Application and Admission

The admission process has as its prime objective the selection of those students most likely to complete their chosen graduate pro- grams with distinction. After consultation between the program and the Graduate Division, the final authority to admit rests with the Vice Provost and Dean of Graduate Studies.

Applicants are initially reviewed and rated based on their undergraduate and, where appropriate, postbaccalaureate GPAs. The minimum requirement for admission to graduate status is the bachelor’s degree or its academic equivalent from an accredited institution. Soon after the program forwards its recommendation to the Graduate Division, the applicant is notified 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. Accepted students who wish to be admitted for a subsequent quarter may submit a deferment request. If additional course work has been completed, submit updated transcripts.

Applicants should apply at grad.ucr.edu/apply.

Campus-wide application deadlines for domestic students are August 1 to June 1 for the fall quarter, November 1 for the winter quarter, and February 1 for the spring quarter. Visit graduate.ucr.edu/app_deadlines.html for deadline information.

The deadline for students seeking fellowship awards, teaching or research assistantships, and other merit-based forms of support is January 5. However, the evaluation process is intended to be flexible, and programs take a variety of other factors into consideration when making their admissions recommendations, including GRE or other test scores, GPA in the major subject, letters of recommendation, and the reputation of the degree-granting program or institution.

These deadlines may vary somewhat by program, so applicants should not hesitate to contact programs directly for additional information. Please refer to International Student Admissions section below for information about international student deadlines.

A nonrefundable application fee must be submitted at the time of application:

Domestic application fee (AB 540 and/or DACA status, US citizens, and US permanents residents):

$135 all programs (except Business Analytics, M.B.A, M.Fin., & M.P.Ac.)

$155 Business Analytics, M.B.A., M.Fin., M.P.Ac. & Professional M.B.A.

International application fee (non-immigrant):

$155 all programs (except Business Analytics, M.B.A., M.Fin., & M.P.Ac.)

$180 Business Analytics, M.B.A., M.Fin., M.P.Ac. & Professional M.B.A.

The following must also be submitted:

• 1. Transcripts from each college or university attended since

high school

• 2. Three letters of recommendation are required by most programs

• 3. Graduate Record Examination (GRE) general test score is required by

some programs

Consult with your program to determine if test scores (GRE, GMAT) are required. When required, test scores should not be older than five years.

Domestic applicants whose first language is not English and who have not earned an undergraduate (bachelor’s or first-degree equivalent) or advanced degree (master’s or doctorate) at an institution where English is the exclusive language of instruction must provide proof of English proficiency. Please see complete information below under International Student Admission. Discipline M.A. M.S. M.F.A. Ph.D.

Art History • •

Accounting, Auditing and Assurance M.P.Ac.

Anthropology • • •

Astronomy • •

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology • •

Bioengineering • 2 •

Biomedical Sciences • •

Biophysics • •

Business Administration •

Business Analytics •

Cell, Molecular, and Developmental Biology • •

Chemical and Environmental Engineering • 2 •

Chemistry • •

Classics • 1 •

Comparative Literature • 1 •

Computational Data Science •

Computer Engineering • 2

Computer Science • 2 •

Creative Writing and Writing for the Performing Arts •

Critical Dance Studies • 1 •

Earth and Planetary Sciences • •

Economics • •

Education • M.Ed. •

Electrical Engineering • 2 •

Engineering •

English • 1 •

Entomology • 2 •

Environmental Sciences • •

Environmental Toxicology • •

Ethnic Studies • •

Evolutionary Biology (w/SDSU) •

Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology • •

Experimental Choreography •

Finance M.Fin.

Genetics, Genomics, and Bioinformatics • 1 •

History • •

Management • 1 M.B.A.

Materials Science and Engineering • •

Mathematics • • •

Mathematics, Applied •

Mechanical Engineering • 2 •

Medicine M.D.

Microbiology • 2 •

Music • •

Neuroscience • 1 •

Philosophy • •

Physics • • •

Plant Biology • •

Plant Pathology • • Graduate Degrees and Programs (Continued)

Discipline M.A. M.S. M.F.A. Ph.D.

Political Science • •

Psychology • 1 •

Public Health M.P.H.

Public Policy M.P.P. 2

Religious Studies • •

Robotics •

Sociology • 1 •

Southeast Asian Studies •

Spanish • •

Statistics • 2

Statistics, Applied •

Visual Art •

1 Applications are not accepted from students wishing to work toward the master’s degree only.

2 A combined 4+1 program is offered in this discipline (designed to lead to a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in five years.)

International students follow the same procedures and are governed by the same regulations as domestic applicants with the following exceptions.

Applicants whose first language is not English and who have not earned an undergraduate (bachelor’s or first-degree equivalent) or advanced degree (master’s or doctorate) at an institution where English is the exclusive language of instruction must submit scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). This exam is administered by the Educational Testing Service and offered in nearly every country abroad. The minimum acceptable scores are: 550 for the written exam; 213 for the computer-based exam, and 80 for the internet-based exam (iBT). Applicants should arrange to take the examination in their home country by visiting ets.org.

The TOEFL must be taken no more than two years prior to the intended quarter of enrollment.

Applicants may submit scores from the Academic Module of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). This exam also must be taken no more than two years prior to the intended quarter of enrollment at UCR. The minimum acceptable score is an overall bandscore of 7 with no score less than 6 on any individual component. Please request an official Test Report Form (TRF) from the test center where the test was taken.

Admitted international students will be required to provide a minimum verification of support (based on program) after accepting an offer of admission. The International Students and Scholars office will be unable to issue a Certificate of Eligibility (I-20 or DS2019) without evidence of the applicant’s ability to pay all fees and expenses for the duration of the program of study.

Application deadlines for international students are June 1 (January 5 for admission with fellowship support) for the fall quarter, September 1 for the winter quarter, and December 1 for the spring quarter. These deadlines may vary somewhat by program, so applicants should not hesitate to contact programs directly.

The International Students and Scholars office specializes in providing information and a broad range of services to international students and can be contacted at (951) 827-4113 or visit international.ucr.edu.

Add a Major: Currently enrolled UCR graduate students can request to add an- other major with the approval of the new program and their current program. This change is requested via the online application system.

Change of Major: Currently enrolled UCR graduate students can request to change their major with approval of the new program. This change is request- ed via the online application system.

Change of Degree Objective (PhD to Master's): Currently enrolled UCR graduate students can change their degree objective from PhD to master's within the same major via a petition in R'Grad.

Change of Degree Objective (Master's to PhD): Currently enrolled UCR graduate students can change their degree objective from Master's to PhD within the same major via the online application system.

Readmission: Students who have no student status or are not identified as ready to enroll, will have to reapply to the University to continue in their de- gree programs. They should follow the same process as new students to apply for readmission. The Graduate Division will retain a students’ file for five years. Students applying for readmission within that five year period will not have to provide the University with new transcripts if they have not enrolled elsewhere but will need to provide a new statement of purpose and one letter of recommendation. Students who have been gone over five years must order transcripts from all former institutions attended.

Prospective applicants to teaching credential programs should contact the UCR School of Education, education.ucr.edu for admission information and application materials or see School of Education later in this catalog.