Admissions FAQs | UCLA Graduate Programs (2024)

General Questions Test Scores

Admission: General Questions

What are the requirements for admission to graduate programs at UCLA?

The University requires that an applicant hold a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution, comparable in standard and content to a bachelor’s degree from the University of California, with an overall scholastic average of B (3.0 on a 4.0 scale) or better (or its equivalent if the letter grade system is not used), or an overall scholastic average of 3.0 in graduate level study in a field related to the one to which the application is submitted.

An international student whose post-secondary education is completed outside of the U.S. is expected to hold a degree with above average scholarship from a university or university-level institution.

Please keep in mind that UCLA graduate programs have additional requirements and/or requirements beyond the minimum given above, and that many more applications are received from qualified applicants than there are places available.

Applicants should contact the programs they are interested in for specific information and applications.

How does the admissions process work at UCLA?

An applicant submits the online Application for Graduate Admission with the nonrefundable application fee ($135 [for U.S. citizens and Permanent Residents], $200 [for the Global Executive MBA for Asia Pacific, the Master of Financial Engineering, and the MS in Business Analytics programs], or $155 [for all other applicants]. The applicant uploads transcripts, supplemental information, department-specific material (such as a portfolio), statement of purpose, and letters of recommendation. The applicant’s information then becomes available online to the graduate program.

What does an admissions committee look for when making admission decisions?

This varies by program. Grades, letters of recommendation, writing samples, portfolios of work, auditions, standardized test scores, etc., are some, but not all, of the factors considered by the faculty. An applicant’s research interests, and the availability of faculty to support those interests, are examples of additional factors in the review process.

How many students apply and are admitted to graduate programs at UCLA?

Prospective applicants to UCLA are encouraged to view our Program Statisticswhich provides admissions data by academic program. Data includes applicants, admits, and new registered student counts. In addition it provides demographic data on the enrolled student body, the number degrees awarded, and the average time to receive a degree.

May I apply to more than one graduate program at UCLA?

No. University regulations permit an applicant to apply to one major only, with the exception of established concurrent or articulated degrees.

Please decide which of our programs is most appropriate for you prior to submitting the Application for Graduate Admission.

Can an applicant enroll in UCLA just to take courses?

No. Students must be admitted to UCLA in a degree program in order to enroll in regular university classes.

You may take courses offered by UCLA Extension without formal admittance to UCLA. You may also ask about enrolling concurrently through Extension in a regular UCLA course.

UCLA Summer Session offers courses to non-graduate students during the summer term.

How do I apply for an MBA program at UCLA?

Information about and applications to any program offered by the John E. Anderson Graduate School of Management are available on Anderson website.

How do I apply for a degree in Dentistry/Law/Medicine at UCLA?

For admission to the DDS, JD, or MD program at UCLA, please contact the respective school:

• School of Dentistry
• School of Law
• School of Medicine

Should I pay the application fee if I was admitted to a graduate program at UCLA last year but did not attend?

No. Complete the online Application for Graduate Admission and, in the Plans for Graduate Study panel select Renewal from the Application Type drop-down menu. Renewals are accepted only during the calendar year following your initial admission.

I was a graduate student at UCLA. How do I apply for readmission to my graduate program (or another graduate program)?

Complete the online Application for Graduate Admission and, in the Plans for Graduate Study panel, select Readmit from the Application Type drop-down menu.

How is California residency determined?

Residence for tuition purposes is determined solely by residence deputies in the Registrar’s Office. Admitted applicants complete the online Statement of Intent to Register and Statement of Legal Residence, and the deputies make their determination from the latter document.

Admission: Test Scores

What is the minimum GRE score required to be admitted to UCLA?

GRE requirements vary by graduate program. Applicants should contact the graduate program they are interested in to get details on specific admission requirements.

For the scores to match up electronically, applicants must use exactly the same personal information (name, date of birth, gender) on the GRE application as on the UCLA graduate application. They must also request that scores be sent to UCLA, the GRE institution code for UCLA R4837. Applicants should submit their application by the published deadline whether or not they have received their official scores.

What is the minimum TOEFL score required to be admitted to UCLA?

The overall minimum score for TOEFL is 87. Your subscores should be as follows: Writing – 25; Speaking – 24; Reading – 21; Listening – 17.

What is the minimum IELTS score required to be admitted to UCLA?

