UCI State Authorization for Online Programs
UC Irvine Authorized States
State authorization is a regulation of the U.S. Department of Education that requires institutions offering distance education courses to be authorized by each state in which the institution enrolls students (if such authorization is required by the state). Each state has a different set of requirements when it comes to allowing out-of-state universities to offer online graduate degree programs to its residents. UCI is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC). More information on UCI’s accreditation is available here.
Our current status in each of the states is provided below:
State | Approval |
Alabama | In process |
Alaska | Exempt per Regulations |
Arizona | Exempt per Regulations |
Arkansas | In process |
California | Institutional Authorization |
Colorado | Exempt per Regulations |
Connecticut | Institutional Authorization |
Delaware | Institutional Authorization |
District of Columbia | In process |
Florida | Exempt per Regulations |
Georgia | In process |
Hawaii | Exempt per Regulations |
Idaho | Exempt per Regulations |
Illinois | Exempt per Regulations |
Indiana | Exempt per Regulations |
Iowa | Exempt per Regulations |
Kansas | Exempt per Regulations |
Kentucky | Exempt per Regulations |
Louisiana | In process |
Maine | Exempt per Regulations |
Maryland | Institutional Authorization |
Massachusetts | Exempt per Regulations |
Michigan | Institutional Authorization |
Minnesota | Not currently enrolling students in Master of Pharmacology, all other programs are registered |
Mississippi | In process |
Missouri | Exempt per Regulations |
Montana | Institutional Authorization |
Nebraska | Exempt per Regulations |
Nevada | Exempt per Regulations |
New Hampshire | Exempt per Regulations |
New Jersey | In process |
New Mexico | Institutional Authorization |
New York | Institutional Authorization |
North Carolina | Not pursuing authorization at this time |
North Dakota | In process |
Ohio | Exempt per Regulations |
Oklahoma | Exempt per Regulations |
Oregon | In process |
Pennsylvania | Institutional Authorization |
Puerto Rico | More investigation required |
Rhode Island | In process |
South Carolina | Exempt per Regulations |
South Dakota | Exempt per Regulations |
Tennessee | Exempt per Regulations |
Texas | Exempt per Regulations |
Utah | Exempt per Regulations |
Vermont | Exempt per Regulations |
Virginia | Institutional Authorization |
Washington | Exempt per Regulations |
West Virginia | Exempt per Regulations |
Wisconsin | In process |
Wyoming | Institutional Authorization |
Explanation of Terms
Exempt per Regulations | According to regulations for state authorization, UCI is exempt and can enroll students residing this state in online programs. |
Institutional Authorization | UCI has obtained authorization from this state by submitting all required documentation and obtaining approval. UCI can enroll students residing in this state in online programs. |
In process | UCI is in the process of obtaining authorization from this state. This page will be updated when authorization is obtained. |
Not pursuing authorization at this time | UCI is not pursuing authorization in this state and may not enroll students residing this state in online programs. |
General Disclosures:
- Transfer of credit is at the sole discretion of the receiving institution.
- Admission into programs for professions that require licensure and certification does not guarantee that students will obtain a license or certificate. Licensure and certification requirements are set by agencies that are not controlled by or affiliated with the University of California and licensure and certification requirements can change at any time. The University of California has not determined whether its programs meet other states’ educational or professional requirements for licensure and certification. Students enrolled in a University of California program who are planning to pursue licensure or certification in other states are responsible for determining whether they will meet their state’s requirements for licensure or certification. This disclosure is made pursuant to 34 CFR §668.43(a)(5)(v)(C).
State-Specific Disclosures:
- Arkansas: Arkansas Higher Education Coordinating Board Certification does not constitute an endorsement of any institution, course, or degree program. Such certification merely indicates that certain minimum standards have been met under the rules and regulations of institutional certification as defined in Arkansas Code §6-61-301.
- Minnesota: University of California, Irvine is registered with the Minnesota Office of Higher Education pursuant to Minnesota Statutes sections 136A.61 to 136A.71. Registration is not an endorsement of the institution. Credits earned at the institution may not transfer to all other institutions.”
