Application Fee
$105.00: U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents
$125.00: All other applicants
The nonrefundable application fee must be paid by credit card or must qualify for a fee deferral or fee waiver. Cash, checks, or money orders will not be accepted. The application fee must be paid before an application can be considered. The date your payment is received is considered the date at which your application has been submitted.
For additional information about application fees, including fee deferrals and fee waivers, please see the Graduate Admissions Information.
Grade Point Average (GPA)
To apply for the M.S. degree, applicants should have a B.S. degree in Materials Science and Engineering or equivalent with a GPA that is the equivalent of not less than 3.0/4.0 in undergraduate study.
To apply for the Ph.D. degree, applicants should have a B.S. and/or a M.S. degree in Materials Science and Engineering or equivalent with a GPA of not less than 3.25/4.0 in undergraduate study.
Transcripts not based on the 4.0 system will be evaluated for minimum requirements. It should be noted that meeting the above minimum requirements does not guarantee admission. The standard for admission is set by the applicant pool and is generally much higher than the minimum requirements.
Statement of Purpose
The online application allows you to include your statement of purpose. This statement should be brief and concise.
Your statement is a means of helping match your academic and research interests with those of our faculty. This is very important if you are applying for financial support. It should not be a personal life history, but should contain only such personal details as will aid the Admissions Committee in evaluating your application. Describe exactly which field you wish to study at UCLA. The graduate research for the MSE Department falls into one of three fields of study:
﹒Ceramics and Ceramic Processing
﹒Electronic and Optical Materials
﹒Structural Materials
Letters of Recommendation
At least three letters of recommendation should be submitted. Letters should be typed on the recommender’s letterhead and attached to the recommendation form that you will able to print during the online application process. The recommenders should state your full name, their full name and title, and their opinion of your ability to do graduate level research at UCLA. When submitting your online application, you will be required to list one email address for each recommender. Once these addresses have been submitted, each recommender will be notified electronically by UCLA, and they will then submit their letters of recommendation using a secure interface. When the recommender submits the letter of recommendation, it is posted to the online application and will become part of your application. Applicants are able to remind faculty to submit their letters by having the system resend the email to those recommending the applicant.
For the M.S. program: we recommend that you provide letters of reference from professors who have taught you in your junior and senior years.
For the Ph.D. program: we urge that all your letters be from academic references as recent as possible; if you have an M.S., letters from professors who have served on your M.S. committee are particularly helpful. If you cannot obtain academic references, the letters should be from people who can comment on your recent professional attainments and your qualifications for graduate study in Materials Science and Engineering at UCLA.
Note: if you are part of the Exceptional Student Admission Program (ESAP), only two letters of recommendation are required.
Graduate Record Examination (GRE)
GRE scores on the General (Aptitude) test are required for admission to both the M.S. and Ph.D. programs. All students applying for Fall 2018 admission should take the GRE test no later than October 2017. The test must be taken within the last five (5) years before the desired date of admission. Arrange to have the Educational Testing Services forward the scores to our office. For complete information about the GRE, including policies, procedures, test dates, and fees, please see the GRE Website.
GRE: 154 Verbal, 167 Quantitative, 3.50 Analytical
The GRE codes for UCLA and the MSE Department are as follows:
﹒Institution Code: 4837
﹒Department Code: 1403
Note: if you are part of the Exceptional Student Admission Program (ESAP), you are not required to take the GRE. However, GRE scores may be required for students who want to be considered for departmental financial support or for other departmental purposes. Check directly with your department. If you are ESAP and do not take or plan to take the GRE, enter “0”s for the date that you plan to take the GRE on the online application you.
Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) (If Applicable)
International applicants whose first language is not English are required to take and pass the TOEFL. TOEFL scores are required for admission to both M.S. and Ph.D. programs. The results of this test help applicants determine whether they are prepared to undertake graduate study conducted in English before making extensive plans for graduate study in the U.S. A score of at least 560 on the paper and pencil test or 220 on the computer based is required for applicants to graduate programs at UCLA.
The minimum required TOEFL Internet-Based (TOEFL IBT) scores are as follows:
﹒Writing: 25
﹒Speaking: 24
﹒Reading: 21
﹒Listening: 17
The TOEFL codes for UCLA and the MSE Department are as follows:
﹒Institution Code: 4837
﹒Department Code: 69
Applications are not considered complete without the test scores. The department requires an official TOEFL test score, a photocopy of the TOEFL Test Score is not acceptable.
International Applicants who hold a bachelor’s or higher degree from a university located in the United States or in another country in which English is both the primary spoken language of daily life (e.g., Australia, Barbados, Canada, Ireland, Jamaica, New Zealand, United Kingdom) and the medium of instruction, or who have completed at least two years of full-time study at such an institution, are exempted from both the TOEFL/IELTS requirement and the English as a Second Language Placement Examination (ESLPE). Please be sure to include such information in your application
Please note: admitted applicants are required, upon arrival at UCLA, to take the UCLA English as a Second Language Placement Examination (ESLPE), an English diagnostic test, before being permitted to register. Depending on the results of the ESLPE, you may be required to complete English as a Second Language courses beginning in your first term at UCLA. If English courses are required, you should anticipate spending a longer period of time at the University. Admission is canceled for those who do not pass the ESLPE. Please note that you must sit for the ESLPE regardless of your score obtained on the TOEFL, IELTS, or any other English proficiency test.
Transcripts
Please submit one official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended. All documents must bear the actual seal and/or signature of the Registrar. Photocopies are not accepted. Do not send the original of an academic record which cannot be replaced obtain a properly certified copy instead. All transcripts and credentials are evaluated by the UCLA Graduate Admissions Office in terms of UCLA equivalency. If your degree is a work in progress be sure to reflect an accurate expected degree date on your application.
﹒One official transcripts and degree statements of Bachelor’s degree (both in original language and in English are required for admission to M.S. program)
﹒One official transcripts and degree statements of Bachelor’s and Master’s degree (both in original language and in English, Bachelor’s and Master’s degree are required for admission to Ph.D. program)