Navigating Graduate Admissions at UCLA: A Comprehensive Guide

Applying to graduate school at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a significant step in one's academic and professional journey. This article provides a detailed overview of the UCLA graduate admission requirements, covering various aspects from application procedures to financial aid and important considerations for prospective students.

Application Process: A Step-by-Step Guide

The UCLA application for graduate admission should be used to apply for all programs with the exception of the M.D. in Medicine, the J.D., S.J.D, and L.L.M. in Law, the D.D.S. in Dentistry, and M.B.A. and M.F.E.

Initial Steps

Program Selection: Before initiating the application, carefully decide which program aligns best with your academic and career aspirations.
Online Application: Complete the online Application for Graduate Admission. The online application will walk you through all application steps. You can pause and return to the application at any time.
Application Type:
- New Applicants: If you are applying to UCLA as a graduate student for the first time, or if you have applied before but were not admitted, complete all parts of the application.
- Renewal Applicants: If you filed an application for graduate admission at UCLA within the last year and were admitted but did not register, be sure to select Renewal from the dropdown menu at Application Type in the application. Submit only the application, and any additional or updated information or records. After the first renewal the application fee must be submitted with each subsequent application.
- Returning Students: If you have ever registered as a graduate student at UCLA, whether you completed a graduate program or not, complete all parts of the application. Formal application for readmission is not required of a student returning from an official leave of absence.
Upload Required Materials: 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.
Deadlines: Be sure to consult your specific UCLA graduate program for the specific deadline for your proposed major. Applications to some programs may be considered if received after a program’s stated deadline, provided that the enrollment limitations have not been exceeded. Before you submit a late application, please contact the program directly to learn whether it can be considered.
Inquiries: Please contact the major program directly with questions about receipt of application materials.

Required Documents and Materials

The applicant uploads transcripts, supplemental information, department-specific material (such as a portfolio), statement of purpose, and letters of recommendation. This varies by program.

Application Fee

The application fee is $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].

Fee Waivers

UCLA offers fee waivers to participants in specific programs. In the Fee Waiver section of the UCLA Application for Graduate Admission, select the relevant program under Program Participation if you are a participant in any of the following programs:

American Political Science Association Ralph Bunche Summer Institute Scholars
California State University Sally Casanova Pre-Doctoral Scholars Program
Florida A and M University Graduate Feeder Scholars Program (FAMU GFSPP)
Gates Millennium Scholars
GEM Scholar (deferral only)
Louis Stokes Alliances/California Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP/CAMP)
McNair Scholars
UCLA Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP)
Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship Program (MMUF)
Minority Access to Research Careers (MARC)
Minority Biomedical Research Support (MBRS)/Research Initiative For Science Enhancement (MBRS RISE)
National Institutes of Health Build/Prep applicant
UCLA STAR program
Summer Programs for Undergraduate Research (SPUR)
UC-HBCU Initiative participant
UC Leadership Excellence through Advanced Degrees (UC LEADS) applicant
Public Policy and International Affairs Fellowship Program (PPIA) (deferral only)

Finding Your Institution

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.

Standardized Tests

GRE and TOEFL/IELTS

GRE requirements vary by graduate program. 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. You’ll find GRE and TOEFL information at Educational Testing Service (ETS). More information on the IELTS is available by visiting IELTS International.

Sending Scores

UCLA receives most official test scores (GRE, TOEFL) electronically from ETS, and IELTS scores directly from IELTS. 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.

Matching Scores to Application

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. 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.

What if ETS doesn’t have a code for your department?

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.

Read also: Navigating Tech Breadth at UCLA

Submitting Application Before Taking Tests

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.

Multiple Test Scores

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.

Letters of Recommendation

Your recommenders may submit their letters later - but not too much later.

Recommender Issues

If your recommender is having trouble submitting the letter of recommendation to my application. I submitted my application, but I have been informed that the recommenders are not able to access the recommendation form. 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.

Waiver

I did not waive my right to view my letters of recommendation.

Read also: Understanding UCLA Counselors

Academic Requirements

GPA

Graduate admission through the regular process requires an overall scholastic average, including any post-baccalaureate study, of B (3.0 on a 4.0 scale) or better, or its equivalent if the letter grade system is not used. However, through the “Dean’s Special Action” (DSA) process, departments are able to admit applicants who do not meet this GPA requirement when other aspects of the applicant’s file suggest readiness for graduate study. The DSA process requires no additional action on the applicant’s part; it is at the department’s discretion to initiate it.

