Admission Requirements and Application Process

  • A minimum of a bachelor's degree (BA/BS) or the equivalent from an accredited institution is required. (Some programs or pathways may require a master’s degree. Please check the program that you are interested in to confirm the application requirements.)
  • To be eligible for admission, you must have at least a 3.0 (B) grade point average.
  • You may apply to only one graduate program per application cycle/year.
  • Unofficial transcripts may be submitted for review purposes only. Final official transcripts must be submitted upon matriculation if an offer of admission is made.
  • Upon completion of the application and receipt of the non-refundable application fee ($120 for US citizens and permanent residents, and $140 for international applicants), or – alternatively – once your request for an application fee waiver has been approved (US citizens and permanent residents only), an admission file is established by the Graduate Division. All supporting documents, e.g. transcripts and letters of recommendation, are sent directly to the individual graduate programs. Please be sure to read carefully the instructions in the online application for the program to which you are applying. Some programs may require you to submit additional documentation, and program contacts and mailing addresses differ. Graduate programs will retain a copy of your official transcripts and will forward the originals to the Graduate Division Dean's Office.
    • The Dean's Office requires all transcripts to be submitted by October of your matriculated year. Failure to submit required transcripts can result in a registration hold for subsequent terms.
  • When an application is complete and the application fee has been paid or waived, the graduate program’s admission committee makes a recommendation to the Graduate Division for admission or denial. Final authority to admit or deny admission resides with the dean of the Graduate Division. The dean will not admit a student without the concurrence of the faculty of a graduate program; however, the dean may deny admission even if acceptance is recommended by the committee.
  • Once the graduate program and graduate dean have made their admission recommendations, the Graduate Division sends a notice to the applicant via email. Applicants may then log into their online application account to view their admission status. They will also be able to view or print an official Graduate Division letter of admission (or denial of admission), signed by the dean of the Graduate Division. If offered admission, applicants will also indicate their intention to accept or not accept admission via the online application system.
  • All students are required to submit documentation of immunizations and complete a tuberculosis screening questionnaire. For more details on the requirements visit the Student Mental Health and Wellbeing website.
  • Admission to an intercampus joint degree program requires approval by the deans and faculty of both campuses.
  • The Graduate Division does not admit students to non-degree or unclassified status for the purpose of course work only. Students must apply for a specific degree.
  • UCSF welcomes applications for admission from undocumented individuals, such as those who qualify under Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and/or AB540. Please visit the website of the UC Office of the President (UCOP) for more information.