Well-Being

UC Irvine’s Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) is a comprehensive healthcare package that offers valuable benefits and services to graduate, medical and law students. Students enrolled in the SHIP program have the option of enrolling their dependents in a separate UC Irvine Dependent Health Insurance Plan, which offers both a PPO medical plan and an HMO dental plan.

The UC Irvine Postdoctoral Scholar Benefits Plan (PSBP) is a comprehensive program that offers medical, dental, vision, life and AD&D insurance, short-term disability insurance and voluntary long-term disability insurance.

Maintaining the best possible physical and mental health is critical to staying on top of the academic demands of a graduate program. UC Irvine’s Student Health Center is a comprehensive outpatient clinic that also provides mental health and counseling services, as well as services through an eye clinic, dental clinic and specialty physicians—all in a confidential and supportive environment.

The Counseling Center is UC Irvine’s primary counseling and mental health agency on campus. The center provides an array of services—including short-term counseling sessions, urgent care, psychological testing, and workshops—to help graduate students cope with professional and/or personal challenges.

The Counseling Center offers several Support Groups for students to learn from one another and work on personal problems in a helpful group setting. The Dissertation Support Group, LGBTQ Discussion Group, Graduate Women’s Therapy Group, and others address some of the most pressing issues for students.

The UC Irvine Center for Student Wellness & Health Promotion is devoted to empowering students to make informed decisions that support their individual well-being and a healthy campus community. Our programs and services are comprehensive, inclusive, and evidence-based, designed to help students create balance and develop sustainable habits. Some of our top services include a wellness room with massage chairs, up to 10 free condoms per day, one-on-one confidential consultations on a variety of topics, and workshops tailored to your group or class.

There are numerous lactation stations on campus—see all the different locations here. Learn more about Lactation Accommodation Act at UC Irvine.

Campus Assault Resources and Education (CARE) provides direct victim services and campus education on the topics of sexual violence, intimate partner abuse, relationship health, and personal safety. The office provides consultation, counseling services, and advocacy services. CARE also provides awareness and prevention education through peer education programs, web-based trainings, campus-wide events, and educational campaigns.

The LGBT Resource Center provides a safe and welcoming environment for UC Irvine’s diverse lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex, and ally communities. The center raises awareness, increases visibility, and engages in advocacy regarding LGBTQIA issues. It provides opportunities for leadership and personal development, serves as a resource for LGBTQIA students, and creates programs and services that work to eliminate heterosexism, homophobia, and gender identity oppression.

The Disability Services Center empowers students to reach their potential in every aspect of their lives by moving beyond success to significance through education, service, and support. Disabilities include, but are not limited to, orthopedic, visual, hearing, learning, chronic health, and psychological disabilities. UC Irvine demonstrates its core values of individual growth and development, as well as civility and diversity, by recognizing students with disabilities as an important part of its student body.

The Anteater Recreation Center (ARC) is a 110,000-square-foot indoor facility and 25-acre outdoor complex that supports intramural and club sports, fitness classes, wellness programs, and a host of services open to the UC Irvine community. Students can take advantage of group exercise programs, cooking classes, a two-story rock climbing wall, an indoor track, and a variety of amenities to help meet various wellness and exercise goals.

The Graduate & Postdoctoral Scholar Resource Center promotes academic success and wellness through “The Balanced Academic” workshop series. Ongoing topics include:

Child Care Services promotes the participation of student, staff, and faculty parents in the teaching, learning, and research missions of the University. The centers support, nurture, and enhance all areas of children’s development. All children are regarded as individuals of equal worth and value who come to the centers at their own developmental level and who bring with them a unique mix of family background, life experience, learning style, and idiosyncratic ways of being in the world.

Ranked by Money magazine as one of the top 25 cities to live in the United States, Irvine also has been repeatedly named the nation’s safest large city. The UC Irvine Police Department is tasked with providing services that enhance campus safety through community-oriented policing and problem-solving. UCIPD also operates a popular—and free—Safety Escort Program that provides a safe alternative to walking alone at night.

UC Irvine’s comprehensive emergency preparedness resources include an Emergency Management Plan and an emergency information line. In the event of a major disaster affecting the campus, the number 866-IRV-NEWS will be activated. Members of the UC Irvine community can call for a recorded message advising on closure, interruption of classes, work schedules, and more. Students are also strongly encouraged to sign up for zotALERT, an emergency alert system that uses text messages to quickly notify the UC Irvine community of a natural disaster, crisis response, or need to secure the campus. UC Irvine also features the blue light system—phones that instantly connect users to the police dispatcher, with an officer response time of approximately 2.5 to 3.5 minutes to help ensure personal safety.