The overall minimum band score for IELTS is 7.0.

What if my TOEFL/IELTS score is below the minimum?

English language ability is important to success as a graduate student at UCLA. You are strongly encouraged to improve your language ability and submit scores that meet UCLA’s minimum requirements.

Can the application be submitted before I take the TOEFL or IELTS, or the GRE or before the scores are ready?

Submit your application by the deadline! As long as yourtest scores arrive soon after, the time lapse should not be a problem. If your test is scheduled after the published application deadline, contact the program you’re applying to to determine any deadlines they have for score submission.

Please note that your personal information shown on the test report (name, date of birth, gender) must match exactly with what you enter on UCLA’s Application for Graduate Admission.

I was educated outside the U.S., and I want to know if I need to take the TOEFL or IELTS exam or not.

Please visit our English Requirements page to determine if you are required to prove your English proficiency.

I am a U.S. citizen (or Permanent Resident) educated outside the U.S. Do I need to take the TOEFL or IELTS exam?

Please visit our English Requirements page to determine if you are required to prove your English proficiency. The English proficiency requirement must be met regardless of citizenship. If you went to high school in the U.S. or another Anglophone country, please submit your high school transcripts in support of English proficiency.

Where can an applicant get information regarding the GRE/TOEFL/IELTS examinations?

You’ll find GRE and TOEFL information at Educational Testing Service (ETS). More information on the IELTS is available by visiting IELTS International. UCLA Extension offers courses on GRE and/or TOEFL exam test preparation.

How can I confirm my test scores have been received by UCLA?

Once official scores have been received by UCLA, they will appear as verified when you log into your application. Please note that scores match up only if the personal information you provided UCLA is the same as that provided to ETS. and that it takes several days for these scores to match to an application. Scores do not match up immediately upon submission!

ETS doesn’t have a code for the department I’m applying to/I indicated a different major on my score request from the one I’m applying to. Will my scores match up to my application?

As long as you gave the same personal information (name, date of birth, gender) to ETS as you give on your application, and listed UCLA as a destination, your scores will match up regardless of the major you listed.

Need-based Special Programs

Fee Waivers: Need-based

Will you waive the fee if I can prove financial need?

Waivers of UCLA’s application fee are available for U.S. citizens, Permanent Residents and others who meet the criteria below and who a) participated in one of the listed programs or b) demonstrate financial need as described below.

If you are currently enrolled in a college or university, and receiving need-based financial aid (if not a U.S. citizen or Permanent Resident, this financial aid must come from the state of California), submit a statement from your Financial Aid officer confirming the above and stating that payment of UCLA’s $135 application fee would be a financial hardship.

If your Financial Aid officer cannot provide such a statement, obtain a statement from your Registrar that you are currently registered and enrolled and upload that along with your most recent FAFSA. Please note that the FAFSA alone cannot be used to determine eligibility for a fee waiver.

If you are not currently enrolled in a college or university, your adjusted gross income (or that of your family) as given on your U.S. Federal Income Tax return must be less than $23,828 for a one person household (yourself), less than $32,227 for a two person household (yourself and one other person), $40,626 for a three person household (yourself and two other persons), etc. Complete information is available within the application or in the requirements section of our site.

Redact or block out all U.S. Social Security numbers before submitting the document! If a U.S. Social Security number is visible on the document, the UCLA Division of Graduate Education cannot accept it.

There is a Fee Waiver section of the UCLA Application for Graduate Admission where you can indicate your eligibility for a fee waiver and upload the statement from the Financial Aid officer or your U.S. income tax return.

Fee waivers for special programs

I am anAmerican Political Science Association Ralph Bunche Summer Institute Scholars applicant. How do I submit the application with a fee waiver?

Applicants who are participants in the American Political Science Association Ralph Bunche Summer Institute Scholars are eligible for a waiver of the application fee. In the Fee Waiver section of the UCLA Application for Graduate Admission, select American Political Science Association Ralph Bunche Summer Institute Scholars under Program Participation. A letter from the program verifying participation should be scanned and uploaded into that section, or sent to your major program.

I am a CSU Sally Casanova Pre-Doctoral Scholars Program applicant. How do I submit the application with a fee waiver?