Bachelor’s Degree

student is a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution, comparable in standard and content to a bachelor’s degree from the University of California.

Statement of Purpose and Personal Statement

Admissions committees want to hear your voice: your academic goals, personal experiences, and unique perspective. These are what make your essay compelling. Your application must be truthful and reflect your own work. Essays that rely heavily, or entirely, on AI may be treated as academic dishonesty. Your story, in your own words, is the most powerful part of your application.

Statement of Purpose

Your statement of purpose will be used in conjunction with your application for consideration for graduate admission and financial support. Consider addressing the following questions:

What is your purpose in applying for graduate study in your specified degree program?
What experiences have prepared you for advanced study or research in this degree program?
What relevant skills have you gained from these experiences?
Why is the UCLA graduate program to which you are applying is the best place for you to pursue your academic goals?

Personal Statement

The Personal Statement is an opportunity for you to provide additional information that may aid the selection committee in evaluating your preparation and aptitude for graduate study at UCLA. Consider addressing the following questions:

Are there educational, personal, cultural, economic, or social experiences, not described in your Statement of Purpose, that have shaped your academic journey? If so, how?
Describe challenge(s) or barriers that you have faced in your pursuit of higher education.

Application Review and Decisions

Submitted application materials are reviewed by faculty admissions committees in each major program who select the best qualified applicants. These admissions committees base recommendations for admission upon a careful comparison of applications, and this may take considerable time. Recruitment, Outreach and Admissions, therefore, cannot guarantee that the applicant will receive a response, favorable or unfavorable, on or before any specific date.

Notification Timeline

We announce decisions for fall applications starting in February and continuing through Summer. Each program has a different review period that follows its admission deadline. Although sometimes casually referred to as such, April 15th is not a deadline for graduate decision notification. The CGS Resolution date of April 15th refers to offers of admission with funding. Teaching assistantships and research appointments are part of merit-based funding awarded by the program.

Mismatched Data

If you applied to UCLA before (or were an employee or a student), there may be a mismatch between your name or other personal data on the application and what is already in UCLA’s database. Many of these discrepancies (such as a name change) are resolved by the Division of Graduate Education staff without further need for communication, and the situation does not impede review of your application by the program.

Admission Conditions

If admitted, the conditions of admission and information and instructions concerning registration (via a link to the Statement of Intent to Register and a Statement of Legal Residence) will be included as part of the offer of admission letter, which can be printed out from the Division of Graduate Education site.

Deferrals

In most cases, UCLA does not offer deferrals for graduate admission.

Exceptions

Active military service: Admitted students with active military orders may request a deferral for the duration of their service.
Graduate Council-approved temporary allowances: On occasion, the Graduate Council may authorize programs to offer deferrals under specific circumstances.

Financial Aid

Financial Aid Officer Statement

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.

Federal Income Tax Return

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.

Additional Information

Residence for Tuition Purposes

Residence for tuition purposes is determined solely by residence deputies in the Registrar’s Office.

UCLA Extension Courses

You may take courses offered by UCLA Extension without formal admittance to UCLA. Information about and applications to any program offered by the John E.

Readmission

Complete the online Application for Graduate Admission and, in the Plans for Graduate Study panel select Renewal from the Application Type drop-down menu. I was a graduate student at UCLA.

Spring or Winter Term Readmission

I need to be readmitted in the spring (or winter) term, but my program isn’t listed for that term. Complete the application for the next fall term. Nothing should be sent to the Division of Graduate Education.

Program Statistics

Prospective applicants to UCLA are encouraged to view our Program Statistics which provides admissions data by academic program. Data includes applicants, admits, and new registered student counts.

Agent Use

UCLA strongly discourages the use of agents in this process.

Student Code of Conduct

As an applicant, you must follow UCLA’s Student Code of Conduct. The Code applies to applicants who become students for offenses committed during the application process.

Housing and Parking

There is a variety of both University and privately-owned housing available to UCLA graduate students. Student parking assignments are made on a need-based point system that considers such factors as class standing and commute distance, and favors those students who demonstrate the greatest need.

Summer Sessions

The UCLA Summer Sessions offer approximately 500 undergraduate and graduate courses each summer.

Disability Services

The University of California, Los Angeles actively encourages persons with disabilities to apply for admission. Federal Law (Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973) prohibits the University from requesting disability related information prior to admission.

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