UC Master of Science in Computer ScienceUniversity of California, San Diego · La Jolla, California, United States

Program Overview

Dates and tuition are specific to the 2027 intake

Please check the official program website (link below) for specific writing guidelines

Statement of purpose

No specific word limit; be concise. Address past CS/CE accomplishments, qualifications, and graduate-school goals.

Recommendation letters x 3

Minimum of three letters. Academic recommenders preferred; research/project advisors and professional/industry referees are also accepted.

Unofficial transcript(s)

From all post-secondary institutions attended. Official transcripts typically required only if admitted.

Academic: Bachelor's degree with GPA 3.0/4.0; At least a B average (3.0 GPA) or equivalent required. Satisfaction of minima does not guarantee admission.
Prerequisites: Relevant academic background; A bachelor's in computer science, computer engineering, electrical engineering, or mathematics is preferred but not required. Applicants from other disciplines are considered if they have completed the minimum required CSE courses or equivalent; additional CS coursework is recommended without a CSE background.
IELTS: 7.0 overall; University-wide GEPA Band Score 7 minimum.
TOEFL: New scale: 4.5 overall | Old scale: 85 overall; University-wide GEPA minimum for the new iBT scale.; University-wide GEPA minimum (previous iBT scale). Some programs may set a higher threshold.
GRE: Optional; CSE stated GRE is not required for PhD and MS applications for Fall 2026; applicants may still submit valid scores. Fall 2027 GRE policy was not separately republished at collection time.