UCI’s critical theory program is No. 1 in U.S. News’ graduate school rankings

Irvine, Calif., March 14, 2017 — The University of California, Irvine’s critical theory program is No. 1 in the U.S. News & World Report’s annual graduate school rankings, and 11 other fields of advanced study at UCI are rated in the top 25 among public universities.

The campus’s critical theory program has been home to some of the leading scholars in the field, such as Murray Krieger, J. Hillis Miller and Jacques Derrida. It’s a multidisciplinary subject in which theory brings literary and cultural texts into contact with today’s pressing issues – from the environment to equality and much more. Its faculty come from the comparative literature, East Asian languages & literatures, English, film & media studies, anthropology, political science, studio art and drama departments, among others. UCI shares the U.S. News top ranking with the University of Chicago.

“Literary criticism and theory have been at the heart of the School of Humanities since UCI’s inception,” said James Steintrager, director of the campus program. “This ranking recognizes both our reputation and the reality of our longstanding, dynamic engagement with critical thought and thinkers. It’s an honor to our faculty affiliates in UCI critical theory, to our distinguished professors and guest lecturers, and to the graduate and undergraduate students who have made critical theory a living and lively tradition here.”

UCI’s graduate program in English is rated sixth among public universities and 17^th overall.

In just its third year of eligibility, UCI’s law school ranks 28^th overall and in the top10 among public universities. It also scored in the top 14 in the U.S. News diversity index, No. 15 for clinical training and No. 17 for intellectual property law and tied for third with Yale University for best student/faculty ratio.

Other top-25 UCI schools and programs include:

• School of Education, 15^th among publics, 25^th overall
• The Henry Samueli School of Engineering, 21^st among publics, 37^th overall
• School of Medicine research, 21^st among publics, 48^th overall
• The Paul Merage School of Business, 22^nd among publics, 44^th overall
• Sociology, 12^th among publics, 23^rd overall
• History, 18^th among publics, 34^th overall
• Psychology, 19^th among publics, 36^th overall
• Political science, 24th among publics, 45th overall
• Economics, 24^th among publics, 47^th overall

“UCI has quickly grown to become a world-class research university,” said Frances Leslie, vice provost for graduate education and dean of the Graduate Division. “Our campus offers challenging and intellectually rich curricula designed to help our students achieve academic and professional fulfillment. The combined efforts of our accomplished faculty, dedicated administrators and staff allow us to remain at the forefront of academic excellence.”

U.S. News did not evaluate arts and sciences programs this year.

About the University of California, Irvine: Founded in 1965, UCI is the youngest member of the prestigious Association of American Universities. The campus has produced three Nobel laureates and is known for its academic achievement, premier research, innovation and anteater mascot. Led by Chancellor Howard Gillman, UCI has more than 30,000 students and offers 192 degree programs. It’s located in one of the world’s safest and most economically vibrant communities and is Orange County’s second-largest employer, contributing $5 billion annually to the local economy. For more on UCI, visit www.uci.edu.

Media access: Radio programs/stations may, for a fee, use an on-campus ISDN line to interview UCI faculty and experts, subject to availability and university approval. For more UCI news, visit wp.communications.uci.edu. Additional resources for journalists may be found at communications.uci.edu/for-journalists.