Prospective Graduate Students

GRADUATE ADMISSIONS

The Bioengineering graduate program at UC San Diego is one of the top in the country and actively seeks the brightest students. This section contains information about the requirements and procedures for applying to the Bioengineering program. Please look over it carefully, as it may answer many of your questions.

If you do have questions, please reach out to an advisor via email at be-gradinfo@bioeng.ucsd.edu. In your email please include which graduate degree program(s) you are interested in so advisors can better assist you.

APPLICATION

The application for all Bioengineering graduate degree programs for Fall 2025 has closed. We are not accepting any late applications.

The Fall 2026 application will open in September 2025.

NOTE: The department only offers Fall admission. Admission is not available for Winter or Spring terms.

The application is available online during the application period through the Graduate Admissions Office on the website of the Division of Graduate Education & Postdoctoral Affairs (GEPA) at https://connect.grad.ucsd.edu/apply/. Hard copy applications are not available.

If applicants experience technical issues with the application, they should contact the Bioengineering Student Affairs Office at be-gradinfo@bioeng.ucsd.edu.

GENERAL POLICIES AND INFORMATION

Application Fee Waiver

Please see the GEPA website here for information about possible application fee waivers.

At this time, these are the only fee waiver options available. International students inquiring about fee waivers will be directed to the GEPA website.

Duplication of Advanced Degree

Per university policy, generally “duplication of advanced academic degrees—MA, MS, PhD—is not permitted. A duplicate academic degree is one at the same level (e.g., a second master’s degree or second PhD), regardless of the discipline or the specialization awarding the degree. A professional degree at the master’s or doctoral level(e.g., AuD, DMA, EdD, MAS, MBA, MCEPA, MEd, MEng, MF, MFA, MIA, MPAc, MPP, MD, PharmD) is not regarded as a duplicate of an academic degree.” Please keep this in mind when considering an application to any of the Bioengineering programs.

Previous or Current UC San Diego Graduate Students

If a student was previously enrolled in or is currently enrolled in the UC San Diego Bioengineering MS Plan II- Comprehensive Exam, MS Med, MEng, and MEng MDE programs, then they are NOT eligible to apply to any other UC San Diego Bioengineering program, including the PhD program. This policy is published on our Degree Programs page for each degree aim, is a notice that must be acknowledged on the initial application for any of these programs, and is also explicitly stated in all admit letters to these programs. Exceptions will not be considered.

If a student was previously enrolled in or is currently enrolled in the UC San Diego Bioengineering MS Plan I- Thesis program, they are NOT eligible to apply through the Graduate Application to our PhD program. These students must follow the “MS to PhD Petition Process” outlined on our Current Students page.

If a student was previously enrolled in or is currently enrolled in a non-Bioengineering graduate program at UC San Diego, please reach out to us at be-gradinfo@bioeng.ucsd.edu to learn more about the application process.

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS

NOTE: Effective Fall 2022 and thereafter the GRE is no longer required for admission, and we do not recommend submitting scores.

Statement of Purpose

Submit via the online application
Limit of 1200 words (approximately 2 pages)

A helpful guide to get started is available on the website of the Division of Graduate Education & Postdoctoral Affairs (GEPA) at https://grad.ucsd.edu/admissions/requirements/statement-of-purpose.html

Three Letters of Recommendation

Submit via the online application directly by the recommender. Further instructions on how recommenders upload letters are available in the application.
Letters can be submitted via Interfolio.
Letters of recommendation should come from individuals who can attest to your academic and/ or professional competencies and to the depth of your interest in pursuing graduate study. Letters can come from faculty, instructors, and/ or professional supervisors. Letters should not come from family members or other students, including graduate students.
Applications may be submitted before all letters are received, but the letters are still due by the same deadline as the application since the Admissions Committee begins reviewing applications as soon as the deadline has passed.

For International Applicants Only: Official TOEFL or IELTS Scores

Request the Educational Testing Service (ETS) send official scores to UC San Diego Institutional Code 4836. A department code is not needed.
We require applicants to have a minimum overall TOEFL score of 85 with a minimum speaking score of 23 or higher. For IELTS, applicants must have a minimum overall band score and speaking score of 7.0 or higher
Information about exceptions to the English Language Proficiency Requirement can be found on the GEPA website here.

Official Transcripts of Prior Institutions Attended

Applicants may upload transcripts directly to the online application for initial review. Please view the uploaded transcripts for clarity. Illegible transcripts will disqualify an application from review.
Do not send official transcripts until requested to do so. If admitted, applicants will be given instructions on how to submit official transcripts from all prior institutions.

FUNDING INFORMATION

More detailed information about financial support can be found on our Financial Support page.

Ph.D.

The Department supports most full-time Ph.D. students. Financial support is available in the form of fellowships, traineeships, and research assistantships (GSRs). Sources of funding include university fellowships and traineeships from National Institutes of Health (NIH) training grants. Awarding of financial support is competitive, and includes a stipend in accordance with requirements outlined in the UCOP-UAW Collective Bargaining Agreement for Graduate Student Reseachers for the academic year in addition to the coverage of tuition, fees, and health insurance.

U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents

U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents must establish California Residency by the start of the second year as Non-Resident Supplemental Tuition (NRST) will only be paid in the first year. More information about establishing California Residency for tuition purposes can be found on the Registrars’ Office website at https://students.ucsd.edu/finances/fees/residence/about.html.

This does not apply to international students.

M.S or M.Eng.

The Department does not offer financial support to students at the M.S. or M.Eng. level. Masters students are encouraged to seek information on how to fund their education from the sources listed in the “Financial Support Links” section below.

Financial Support Links