Thank you for your interest in UC San Diego's Electrical and Computer Engineering graduate programs!

ECE has long been a powerhouse at UC San Diego with its innovative and impactful research led by top-notch faculty and outstanding graduate and undergraduate students. When our Chancellor challenged us to "break from the ordinary" to make the world a better place, ECE accepted it with a conviction that the work we can do can change our future.

For more information, we invite you to review our webpages. If you have any questions, please contact us at ecegradapps@ucsd.edu.

Application Deadlines for Fall 2024 intake

Ph.D.: December 20th, 2023
M.S.: December 20th, 2023

The ECE Department admits students once per year, for the fall term only

Online Application and Fees

Apply Here!: UCSD Online Admissions Application (Fall applications open in early September)

You will need:

• Statement of Purpose  (PDF format no larger than 2 MB; uploaded to online application)
   
• Three Letters of Recommendation (Uploaded to online application)


• Scanned unofficial copies of transcripts from all higher education institutions attended (Uploaded to online application)


• Official GRE General Test  scores (submitted to UCSD via ETS; see "Admission Requirements" section below. (Submitting scores are required for M.S. applications. For Ph.D. applications, scores are not required, but recommended).


• Demonstration of English proficiency (International applicants only; see "Admission Requirements" section below)


• Resume/CV (recommended; uploaded to online application)


• Pay the non-refundable application fee

Changing your Major/Research Area Later

For our impacted majors/research areas, you will not have the opportunity to switch into them if you are admitted to a different major. 

Our impacted majors are:

• Computer Engineering (EC79)
• Electronic Circuits and Systems (EC78)
• Intelligent Systems Robotics and Control (EC80)
• Machine Learning and Data Science (EC93)

Therefore if you are interested in any of these majors, be sure to apply to them when filling out your application.

You may seek approval to switch into one of our non-impacted majors/research areas after your first quarter in your program.

Admission Requirements

• A B.S. and/or M.S. degree in engineering, physical sciences, or mathematics from an accredited college or university
   
• Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale or its equivalent)
   
• GRE General Test   (Submitting scores are required for M.S. applications. For Ph.D. applications, scores are not required, but recommended). Use institution code 4836 to report scores to UCSD.​​​​
   
• International applicants: Demonstrate English language proficiency via one of four options:
   
  • Option 1: TOEFL with a minimum score of 550 (paper based test-PBT) or 85 (internet based test-iBT). Use institution code 4836 to report scores to UCSD.
     
  • Option 2: IELTS with a minimum Band Score of 7.
     
  • Option 3: Pearson Test of English (PTE) Academic with a minimum overall score of 65.
     
  • Option 4: Earned or will be earning a bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degree with grades of B (3.0) or better from a university which provides instruction solely in English. You may verify whether your institution meets this requirement by looking up your institution in the IAU World Higher Education Database (WHED). If English is not the sole language of instruction listed, if no language is listed at all, or if the institution does not appear on the WHED website, you are required to submit English proficiency exam scores. No other documentation (e.g. letters, language certificates, school websites) may be used in place of WHED as a means to obtain an exemption from the English proficiency requirement. 

Application Status and Results

Checking your Application Status

Applicants may check the status of their application via their online application portal. 

A completed online application will have the status "Submitted". The ECE Faculty Admissions Committee commences their review of applications in December, following the application deadline.

Please do not contact the ECE Graduate Affairs Office to obtain the status of your application. Each applicant will receive notification when an admission decision has been made.

Application Timeline

We appreciate your patience in awaiting a decision.

Due to the high volume of applications being processed, please expect a delay in receiving a result. 

As soon as a decision is made on your file, you will receive an email notification. If you have any doubts, please visit your application portal for the most up to date application status.

Admissions Frequently Asked Questions Page