Nomenclature

What’s in a name? A lot! A single, unified identity plays to the strength of our university. The following guidelines have been developed to facilitate a common system of language, or nomenclature, that enables clear, consistent communications about our campus.

In short, please use “UC Irvine” in all references to this university except when writing for a non-local audience, in which case “the University of California, Irvine” should be used on first reference, followed by “UC Irvine” on second and subsequent references.

General Rules

First, Second and Subsequent References: “UC Irvine” is preferred in all textual references to the university, though “University of California, Irvine” may be suitable for certain target audiences.

Headlines and Headings: Headlines and headings in correspondences, publications, websites, etc., are often subject to spacing constraints and, thus, require significant flexibility in their application. Please use “UC Irvine” in headlines and headings. Other words, such as “campus” or “university,” may be appropriate to avoid redundancy.

Titles and Names: Since the family of “UC Irvine” and “University of California, Irvine” wordmarks are preferred in most graphical applications, and since “UC Irvine” is the preferred first textual reference to the university, the names of titles and/or programs should follow suit. Exclusions are campus entities branded with UCI, such as UCI Health. Everything else should be UC Irvine.

Text vs. Graphics: The “UC Irvine” and “University of California, Irvine” wordmarks should only be used as graphic elements (as provided in official artwork available on the campus’s Graphic Identity Standards website), and should not be replicated in textual forms.

For references to other universities, see the UC Irvine Editorial Style Guide entry for college and university names. For wordmark guidance, see UC Irvine’s brand and visual identity standards.

Common Uses:

UCI: Do not use UCI any longer, unless is it for a branded name (e.g. UCI Health)

University of California, Irvine: Preferred as a first reference for non-local or unfamiliar audiences.