Student Complaint Contact Information by State
Students who have complaints that have not been resolved through contact with the University may seek advisement from the appropriate office in the student’s state of residence, listed below.
This list includes contact information for all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories and should not be construed as informative of what agencies regulate the institution or in what states the institution is authorized to operate. States will accept complaints regardless of whether an institution is authorized to operate in that state. The University does not maintain state and territory websites, and information may change without the University’s knowledge.
ALABAMA
Alabama Community College System
Attn: Division of Academic and Student Affairs
PO Box 302130
Montgomery, AL 36130-2130
Phone: 334-293-4500
ALASKA
Alaska Commission on Postsecondary Education
PO Box 110505,
Juneau, Alaska 99811-0505
Phone: 907-465-6741
ARIZONA
Arizona State Board for Private Postsecondary Education
1740 W. Adams St., Suite 3008
Phoenix, AZ 85007
Phone: 602-542-5709
ARKANSAS
Arkansas Division of Higher Education
423 Main St., Suite 400
Little Rock, AR 72201-3818
Phone: 501-371-2000
CALIFORNIA
California Department of Consumer Affairs
Consumer Information Center
1625 North Market Blvd., Suite N-112
Sacramento, CA 95834
Phone: 833-942-1120
COLORADO
Colorado Department of Higher Education
Commission on Higher Education
1600 Broadway, Suite 2200
Denver, CO 80202
Phone: 303-862-3001
CONNECTICUT
Connecticut Office of Higher Education
Emily Bjornberg
Senior Consultant
Academic Affairs
450 Columbus Blvd, Suite 707
Hartford, CT 06103
Emily.Bjornberg@ct.gov
www.ohe.ct.gov
860-947-1824 (office)
DELAWARE
Delaware Department of Education
The Townsend Building
401 Federal St., Suite 2
Dover, DE 19901-3639
Phone: 302-735-4000
FLORIDA
Florida Department of Education
Commission for Independent Education
325 W. Gaines St., Suite 1414
Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0400
Phone: 850-245-0505
GEORGIA
Georgia Nonpublic Postsecondary Education Commission
2082 E. Exchange Pl., Suite 220
Tucker, GA 30084
Phone: 770-414-3300
HAWAII
Business Registration Division of the Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs
