How To Apply

• STEP 1: APPLICATION

  Complete the online application for graduate admission.

• STEP 2: APPLICATION FEE

  $140 non-refundable application fee. VISA, MasterCard and Discover are accepted.

• STEP 3: OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPTS

  You are required to upload UNOFFICIAL transcripts for all academic institutions you have attended after high school to your application or email them to your department representative. 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)

  Due to COVID-19, all engineering programs except Computer Science are not requiring the GRE for Fall’22 admissions. 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. 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 5: TOEFL OR IELTS SCORES

  TOEFL or IELTS scores must be submitted by students whose native language is not English and who do not have a bachelor's or graduate degree from an institution where English is the exclusive language of instruction. For Fall’22 admissions, applicants who have been affected by COVID-19 and are unable to take the TOEFL or IELTS exams will have their TOEFL or IELTS requirement waived. These applicants need to submit a request for a TOEFL or IELTS waiver, along with a justification that briefly summarizes the circumstances preventing the applicant from taking the test. A request for the waiver should be uploaded as a separate document under the Additional Information section in the online application. These applicants will be given full consideration for admission.

  Students who have taken the TOEFL or IELTS exam, the requirements are listed below. The scores cannot be more than two years old from the date of matriculation.

  Minimum TOEFL Score
  Internet-Based (iBT): 80    
  Computer-Based (CBT): 213    
  Paper-Based (PBT): 550    

  Official score must be submitted directly from ETS to UCR. Request that ETS send your score electronically to UCR.

  The Educational Testing Service homepage is https://www.ets.org/
  Hours: Monday-Friday, between 8:30 a.m. and 9:30 p.m
  Telephone: 609-771-7100

  Please allow a minimum of 3-4 weeks for a test score to be reported to our campus. The online application status for the TOEFL is updated automatically as the score is received electronically from ETS. The online application will only show a TOEFL 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 TOEFL 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 may need to be sent again).

  Minimum IELTS score: 7 overall

  The minimum overall IELTS score is 7 with score no lower than 6 on any individual component. This exam must be taken within two years of the time you intend to enroll at UCR. Please request an official Test Report Form (TRF) of your IELTS. Remember to order the TRF from the test center where you took the test and ask the administrator to send the official TRF to:

  Graduate Admissions Office
  Graduate Division
  University Office Building
  University of California
  Riverside, CA 92521, USA

  For more information about registering for this exam or to locate the office of any test center, consult the IELTS website.

  Note: Before performing duties as a Teaching Assistant, any student whose native language is not English must pass an oral English language competency exam upon arrival at UCR. This includes not only international students but also any student whose first language is not English.

• 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: INTERNATIONAL APPLICANT CONFIDENTIAL FINANCIAL STATEMENT

  International applicants will be required to submit the International Applicant Confidential Financial Statement once admitted to the program. Additional instructions will be sent to admitted applicants by the Graduate Division.

• 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.

  Fellowship support is not available for International M.S. applicants. For full consideration of financial support, an application must be received by the January 31. International student applications may be considered for fellowship opportunities after this deadline, pending funding availability but are encouraged to apply by this date. Non-immigrant students cannot establish California residency and should expect to pay nonresident tuition every quarter in addition to all other assessed fees. 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.

  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 ADMISSIONS 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, including GRE or other 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.