Applying for Admission as an International Student

• Applying for Undergraduate Admission
• Applying for Graduate or Professional School Admission
• Academic Records

The University offers both undergraduate and graduate programs. Undergraduate programs offer bachelor's degrees, while graduate programs offer master's, doctoral or professional degrees.

Undergraduate Study

If you have completed secondary-level education in a preparatory school (gymnasium, liceo, lycée, high school or senior middle school), or have reached matriculation or intermediate standards, you should apply for admission as an undergraduate at the freshman level. Freshman and transfer applicants have different application forms. Freshmen have never been enrolled full-time as college or university students. In general, transfer students will have completed at least 60 semester (90 quarter) units of college/university credit.

Master's or Doctoral Study

You must have completed at least the equivalent of the bachelor's degree to be considered for graduatelevel study.

Professional Study

Many of the professional schools must severely limit the number of students admitted annually. International students are rarely admitted to University of California medical schools. Applicants must have superior scholarship and generally are required to attend an American college for one year before being admitted to a professional school.

Applying for Undergraduate Admission

You can apply for undergraduate admission online. If you do not have easy online access, you may use the printed application. Request an application by e-mail at ucpubs@ucop.edu or by letter to:

University of California, Office of the President
Communications 1111
Franklin Street, 12th Floor
Oakland
CA 94607-5200, U.S.

When requesting an application, include your full name and e-mail or mailing address, including your country. In addition, please indicate the term and year for which you would like to apply and whether you will be applying as a freshman or transfer applicant.

Testing Requirement

Students applying for undergraduate admission as freshmen must submit scores on an approved test of mathematics, language arts and writing — either the ACT Assessment plus Writing or the SAT Reasoning Test. In addition, students must take two SAT Subject Tests in two different subject areas of the student's choice: English, history and social studies, mathematics, science or languages.

These tests must be taken no later than December of the last year of secondary school. For information about the SAT, see the College Board website and about the ACT at the ACT website.

Engineering and Computer Science

International applicants to engineering and computer science programs at the University of California are advised that the number of qualified applicants far exceeds the number of available spaces in the programs. Preference is given first to California residents, then to other U.S. residents. Only a limited number of extremely well-qualified international applicants can be considered for admission to these programs.

When to Apply for Undergraduate Admission

UC Berkeley
Fall Semester 2009: File November 1-30, 2008

UC Merced
Spring Semester 2010: File July 17-August 17, 2009
Fall Semester 2009: File November 1-30, 2008

All Other Campuses
Fall Quarter 2009: File November 1-30, 2008
Winter Quarter 2010: File July 1-31, 2009
Spring Quarter 2010: File October 1-31, 2009

The application fee of $70 for international applicants entitles you to be considered for admission at one campus. You may select more than one campus, but you must pay an additional fee of $70 for each one. These fees are nonrefundable. Please note that many campuses are unable to accept applications after the end of the designated filing period. Some campuses do not accept applications for winter or spring terms. If you are applying during the winter or spring filing period, check with the campus Admissions Office or go to Open/Closed Majors to determine whether the campus(es) and program(s) you are interested in are accepting applications.

Applying for Graduate or Professional School Admission

For information on graduate and professional school application and admission, see the graduate department/division website of the campus you are interested in attending. If you do not have Internet access, contact the graduate department/division or academic department for information.

When to Apply for Graduate or Professional School Admission

To apply for graduate-level admission, you must apply to the specific program you would like to attend at least eight months before the beginning of the term in which you would like to enroll. Check the appropriate graduate division/department website or academic department for information.

Academic Records

It may take a substantial amount of time for schools outside the U.S. to forward your records to the University. If you are an international applicant, you should have available legible photocopies of your official academic records frome your institution in your home country. After you submit your undergraduate application, be prepared to send these copies to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions at each campus to which you have applied, upon request. The Admissions Office may make a preliminary evaluation based on the information you provide on your application. However, if you are admitted, the University must receive an official academic record directly from each institution you attended, beginning with grade nine and up to and including the school or college/university you currently attend. Each academic record must list the dates you attended the institution; the titles of courses and examinations you completed; the grades (marks) you received; the credit, hours or units earned; and any degree or diploma you may have received. Diplomas or certificates you received for completing government and university examinations must show the subjects you passed and the grades received.

Applicants for graduate status must also submit documents that include evidence of university degrees received. Check with the academic department to determine submission deadlines for academic records and other supplemental materials.

In the United States, the academic record is called a "transcript." It may be called by another name — such as a leaving certificate, maturity certificate, bachillerato or baccalauréat — in your country. If your records are incomplete, submit a statement of explanation. If it has been some time since you attended school or there were any interruptions in your education, describe your activities during these periods of time.

Submission of the application form and supporting materials is only the first step to entering the University of California. Not all applicants can be admitted. You should not come to the University until you receive your official letter of admission and your Certificate of Eligibility (Form I-20 A/B or DS-2019).