PO Box 40
Honolulu, HI 96810
Phone: 808-586-2727
IDAHO
Idaho State Board of Education
State Authorization Program Manager
PO Box 83720
Boise, ID 83720-0037
Phone: 208-332-1587
ILLINOIS
Illinois Board of Higher Education
1 N. Old State Capitol Plaza, Suite 333
Springfield, IL 62701-1377
Phone: 217-782-2551
INDIANA
Board for Proprietary Education Indiana Commission for Higher Education
101 W. Ohio St., Suite 300
Indianapolis, IN 46204
Phone: 317-464-4400
IOWA
Iowa College Student Aid Commission
475 SW Fifth St., Suite D
Des Moines, IA 50309
Phone: 877-272-4456
KANSAS
The Kansas Board of Regents
1000 SW Jackson St., Suite 520
Topeka, KS 66612-4240
Phone: 785-430-4240
KENTUCKY
Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education
100 Airport Rd.
Frankfort, KY 40601
Phone: 502-573-1555
LOUISIANA
State of Louisiana Board of Regents
1201 N. Third St., Suite 6-200
Baton Rouge, LA 70802
Phone: 225-342-4253
Louisiana Alternate Contact:
Office of the Attorney General
Consumer Protection Section
P.O. Box 94005
Baton Rouge, LA 70804-9005
Phone: 225-326-6464 or 800-351-4889
MAINE
Maine Department of Education
23 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333-0023
Phone: 207-624-6600
MARYLAND
Maryland Higher Education Commission
6 N. Liberty St., 10th Floor
Baltimore, MD 21201
Phone: 410-767-3301
Maryland Alternate Contact:
Maryland Office of the Attorney General
200 St. Paul Place
Baltimore, MD 21202
Phone: 410-576-6300 or 888-743-0023
MASSACHUSETTS
Massachusetts Department of Higher Education
One Ashburton Place, Suite 1401
Boston, MA 02108-1696
Phone: 617-994-6950
MICHIGAN
Michigan Department of Education
PO Box 30008
Lansing, MI 48909
Phone: 517-373-9235
MINNESOTA
Minnesota Office of Higher Education
1450 Energy Park Dr., Suite 350
St. Paul, MN 55108
Phone: 651-259-3975 or 800-657-3866
MISSISSIPPI
Mississippi Commission on College Accreditation
3825 Ridgewood Rd.
Jackson, MS 39211
Phone: 601-432-6372
MISSOURI
Missouri Department of Higher Education & Workforce Development
301 W. High St.
Jefferson City, MO 65101
Phone: 573-751-2361
MONTANA
Montana University System
Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education
560 N. Park Ave.
PO Box 203201
Helena, MT 59620-3201
Phone: 406-449-9124
NEBRASKA
Nebraska Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education
ATTN: Complaints
PO Box 95005
Lincoln, NE 68509-5005
Phone: 402-471-2847
NEVADA
Nevada Commission on Postsecondary Education
2800 E. St. Louis Avenue
Las Vegas, NV 89104
Phone: 702-486-7330
NEW HAMPSHIRE
New Hampshire Department of Education
101 Pleasant Street
Concord, NH 03301-3494
Phone: 603-271-3494
NEW JERSEY
New Jersey Office of the Secretary of Higher Education
ATTN: Complaints
P.O. Box 542
Trenton, New Jersey 08625-0542
Phone: 609-292-4310
NEW MEXICO
New Mexico Higher Education Department
2044 Galisteo St., Suite 4
Santa Fe, NM 87505-2100
Phone: 505-476-8400
NEW YORK
New York State Education Department
Office of College and University Evaluation
89 Washington Avenue
EBA Room 960
Albany, New York 12234
Phone: 518-486-3633
NORTH CAROLINA
North Carolina Post-Secondary Education Complaints
910 Raleigh Road
Chapel Hill, NC 27514
Phone: 919-962-4558
North Carolina Alternate Contact:
North Carolina Department of Justice
Consumer Protection Division
Attorney General’s Office
Mail Service Center 9001
Raleigh, NC 27699-9001
Phone: 877-566-7226 or 919-716-6000
NORTH DAKOTA
North Dakota University System
Core Technology Services
2000 44th St. SW, Suite 301
Fargo, ND 58103
OHIO
Ohio Department of Higher Education
25 South Front Street
Columbus, OH 43215
Phone: 614-728-3095
OKLAHOMA
Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education
655 Research Pkwy, Suite 200
Oklahoma City, OK 73104-3603
Phone: 405-225-9100 or 405-225-9142
OREGON
Oregon Higher Education Coordinating Commission
3225 25th Street SE
Salem, Oregon 97302
Phone: 503-947-2448
PENNSYLVANIA
Pennsylvania Department of Education
Office of Chief Counsel
333 Market Street, 9th Floor
Harrisburg, PA 17126-0333
Phone: 717-783-6788
PUERTO RICO
Puerto Rico Departamento de Estado
Consejo de Educacion Superior de Puerto Rico/
Puerto Rico Council on Higher Ed.
