Below is a list of the required materials that must be submitted as part of the graduate application.

Failure to submit these items will result in an incomplete application. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.

The deadline for receipt of supporting documents is December 15, 2007. All of the items below should be mailed directly to the CSE department, unless otherwise noted. (The mailing address is at the bottom of this page.)

Because of the high volume of inquiries, application status checks will not receive responses. If your application is incomplete, you will be contacted by our staff in January and will be given the opportunity to send in the missing documents.

For more information, please also see the Office of Graduate Studies' web site for procedures for Applying to Graduate Admission.

• Official Transcripts
  • Official transcripts of record from each university-level institution attended must be provided. A summary of credit transferred from an institution previously attended and recorded on the transcript issued by the school granting the degree will not suffice.
  • Applicants should request that official transcripts of all previous academic work, including certification of degrees received or documentation of status upon leaving each institution, be forwarded to our department. Only official records bearing the signature of the registrar and the seal of the issuing institution will be accepted.
  • Applicants who attended any campus of the University of California, including UCSD, must provide official transcripts of the UC course work. Transcripts from UCSD may be ordered by an applicant from the Office of the Registrar. There is no charge for UCSD transcripts of record sent to departments in support of an application for graduate study.
  • International applicants: True copies, facsimiles, or photostatic copies of foreign academic records will be accepted if, after the copies have been made, they have been personally signed and stamped by an educational official who certifies that they are exact copies of the original document. Properly certified and signed copies should be sent instead of irreplaceable original documents. Academic records must be in the language of the institution and should be accompanied by an official English translation. Foreign academic records must show all courses attended each year, examinations passed, seminars completed, and grades or marks received at all institutions where formal records are maintained.
• Statement of Purpose*
  • An applicant's statement of purpose is very important and is given careful consideration in the selection process. There is no specific word limit, but be concise and specific in preparing your statement, giving information that demonstrates your level of preparation and potential for success in graduate school. The applicant should address past accomplishments within the realm of computer science and engineering, why the applicant feels that he or she is qualified for the program, and goals the applicant wishes to pursue while in graduate school.
• Three Letters of Recommendation
  • Three letters of recommendation are required. It is important that letters of recommendation be completed by individuals who are in a position to analyze your abilities and academic promise. Our preference is that the referee hold an academic position, but we certainly understand that many of our applicants have been out of school for a number of years, and so a letter from a professional referee is acceptable.
• GRE Score Report
  • The General Test of the Graduate Record Examinations is required of all applicants. The computer science Subject Test is recommended, but not required (other relevant subject tests may also be taken, such as in math or one of the physical or natural sciences). A high score on a subject GRE exam is a positive mark in an applicant's favor, particularly when an applicant does not have a bachelor's degree in computer science or in a closely related field. However, there is no penalty for not taking a subject GRE exam.
  • An unofficial GRE score report is acceptable for application purposes, but the applicant will be required to have an official version submitted by ETS if he or she is admitted to the program.
  • The GRE report must be sent to the department by the application deadline, so applicants are advised to schedule their GRE test accordingly.
• TOEFL Score Report (international applicants only)
  • The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is required for international applicants whose native language is not English and who have not studied full-time at a university-level institution in an English-speaking country for one uninterrupted academic year.
  • An unofficial TOEFL score report is acceptable for application purposes, but the applicant will be required to have an official version submitted by ETS if he or she is admitted to the program.
  • The TOEFL report must be sent to the department by the application deadline, so applicants are advised to schedule their TOEFL test accordingly.
• Relevant supplemental materials:
  • A resume or curriculum vita may be mailed to the department to be included in the application.
  • Please do not mail irregular materials such as photographs, copies of artwork, CDs, or DVDs.

*The statement of purpose must be submitted on-line through the UCSD Application for Graduate Admission. The three letters of recommendation may be submitted through the online application, though paper copies mailed to the department are also acceptable.

CSE Department Address:

University of California, San Diego
Computer Science and Engineering Admissions
EBU3b Room 1234
9500 GILMAN DRIVE DEPT MC 0443
LA JOLLA, CA 92093-0443
USA