The research version can be purchased from OIT's Software Catalog and installed on university-owned equipment.
Log in with your student AD account, ucinetID@ad.uci.edu
Click on ArcGIS.
Scroll down and you'll see a request form. For students, it'll show up as $0.00 cost.
Submit the form after you enter your name.
For ArcGIS questions, please contact http://oit.uci.edu, 949-824-42222. (This website is provided by Engineering, not OIT).