How to Apply

• STEP 1: APPLICATION

  Complete the Online Application for graduate admission

• STEP 2: APPLICATION FEE

  The non-refundable application fee is $120. VISA, MasterCard and Discover are accepted. 

  
  Only U.S. Citizens and U.S. Permanent Residents, and Undocumented applicants may request a waiver for the application fee. If you are currently in a graduate program or recently completed one and your graduate preparation program participation was from your undergraduate program, you are not eligible for a fee waiver. To access the waiver or to learn more, visit here.

• STEP 3: OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPTS

  You are required to upload UNOFFICIAL transcripts for all academic institutions you have attended after high school to your application. We only require UNOFFICIAL transcripts for the review of your application. DO NOT send official transcripts electronically or by mail. All transcripts and academic documents uploaded to the online application system are considered unofficial. Official transcripts will be required when applicants are admitted to the program and subsequently accept the offer.

  Applicants who attended an institution located outside the U.S., please visit the Required Academic Records from International Institutions page for detailed document requirements.

• STEP 4: Graduate Record Examination (GRE)

  If you are applying to the Computer Science program, it is recommended that applicants reach out to graduate program coordinators or visit the program website to learn more about GRE requirements and potential waivers. Regardless of whether or not you receive a GRE waiver, applicants will be given full consideration for admission. 

  Students who have taken the GRE, can submit their scores. 

  UCR GRE Code: 4839
  Computer Sciences Department Code: 0402

  Educational Testing Service (ETS) (https://www.ets.org/)
  Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m. - 9:45 p.m. EST
  Telephone: 609-771-7670

  The test must be taken within the last five (5) years before the desired date of admission. The minimum expected combined (verbal and quantitative) score is 300.

  Please allow a minimum of 3-4 weeks for a test score to be reported to our campus. Please note that the online application status for the GRE is updated automatically as the score is received electronically from ETS. The online application will only show a GRE score as 'received'  if it has successfully transmitted electronically from ETS; this is done automatically at the Graduate Division level. If an applicant has ordered a GRE score to be sent to UCR and it is not yet reflected in the online application, ETS should be contacted to determine if all information entered by the applicant was correct (the score report may need to be sent again). To learn more about test score requirements, please visit the UCR Graduate  Division webpage on test scores.

• STEP 5: TOEFL or IELTS Scores

  All graduate applicants are required to demonstrate English proficiency for admissions consideration.

  English Language Requirement Waiver Eligibility

  You are eligible for an English language waiver if:

  You have earned or will earn an undergraduate or advance degree at a regionally accredited U.S. college or university where English is the sole language of instruction, or

  You have earned or will earn an undergraduate or advanced degree at an institution where English is the exclusive language of instruction, e confirmed through WHED.  If English is not the only language listed or if no language is listed, additional documentation may be required.

  Students who have taken the GRE, can submit their scores. Contact your department representative to get the department code for which you are looking to apply.

  Educational Testing Service (ETS) (https://www.ets.org/)
  Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m. - 9:45 p.m. EST
  Telephone: 609-771-7670

  The test must be taken within the last five (5) years before the desired date of admission. The minimum expected combined (verbal and quantitative) score is 300.

  Please allow a minimum of 3-4 weeks for a test score to be reported to our campus. Please note that the online application status for the GRE is updated automatically as the score is received electronically from ETS. The online
  application will only show a GRE score as 'received' if it has successfully transmitted electronically from ETS; this is done automatically at the Graduate Division level. If an applicant has ordered a GRE score to be sent to UCR and it is not yet reflected in the online application, ETS should be contacted to determine if all information entered by the applicant was correct (the score report may need to be sent again). To learn more about test score requirements, please visit the  UCR Graduate Division webpage on test scores.

• STEP 6: Letters of Recommendation

  A minimum of three letters of recommendation are required for admission. At least two of these letters must be from professors in your major subject. If you have obtained a M.S. degree, one letter must be from your M.S. advisor. Recommender information are entered directly in the electronic application. All letters of recommendation must be received electronically so they are attached to the applicants file for review.

  Note: If you wish to waive your right to inspect the letters of recommendation, mark the appropriate box below the reference information. Only enrolled UCR students are permitted to inspect letters of recommendation for which they did not waive their right to access. Letters of recommendation cannot be released to the applicant and cannot be forwarded elsewhere.

  All electronic letters uploaded to an application MUST be from an official, company or university affiliated e-mail address. RECOMMENDER PERSONAL E-MAIL ACCOUNTS ARE NOT PERMITTED.

• STEP 7: Supplemental Fellowship Application

  All domestic applicants are encouraged to submit the Supplementary Fellowship information form in order to be considered for all awards for which they might qualify. This optional form is for domestic applicants who wish to be considered for merit-based diversity fellowships.

• STEP 8: Financial Support and Fees

  Fellowship packages are offered to PhD applicants only. For multiple year fellowship package, applicants must apply by January 5.

  For full consideration of financial support, an application must be received by the January 31. Student applications may be considered for fellowship opportunities after this deadline, pending funding availability but are encouraged to apply by this date. Current quarterly fees can be found here.

  Admitted self-supported foreign students must provide the university with evidence of the ability to pay all required fees and expenses for the duration of their graduate program. 

  Fellowship support is not available for M.S. applicants.

  Note: Received documents cannot be returned to applicants and become property of the university. Copies of received documents cannot be provided as well.

   

   

   

• STEP 9: Learn More about the Admission Process

  The primary objective of the admissions process is the selection of those students most likely to complete their chosen graduate programs with distinction. After consultation between the program and the Graduate Division, the final authority to admit rests with the Graduate Division Dean. Applicants are initially reviewed and rated based on their overall undergraduate and, where appropriate, post- baccalaureate GPAs. However, the evaluation process is intended to be flexible, and departments take a variety of other factors into consideration, test scores, GPA in the major subject, letters of recommendation, and the reputation of the degree-granting program or institution. Soon after the department forwards its recommendation to the Graduate Division, the applicant is notified in writing (first, via e-mail) of the Dean's decision. If admission is offered with work still in progress, official transcripts reflecting the satisfactory completion of this work and the awarding of the degree (where appropriate) must be submitted as soon as possible. An offer of admission is valid for a specific quarter only; admission may not be deferred to a later quarter. Accepted students who wish to be admitted for a subsequent quarter must reapply and, if additional course work has been completed, submit updated transcripts. Please note that all applicants must submit a new application and application fee if reapplying for a later quarter.

  For additional information, please check the Graduate Division website or contact your department representative.

  Incoming Students