Applicants who are participants in the California State University Sally Casanova Pre-Doctoral Scholars Program are eligible for a waiver of the application fee. In the Fee Waiver section of the UCLA Application for Graduate Admission, select CSU Casanova Predoc under Program Participation. A letter from the program verifying participation should be scanned and uploaded into that section, or sent to your major program.

I am a Florida A and M University Graduate Feeder Scholars Program (FAMU GFSPP) applicant. How do I submit the application with a fee waiver?

Applicants who participated in FAMU GFSP are eligible for a waiver of the application fee. In the Fee Waiver section of the UCLA Application for Graduate Admission, select FAMU GFSP under Program Participation. A letter from the program verifying participation should be scanned and uploaded into that section, or sent to your major program.

I am a Gates Millennium Scholar. How do I submit the application with a fee waiver?

Applicants who are Gates Millennium Scholars are eligible for a waiver of the application fee. In the Fee Waiver section of the UCLA Application for Graduate Admission, select Gates Millennium Scholars under Program Participation. A letter from the program verifying participation should be scanned and uploaded into that section, or sent to your major program.

I am a GEM Scholar. How do I submit the application with a fee deferral?

Applicants who are GEM Scholars are eligible for a deferral of the application fee. In the Fee Waiver section of the UCLA Application for Graduate Admission, select National GEM Consortium under Program Participation. The emailed invitation from the program should be scanned and uploaded into that section, or sent to your major program.

I am a Louis Stokes Alliances/California Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP/CAMP) applicant. How do I submit the application with a fee waiver?

Applicants who participated in LSAMP or CAMP are eligible for a waiver of the application fee. In the Fee Waiver section of the UCLA Application for Graduate Admission, select LSAMP or CAMP under Program Participation. A letter from the program verifying participation should be scanned and uploaded into that section, or sent to your major program.

I am a McNair Scholar. How do I submit the application with a fee waiver?

Applicants who are McNair Scholars are eligible for a waiver of the application fee. In the Fee Waiver section of the UCLA Application for Graduate Admission, select McNair Scholars under Program Participation. A letter from the McNair program director verifying participation should be scanned and uploaded into that section, or sent to your major program.

I am in the UCLA Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP). How do I submit the application with a fee waiver?

Applicants in the UCLA MSTP program are eligible for a waiver of the application fee. In the Fee Waiver section of the UCLA Application for Graduate Admission, select MSTP (UCLA) participants under Program Participation. A letter from the program verifying participation should be scanned and uploaded into that section, or sent to your major program.

I am a Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship Program (MMUF) applicant. How do I submit the application with a fee waiver?

Applicants who participated in Mellon Mays are eligible for a waiver of the application fee. In the Fee Waiver section of the UCLA Application for Graduate Admission, select Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship Program under Program Participation. A letter from the program verifying participation should be scanned and uploaded into that section, or sent to your major program.

I am a Minority Access to Research Careers (MARC) applicant. How do I submit the application with a fee waiver?

Applicants who participated in MARC are eligible for a waiver of the application fee. In the Fee Waiver section of the UCLA Application for Graduate Admission, select MARC under Program Participation. A letter from the program verifying participation should be scanned and uploaded into that section, or sent to your major program.

I am a Minority Biomedical Research Support (MBRS)/Research Initiative For Science Enhancement (MBRS RISE) participant. How do I submit the application with a fee waiver?

Applicants who participated in MBRS or MBRS RISE are eligible for a waiver of the application fee. In the Fee Waiver section of the UCLA Application for Graduate Admission, select MBRS or MBRS RISE under Program Participation. A letter from the program verifying participation should be scanned and uploaded into that section, or sent to your major program.

I am a National Institutes of Health Build/Prep applicant. How do I submit the application with a fee waiver?

Applicants who participated in NIH-BUILD or NIH-PREP are eligible for a waiver of the application fee. In the Fee Waiver section of the UCLA Application for Graduate Admission, select NIH-BUILD or NIH-PREP under Program Participation. A letter from the program verifying participation should be scanned and uploaded into that section, or sent to your major program.

I am in the UCLA STAR program. How do I submit the application with a fee waiver?

Applicants in the UCLA STAR program are eligible for a waiver of the application fee. In the Fee Waiver section of the UCLA Application for Graduate Admission, select STAR (UCLA) participants under Program Participation. A letter from the program verifying participation should be scanned and uploaded into that section, or sent to your major program.

