Navigating the UCLA Graduate Application Process: A Comprehensive Guide

Applying to graduate school at UCLA can seem daunting, but understanding the requirements and deadlines is crucial for a successful application. This guide provides a detailed overview of the application process, covering everything from general requirements to specific program needs, with a focus on the Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) Department and the Fielding School of Public Health.

General Admission Requirements

To be eligible for graduate admission to UCLA, applicants must 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. The University mandates a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale for consideration. While the department reviews all applicants with a GPA of at least 3.0, it's important to note that departments can admit applicants who do not meet this GPA requirement through the "Dean’s Special Action" (DSA) process if other aspects of the application suggest readiness for graduate study. This process requires no additional action on the applicant’s part.

Application Deadlines

The deadline to submit an application for admission to the Electrical & Computer Engineering Department is December 15, 11:59 pm, Pacific Time. Applications are accepted only between mid-September and December 15 for enrollment in the Fall quarter only. Late applications will not be considered. 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.

For the MPH, MS and PhD degrees in each department. Applicants should complete the requirements by the priority deadline (12/01/2025) for both the SOPHAS application and the UCLA DGE application as noted below.

The Application Process

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.

UCLA Division of Graduate Education (DGE) Application

All applicants to UCLA must complete the UCLA Division of Graduate Education (DGE) application. For your application be considered complete, please ensure you submit the UCLA application and pay the application fee. Applicants to the MPH-HP, EMPH, MHA and MDSH programs are only required to submit the UCLA Division of Graduate Education Application.

SOPHAS Application (for Public Health Programs)

The primary application system for applicants to the Fielding School of Public Health's MPH, MS, and PhD programs is SOPHAS, the common application for public health schools. It is crucial to complete the requirements by the priority deadline (12/01/2025) for both the SOPHAS application and the UCLA DGE application. On SOPHAS be sure to select the dual degree MPH.

Required Documents

Submitting all required documents is essential for a complete application. Here's a breakdown of the necessary materials:

Transcripts

All applicants are required to upload ONE (1) transcript from each post-secondary institution attended to their online application. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable for review purposes. Transcripts must:

Have been generated by your institution’s Registrar’s Office.
Be clearly legible.
Include the word "transcript," the name of the institution, the institution address, your name, program of study, and the major field of study.
Include a complete list of courses/terms/corresponding grades/units, and the cumulative GPA calculations.

International applicants must upload copies of both English and native/original international transcripts per country- or educational system-specific guidelines. International applicants should refer to the Graduate Division’s “Required Academic Records for International Students” webpage to determine the correct official documents to submit based on the institution’s country of origin. UCLA students and alumni do not have to submit an official UCLA transcript.

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Statement of Purpose

All ECE applicants must submit a Statement of Purpose (2-page maximum) in their online application. The Statement of Purpose (SOP) should be precise and brief. It should contain only those personal details that would aid the admissions review process. The SOP is considered to be the writing sample.

The statement should describe the following: a) reasons for interest in public health, b) reasons for interest in the program of study and/or concentration; c) reasons for interest in UCLA; and d) career goals.

Your statement of purpose will be used in conjunction with your application for consideration for graduate admission and financial support. 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 part of the University application. However, it is not required by the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department. The personal statement is an additional opportunity for the reviewing committee to learn more about any challenges faced, personal background, and past and future contributions to diversity.

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. 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.

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Letters of Recommendation

At least THREE (3) letters of recommendation must be submitted through the UCLA Application for Graduate Admission. For M.S. applicants: We recommend that you provide letters of reference from professors who have taught you in your junior and senior years. If you are an ESAP applicant to the ECE MS program, you will need two letters of recommendation from ECE faculty/instructors or instructors from outside the department that have a joint appointment with the UCLA ECE Dept (i.e. Professors Omid Abari and Jason Cong are CS faculty with joint appointments with the ECE Dept).

