Undergraduate Program

The Paul Merage School of Business welcomed its fifteenth class to the B.A. in Business Administration program in Fall 2021. Demand for the major continues to be extraordinary, with over 14,000 applications for students entering last fall. Incoming freshmen have a mean GPA of 4.15 and was the most diverse in history, with over 39% of domestic freshmen students coming from under-represented minority groups. Total enrollment is now over 1,100 students. Business Administration is the third-most requested major at the freshman level and is the first at the transfer level. Our business majors are broadly trained, with nearly half of their coursework from areas outside of the business school. Students select a minimum of one of six emphases in accounting, finance, operations and decision technologies, information systems, marketing, or organization and management. Nearly 35 percent of majors specify accounting as one of their areas of emphasis. The program ranks 30th Undergraduate Business program nationally by US News & World Report. The Merage School offers a distinctive B.S. in Business Information Management (a joint degree with the Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences) as well as three minor programs in accounting, innovation and entrepreneurship, and management, designed to complement any of the university’s 80+ majors. Fall 2021 numbers:

40%

of incoming freshmen are firstgeneration college students

39%

of incoming freshmen are underrepresented minorities

BA Business Administration Major Class of 2021 Employment Statistics

BA Class Profile Total Degrees Awarded Women 379 53%

Underrepresented Groups* 15

First-generation**:

40% International 9% Average First-Year Incoming GPA 4.08 Admin Rate*** 22%

*Percentage based on U.S. domestic student population **Percentage based on incoming admissions student data ***Percentage based on admitted freshman only (not transfers) Employment Results: Accepted Offer by Graduation 56.0% Accepted Offer by 6 Months after Graduation: 95.4%

*83.4% knowledge rate of class career outcomes. ** Both full-time employment and part-time employment are included. 4% of seeking students accepted part time positions.

Selection of Full-Time Placements: Andersen, Tax Associate BDO USA LLP. Core Tax Associate Deloitte, Audit & Assurance Associate Deloitte, Assurance & Internal Audit Deloitte, Tax Consultant EY, Diversified Tax Staff EY, Core Tax Associate Grant Thornton, Incoming Audit Associate HCVT LLP, State and Local Tax Staff KPMG, Core Tax Associate KPMG, Audit Associate Moss Adams, Assurance Associate PwC, Associate Auditor RSM US LLP, International Tax Associate RSM US LLP, Audit Associate Withum Smith + Brown, Tax Accountant JPMorgan Chase, Internal Audit Analyst

Selection of Internships: PwC, Core Assurance Inten Grant Thornton, Audit Intern Bank of America, Credit and Wholesale Banking Analyst KPMG, Audit Intern RSM US LLP, Tax Intern Moss Adams, Accounting Intern

Class of 2021 Spotlight

Vy Vu, Tax Associate at Anderson

How did the Merage School prepare you for postgraduation life? I was provided knowledge and multiple networking opportunities. First, The Paul Merage School has a variety of business classes that helped me build a strong business foundation. Second, I had an opportunity to get an internship at Andersen Tax through the Meet the Firms event. The knowledge and opportunities that I gained at the Paul Merage School made me feel confident. Thus, I got accepted a fulltime offer before I graduated from the school. I truly appreciate the professors, mentors, career advisors, and collages at the Paul Merage School who always supported me to achieve my goals and be successful in life.

What were your key involvements during your time at UCI? During my junior year, I joined LEADS Program and learned about leadership. I had an opportunity to create a Face Mask Campaign and form the Face Mask OC Team. Our team raised funds and distributed more than 10,000 face masks to healthcare workers and communities in the pandemic. It was a meaningful thing that I have done in my life. In addition, UCI ANTrepreneur provided me a lot of resources that helped me build a real business and participated in the New Venture Competition at the Paul Merage School. It was a great experience as a student.

What internships did you have during your time at UCI? I would like to thank Sarah Yoo, a career advisor at the Paul Merage School. She gave me great feedback for my resume and assisted me with a mock interview session. Consequently, I got accepted as an intern at Andersen Tax in my first quarter at UCI where I trained to be a Tax Associate. Two key takeaways that I gained from my internship are communication and teamwork skills. Johnny Wang, Tax Staff at Moss Adams

How did the Merage School prepare you for postgraduation life? The Merage School of Business helped me to build my career path by providing me numerous resources and opportunities in the business field. The variety of classes including accounting, finance, marketing, and management helped me to diversify and expand my knowledge in business. Paired with a multitude of social networking events and career fairs, I was able to discover my passion for accounting and initiate my career as a future CPA professional. During my experiences, I also came to be connected to a caring community of alumni, educators, and peers who continue to challenge me and support me in my endeavors and goals.

What were your key involvements during your time at UCI? During my time at UCI, I was able to grow in my leadership as a member and mentor in the Accounting Association Leadership Development Program. I also served as a core leader in Overflow Campus Fellowship, where I met most of my friends in college, whom I now treasure as my family.

What internships did you have during your time at UCI? I was introduced to my current firm Moss Adams through the Accounting Association’s speaking engagements and recruiting events. I was able to join their Summer Leadership Program in my sophomore year, which transitioned into a summer internship the following year. Both opportunities gave me a glimpse into the accounting world and helped me to solidify my decision to pursue a CPA and grow in the accounting profession. Without the Merage School, I never would have found my passion and gained the knowledge and skills to thrive in the job that I have today.