI professors and LANL scientists.
• Advanced Casting Research Center (ACRC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch center working with 45 global corporations to manufacture metals with enhanced properties for aerospace and automobile industries. Uses advanced technologies including ultrasound treatment and cold spray metal 3D printing.
• Ascend ElementsflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerBillion-dollar company co-founded by Prof. Diran Apelian to recycle EV batteries using UCI technology. Named Time's America's Top Ten Green Tech Company of 2024. Develops technologies to recover cobalt, nickel and lithium from batteries for reuse in new cathodes.
• SoCalHubcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProgram led by UCI Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, funded by UC Office of the President, to increase connections between five south UC campuses and UC-managed national laboratories.
• General MotorsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership through ACRC for developing new alloys from 100% recycled material for automotive applications. Using recycled aluminum saves 99% of energy compared to virgin material.
• Los Angeles Department of Water and PowermajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in ARCHES hydrogen hub, converting a natural gas plant into a hydrogen plant as part of California's clean energy transition.
• National Academy of EngineeringminorOthersProf. Stacy Copp selected to participate in the Grainger Foundation Frontiers of Engineering Symposium, fostering cross-disciplinary collaboration among early-career engineers.
• Lawrence Berkeley National LaboratorycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with UCI in developing the ARCHES hydrogen hub proposal that was integrated with Berkeley Lab's concurrent vision for statewide clean hydrogen ecosystem.
• Johns Hopkins UniversitymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative research with UCI materials scientists studying how microorganisms transform rocks in hyper-arid desert environments, funded by $4M Air Force Office of Scientific Research grant.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Stanford University School of Engineering: Stanford Engineering is a top-tier private research engineering school that competes for the same federal grants, faculty, and industry partnerships as UCI Samueli, particularly in materials science and clean-energy research, while operating at significantly larger scale.
• MIT School of Engineering: MIT's School of Engineering is a global benchmark for engineering education and research; it competes with UCI for federal grants, faculty recruits, and top student applicants, and sets the bar in materials science and advanced manufacturing research.
• Georgia Tech College of Engineering: Georgia Tech is one of the largest public US engineering schools and a benchmark for ABET-accredited programs, materials research, and corporate affiliate programs comparable to UCI's ACRC.
• Carnegie Mellon College of Engineering: Carnegie Mellon's College of Engineering is a top engineering school known for materials, mechanical, and biomedical research, and is a benchmark for federal-grant capture and industry-funded research centers.
• Purdue University College of Engineering: Purdue's College of Engineering is a leading public engineering school with comparable scale and strong overlap in materials, mechanical/aerospace, and industrial partnerships including defense-related research.
• Caltech Division of Engineering and Applied Science: Caltech's engineering division is a leading California-based engineering research institution with strong overlap in materials, aerospace, and energy research, and competes for AFOSR and DOE funding alongside UCI.

Regional players

• Worcester Polytechnic Institute: WPI is an East Coast STEM-focused engineering school with overlapping materials and manufacturing research strengths; Prof. Diran Apelian was previously WPI provost, creating a direct institutional link to UCI.

Direct peers

• UC Berkeley College of Engineering: Berkeley's College of Engineering is the flagship UC engineering school and a direct comparator for federal grant capture, faculty quality, and industry partnerships, with overlapping strengths in materials science, EECS, and clean energy research.
• UCLA Samueli School of Engineering: UCLA's Henry Samueli School of Engineering is the closest sibling institution — same UC system, same naming donor, similar engineering departments, and overlapping research focus in materials, aerospace, and clean energy, competing for the same student and faculty pool in Southern California.
• UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering: UC San Diego's Jacobs School is a peer UC engineering school with comparable scale, similar department structure, and overlapping research in materials, aerospace, and bioengineering, directly competing for SoCal talent and federal grants.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/UCIEngineering
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/UCIEngineering
• Facebookfacebook.com/ucirvineengineering
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/ucirvineengineering
• Instagraminstagram.com/uciengineering

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about UCI Samueli School of Engineering