PO BOX 9023271
San Juan, PR 00902-3271
Phone: 787-722-2121
RHODE ISLAND
Rhode Island Office of the Postsecondary Education Commission
560 Jefferson Blvd.
Warwick, RI 02886-1304
Phone: 401-736-1100
SOUTH CAROLINA
South Carolina Commission on Higher Education
1122 Lady Street Suite 300
Columbia, SC 29201
Phone: 803-737-3918
SOUTH DAKOTA
South Dakota Board of Regents
306 East Capitol Ave Suite 200
Pierre, SD 57501
Phone: 605-773-3455
TENNESSEE
Tennessee Higher Education Commission & Student Assistance Corporation
Parkway Towers, Suite 1900
404 James Robertson Pkwy
Nashville, TN 37243-0830
Phone: 615-741-5293 or 615-253-8857
TEXAS
Texas Workforce Commission
Career Schools and Colleges-Rm 226-T
101 East 15th Street
Austin, TX 78778-0001
Phone: 512-936-3100
Texas Alternate Contact #1:
Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
Office of General Counsel
P.O. Box 12788
Austin, TX 78711-2788
Phone: 512-427-6101
Texas Alternate Contact #2:
Texas Office of the Attorney General
Consumer Protection Division
P.O. Box 12548
Austin, TX 78711-2548
UTAH
Utah System of Higher Education State Board of Regents
60 South 400 West
Salt Lake City, UT 84101-1284
Phone: 801-321-7200 or 1-800-418-8757
VERMONT
Vermont Agency of Education
219 North Main St., Suite 402
Barre, VT 05641
Phone: 802-479-1030
Vermont Alternate Contact:
Vermont Attorney General’s Office
109 State Street
Montpelier, VT 05609-1001
Phone: 802-828-3171
VIRGINIA
State Council of Higher Education for Virginia
James Monroe Building
101 N. 14th St., 10th Floor
Richmond, VA 23219
Phone: 804-225-2600
WASHINGTON
Washington Student Achievement Council
917 Lakeridge Way SW
Olympia, WA 98502
Phone: 360-753-7625
WASHINGTON D.C.
Office of the State Superintendent of Education
Higher Education Licensure Commission
1050 First St. NE
Washington, DC 20002
Phone: 202-724-7860
WEST VIRGINIA
West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission
1018 Kanawha Boulevard East, Suite 700
Charleston, WV 25301
Phone: 304-558-2101
WISCONSIN
Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services
Educational Approval Program
P.O. Box 8366
Madison, WI 53708-8366
Phone: 608-266-1996
WYOMING
Wyoming Department of Education
122 W. 25th St., Suite E200
Cheyenne, WY 82002
Phone: 307-777-7675
AMERICAN SAMOA
American Samoa Office of Protection & Advocacy
Attn: Dr. Peter Tinitali
Executive Office Building
Pago Pago, American Samoa 96799
Phone: 684-699-2441
GUAM
Guam Office of Attorney General
287 W O’Brien Dr.
Hagatna, Guam 96910
Phone: 671-475-3324
NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS
State Higher Education Agency, Northern Marianas College
POB 501250
Saipan MP 96950-1250
Northern Mariana Islands Alternate Contact:
Northern Mariana Islands Office of the Attorney General
Juan A Sablan Memorial Bldg.
Capital Hill
Caller Box 10007, Saipan, MP 96950
Phone: 670-234-5498
U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS
Government of the U.S. Virgin Islands
Department of Licensing and Consumer Affairs
Golden Rock Shopping Center,
3000 Estate Golden Rock, Suite 9, St. Croix, VI 00820
Phone: 340-713-2754
Refund Policy for Oregon Students:
Per OAR 583-030-0035(18)(c), UCI shall provide a tuition refund to Oregon students withdrawing from online graduate professional instruction on the following schedule:
There shall be a 50% prorated refund up to the middle week of a term. For a ten-week quarter, there will be a 50% refund up to the end of the 5th week.
Refund Policy for Maryland Students:
Per §11–202.2.(d)(1) and (2) of the Annotated Code of Maryland and COMAR13B.05.01.10, UCI shall provide a tuition refund to Maryland students withdrawing from online graduate professional instruction on the following schedule:
Proportion of Total Course, Program, or Term Completed as of Date of Withdrawal | Tuition Refund |
Less than 10% | 90% refund |
10% up to but not including 20% | 80% refund |
20% up to but not including 30% | 60% refund |
30% up to but not including 40% | 40% refund |
40% up to and including 60% | 20% refund |
More than 60% | No refund |