I am a Summer Programs for Undergraduate Research (SPUR) applicant. How do I submit the application with a fee waiver?

Applicants who are sponsored by the Summer Programs for Undergraduate Research (SPUR) are eligible for a waiver of the application fee. In the Fee Waiver section of the UCLA Application for Graduate Admission, select SPUR under Program Participation. A letter from the program verifying participation should be scanned and uploaded into that section, or sent to your major program.

I am a UC-HBCU Initiative participant. How do I submit the application with a fee waiver?

Applicants participating in the UC HBCU Initiative are eligible for a waiver of the application fee. In the Fee Waiver section of the UCLA Application for Graduate Admission, select UC-HBCU Initiative under Program Participation. A letter from the program verifying participation should be scanned and uploaded into that section, or sent to your major program.

I am a UC Leadership Excellence through Advanced Degrees (UC LEADS) applicant. How do I submit the application with a fee waiver?

Applicants who participated in UC LEADS are eligible for a waiver of the application fee. In the Fee Waiver section of the UCLA Application for Graduate Admission, select UC LEADS underProgram Participation. A letter from the program verifying participation should be scanned and uploaded into that section, or sent to your major program.

Academic History, Uploads Transcripts, Letters Communications

Completing the application: Plans for Graduate Study

Why can’t I find my major on your list?

You may have started an application for the winter or spring term, and only a small number of programs consider applications for those terms.

Please start a new application for the next application cycle.

I need to be readmitted in the spring (or winter) term, but my program isn’t listed for that term. What should I do?

Complete the application for the next fall term. About 72 hours after submitting the application, contact onlineapphelp@grad.ucla.edu with the subject line Term Change. Explain your situation, and we will assist with moving your application to the correct term.

Completing the application: Academic History, Uploads

Should I send duplicates of all materials (transcripts, test scores, statement of purpose, etc) to the Division of Graduate Education?

Nothing should be sent to the Division of Graduate Education. Upload your (unofficial) transcripts, test scores, statement of purpose, portfolio or writing sample (if required by the major program), letter of recommendation requests, etc. into the UCLA Application for Graduate Admission. Have official transcripts sent directly to the major program.

How do I find about the status of my application?

Please contact the major program directly with questions about receipt of application materials. Decisions on applications are generally made in late winter and early spring.

How do I change my email or mailing (street) address?

To request a change to personal information after you have submitted your application, please contact the program to which you are applying.

Can you help me with technical problems?

Please email onlineapphelp@grad.ucla.edu. Include a detailed description of the issue and screenshots if possible, with a subject line related to the specific issue.

How can I find my institution in the academic history section?

Select the country or US state where the institution is located. Type only two or three letters of the main word in the institution’s name. (Search for a University of California by typing UC, for a Cal State by typing CSU.) If after several variations you still don’t find your institution, select Other. Then type in the name of the institution.

Do I need to upload the final transcript before the deadline?

Many applicants still have work in progress at the time of the deadline. Upload your most recent transcript, which may not have any of your senior year coursework on it.

Should I upload a transcript from the community college I attended?

Yes, this may be helpful to the application review, especially if you took prerequisites for your graduate program there.

How do I submit my test scores?

UCLA receives most official test scores (GRE, TOEFL) electronically from ETS, and IELTS scores directly from IELTS. Further information about the GRE and TOEFL, including UCLA’s school code (4837) and department codes (to route your hardcopy scores to your proposed major program), is available on the ETS website.

In order for your official scores to be matched to your application, be sure that the personal information you give on the Application for Graduate Admission is exactly the same as the information you gave at the time you took the test. Any variations between your name, date of birth, and gender on the application vs your test score report will result in your scores failing to match to your application.

You may submit your application if you have not yet taken the GRE (if required by your program) or TOEFL or IELTS tests and plan to take the test in the future. Enter the planned future date of the test(s) and leave the score section blank. Be sure to contact your proposed major if your scores won’t arrive by the application deadline.

If you have taken the GRE, TOEFL or IELTS more than once, and the testing agency transmits your scores to UCLA, all of the scores will appear as part of your application. TOEFL and IELTS test-takers, please note: Only your most recent test scores are considered as part of your application.

If I decide not to submit my application, how can I delete it?

After 30 days of non-activity your application will be automatically deleted.

Completing the application: Transcripts, Letters of recommendation

Where do I send my transcripts?

