A2i/Accelerate to Industry

Graduate Division is also proud to offer Career Explorations, a web-based hiring platform exclusively for UCI Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Scholars. Click here to join Career Explorations.

With A2i, graduate students can explore the ample employment opportunities with industry companies here in Orange county, and across the US. They can develop the business, leadership, and communication skills, or key competencies that companies seek. Click here for key competencies.

Our Mission

Prepare UCI graduate students and postdocs for the wide range of available industry careers
Help our graduate students secure internships and careers in industry
Build a program that serves as a touch point for more long-term collaborative relationships between industry and UC Irvine

A2i Modules

These modules offer you the opportunity to engage with A2i at all stages of your graduate career. We recommend starting with Industry Job Search Strategies early and finishing with Industry Immersion as you near degree completion. Our first A2i Job Search Strategies Workshop series with a cohort of 45 PhD students and Postdocs is currently in session! Click here to view the syllabus and attend any of the virtual workshops!

Industry Job Search Strategies

Job Search Strategies (JSS) is comprised of two parts: talks from industry speakers and workshops led by the director of A2i and other professional development experts. Topics covered in this module include: career exploration, business communication, application materials, interviewing, salary negotiations, networking, informational interviews, and corporate culture. JSS’s speakers and workshops frequently change so students can benefit from taking this module multiple times.

Our first A2i Job Search Strategies Workshop series with a cohort of 45 PhD students and Postdocs is currently in session! Click here to view the syllabus and attend any of the virtual workshops!

Students in all stages of their graduate program participate in this module. Industry speakers come from a variety of industries including private sector, non-profit, and government.

Industry Company Site Visit

We selectively recruit graduate and postdoctoral researchers in response to each company’s specific recruitment needs. Our recruitment methods ensure that participants in the site visit are interested in building their careers with the respective company.

Industry Internship

This module establishes opportunities for industry companies to work directly with UC Irvine Graduate Division for recruitment. We recruit outstanding candidates who match internship criteria, and we prepare application portfolios to assist company liaisons with the selection process.

Industry Team Practicum

This practicum is a 6-to-12-week development series during which UC Irvine graduate students and postdocs learn to leverage their technical backgrounds and creativity to move ideas and projects forward as a part of a cross-disciplinary team. Each partnering company will work with a multidisciplinary team on a project that is relevant to the company. Moreover, we recruit the team members in response to the company’s needs.

Industry Immersion

This is an intensive experiential learning opportunity that prepares UC Irvine graduate students, postdocs, and alumni for the corporate environment. The Accelerate to Industry Immersion module includes a week-long immersion experience for doctoral and postdoctoral researchers that includes signature A2i content along with events and activities unique to the Immersion Week. Coming to UCI in the summer of 2024.

Lilit Davtyan, CEO of Phonexa:

"I've experienced the UCI Grad Slam first hand as a judge, and it's refreshing to see the remarkable research that graduate students are leading, and the university is enabling. The event leaves participants inspired and connected, and it shows how important it is to support academic excellence and innovation. At Phonexa, we've globally grown our performance marketing software to a staff of over 200 partly due to recent graduates who are bringing new solutions to old problems. Schools like UCI who support entrepreneurial educational experiences are imperative to the workforce integration and professional development of students, as well enabling a talent pipeline to help further grow companies who are leading the charge with innovative solutions in their respective industries."