For Ph.D. applicants: We urge that all your letters be from academic or professional references as recent as possible and from people who can comment on your recent professional accomplishments and your qualifications for graduate study in Electrical and Computer Engineering. If you have an M.S. Letters are due December 15. Late letters will be accepted until January 1 5:00PM Pacific Time.

For applicants to the Fielding School of Public Health, three letters of recommendation are required - one from a former professor and two from an employer. If the applicant has been out of school for more than 5 years, three letters from employers are acceptable.

TOEFL/IELTS (for International Applicants)

International applicants must meet the university’s minimum requirement for the TOEFL or IELTS. Please visit this page for detailed information. TOEFL & IELTS scores are valid two years prior to application. If you took the examination multiple times, only the most recent score is considered. Official scores should be sent by December 15.

According to the Graduate Division’s policy, applicants who hold a bachelor’s degree or higher from an accredited university located in the United States or in another country where English is the sole language of instruction according to the World Higher Education Database (WHED) at the time of submission are exempted from the TOEFL/IELTS requirement. If you meet this criterion, you are exempt from submitting English proficiency test scores to meet the English language proficiency requirement for admission to UCLA. Exceptions will not be made. Applicants must take the exam on or before the December 15 deadline. Reports on exams taken in November will be received in time for review.

GRE (Optional for ECE Applicants)

Applicants for the 2026-2027 academic year are not required to take the GRE or submit GRE scores as part of their application package. Applications with GRE scores included will not be given greater weight than those that do not include scores. Students applying for fall who wish to take the GRE test should check the testing schedule and registration information on the GRE homepage.

Application Fee and Fee Waivers

All applicants are required to pay a nonrefundable application fee. However, fee waivers are available for those who meet specific criteria. To be considered for a fee waiver, applicants must indicate their interest on the fee waiver section of the UCLA application and upload all required documents (including redacting SSN). If you do not meet the criteria for a Fee Waiver as specifically stated on the Fee Waiver requirement page then unfortunately, you do not qualify for a fee waiver (no exceptions). Participants in the following programs are eligible for fee waivers. Federal Income Tax return. Event-based waivers may waive the 2026-2027 application fee for PhD and state-supported doctoral programs. Please note that this program is subject to change or termination. Inquire about event-based fee waivers at designated conferences and recruitment events. Applicants who are sponsored by the Public Policy and International Affairs Fellowship Program are eligible for a deferral of the application fee. In the application, on the Plans for Graduate Study page, select PPIA under Program Participation.

Important Considerations

Updates to Application Materials: No updates of the Resume/CV or any other aspects of the application are accepted after submission. Updates to application materials will not be accepted.
Inquiries: Please do not send the same question to multiple staff/faculty throughout the ECE Department. Please send your question that is not listed on the Grad FAQ webpage to the ECE Grad Student Affairs Office only.
Application Status: We kindly ask that you refrain from contacting our office regarding the status of materials, or to verify if materials have been received. Due to the high volume of applications we receive each cycle, we are unable to respond to these requests. Doing so will only delay the review of all applications.
Completeness of Application: An applicant is denied admission consideration due to an incomplete file only if he or she does not respond to our request to submit missing material. Our office is able to match test reports and transcripts for nearly all applicants; however, it takes time due to the volume of applicants. Be sure to consult your specific UCLA graduate program for the specific deadline for your proposed major.

Admission Decisions and Beyond

UCLA announces decisions for fall applications starting in February and continuing through Summer. Each program has a different review period that follows its admission deadline. Recruitment, Outreach and Admissions, therefore, cannot guarantee that the applicant will receive a response, favorable or unfavorable, on or before any specific date. 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.

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. Although sometimes casually referred to as such, April 15th is not a deadline for graduate decision notification.

Deferrals

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

Additional Resources

Housing: There is a variety of both University and privately-owned housing available to UCLA graduate students.
Parking: 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.
Students with Disabilities: 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.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ): Over the last few years, we have found that 99% of the responses to these inquiries can be found on our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page. Questions still? Check our FAQs.

A Note on Honesty and Authenticity

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. 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.

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