If admitted to UCLA, or if the program to which you’re applying requests it, send one official copy of your transcripts directly to the program to which you are applying.

Where do my professors send letters of recommendation?

After you enter their names and emails, you can send the invitation to your professors. An email request will be sent to them; your recommenders must respond to the email request and submit their letters online.

Can I submit my application even if my recommenders have not yet completed the recommendation forms?

Yes! Don’t wait for your recommenders! Be sure to submit your application by the deadline!

Your recommendersmay submit their letters later — but not too much later. You can send reminders to your recommenders via the application.

My recommender is having trouble submitting the letter of recommendation to my application. What can I do?

Please ask your recommender to contact onlineapphelp@grad.ucla.edu. Your recommender should include a detailed description of the issue and screenshots if possible.

I submitted my application, but I have been informed that the recommenders are not able to access the recommendation form. Could you please tell me what I should do?

Many email service providers have upgraded their spam blocking tools to allow their customers greater control over received messages.

To ensure that important system messages are received by the recommendation providers, please have them add the following email address to their address book and/or your list of approved email addresses: admissions@grad.ucla.edu.

After your recommender has added that email address, you can resend the recommendation notification from your application.

If your recommender still does not receive the invitation, there may be a firewall at the institution that prevents receipt. This is especially true of institutions in China. In that case, please request another email address for the recommender and add that to the recommender section.

How can I find out the status of my Letter of Recommendation requests?

Log back into the application and go to the Letter of Recommendations section. There you’ll be able to see whether your recommenders have submitted their letters.

I did not waive my right to view my letters of recommendation. How do I get access to them?

Applicants are not permitted to inspect letters of recommendation in their UCLA files, per University policy.

Only if a) you are admitted and enroll at UCLA, and b) you did not waive your right to view them, would you be able to request to see your letters of recommendation.

Completing the application: Communications

How can I find out the status of my application?

For any inquiries about the progress of your submitted application (whether official transcripts or other supporting materials that you did not upload into the application have been received, etc.)you should contact the program to which you are applying.

I can’t find my test scores or transcripts on the Application Status page.

Test scores may be delayed in matching up. If the personal information given on the application is different from the information you provided ETS, the scores may not match.

How do I find out my UCLA ID number?

After you submit your application, an email acknowledgment will be sent to you within 72 hours. This email includes your nine-digit UCLA ID number. We send it from gradapp@mvs.ais.ucla.edu. Be sure to clear this address in your address book/filter to avoid its being redirected as spam.

I received an email with the subject line “DISCREPANCY.”

Please don’t worry! This email refers to minor data issues related to personal information you submitted and do not affect review of your application. There may be an applicant or student already in the database who has the same name and a very similar birthdate. Perhaps you applied before under a different name. We want to be sure your data is correct and loaded correctly, and we may need your help to determine if a correction is needed.

If I submitted my application after the deadline, will my application be considered?

Some UCLA programs have absolutely firm deadlines and never review a late application.

Others may be more flexible depending on circ*mstances.

Before you submit a late application, please contact the program directly to learn whether it can be considered. It is especially important to ask before submitting a late application because the application fee is not refundable.

How long will it take to make a decision on my application?

Application materials are reviewed by faculty admissions committees in each major program who select the best qualified applicants. These admissions committees base theirrecommendations for admission upon a careful comparison of applications, and this may take considerable time.

There is no guarantee that any applicant will receive a response, favorable or unfavorable, on or before any specific date. Applicants, moreover, should not construe a lack of response as an intention to act favorably on the application.

You may contact your proposed major program directly if you are concerned that something may be missing from your portfolio that is delaying the decision process.

The CGS Resolution date of April 15th refers to offers of admission with funding. An applicant may not be pressured by a signatory institution to accept an offer before this date. The Resolution does not require institutions to make all decisions before this date, and some programs may continue to make decisions in the late spring and summer.

How will I be notified of the decision?

Once a decision has been made, an email will be sent from the Division of Graduate Education to the email address you provided in the application. The email does not contain the decision; instead, you will be advised how to access your decision letter.

Please note that the decision cannot be given over the telephone or by email.

To view your decision status on-line, please log back into the application.

How do I apply to be a TA/RA?

Teaching assistantships and research appointments are part of merit-based funding awarded by the program. Applicants do not apply directly for this funding.