Admission
The CSE department offers a combined Bachelor of Science + Master of Science degree to UCR students pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering or Computer Science. The combined program allows students to complete both degree requirements in 5-years. Admitted students can use 12 units of undergraduate work toward the Master of Science degree which allows students to complete the MS portion of the degree in one year.
The Fall 2025 online application opens on October 1, 2024.
Deadlines Based on Upcoming Entry Terms
Fall
July 1: General admission deadline for domestic and international applicants
Winter
November 1: General admission deadline for domestic and international applicants
Spring
February 1: General admission deadline for domestic and international applicants
Admission Criteria
- Cumulative GPA of 3.4 or above
- Core course requirement: at least three of the following courses CS 100, CS 120A, CS 141, CS 153 with a grade of B- or above and GPA of 3.2 or higher
- Must qualify for the Bachelor of Science + Master of Science degree during the junior year of the undergraduate degree
- Approval of the undergraduate advisor
How to Apply
1. Application
Complete the online application for graduate admission
2. Application Fee
The application fee for UCR BS+MS applicants is waived once to eligible applicants. The fee is non-refundable if you pay the fee yourself.
3. Official Transcripts:
Applicants are required to submit transcripts with final grades or most recent grades (if the degree is in progress) from all college-level institutions they have attended. Applicants are also required to submit proof of any degree awarded to them. Confirmation of your degree can be a degree posting on a transcript or a copy of your degree certificate.
Applicants who attended an institution located outside the U.S., please visit the Required Academic Records from International Institutions page for detailed document requirements.
4. Graduation Record Examination (GRE)
GRE scores are recommended but not required. Applicants who plan to apply for the PhD degree after the master’s degree should consider taking the GRE at this time.
GRE UCR Code: 4839
GRE Department Code: 0402 Computer Sciences
Educational Testing Service (ETS)
Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m. - 9:45 p.m. EST
Telephone: 609-771-7670
Please allow a minimum of 3-4 weeks for a test score to be reported to our campus. Please note that the online application status for the GRE is updated automatically as the score is received electronically from ETS. The online application will only show a GRE score as 'received' if it has been successfully transmitted electronically from ETS; this is done automatically at the Graduate Division level. If an applicant has ordered a GRE score to be sent to UCR and it is not yet reflected in the online application, ETS should be contacted to determine if all information entered by the applicant was correct (the score report may need to be sent again).
5. Letters of Recommendation
Bachelor of Science + Master of Science applicants are required to submit at least two recommendation letters from UCR Academic Senate faculty members. At least one, and preferably both, should come from the Computer Science and Engineering Department faculty.
The electronic application requires 3 letters of recommendation. Please enter the information below as the third recommender to be able to submit your application.
Attn: Vanda Yamaguchi
Graduate Student Services Advisor
Department of Computer Science and Engineering
Winston Chung Hall, Room 351
University of California
Riverside, CA 92521, USA
gradinfo@cs.ucr.edu
Note: Received documents cannot be returned to applicants and become the property of the university. Copies of received documents cannot be provided to applicants as well.
Admission Process
The primary objective of the admissions process is the selection of those students most likely to complete their chosen graduate programs with distinction. After consultation between the program and the Graduate Division, the final authority to admit rests with the Graduate Division Dean. Applicants are initially reviewed and rated based on their overall undergraduate and, where appropriate, post-baccalaureate GPAs. However, the evaluation process is intended to be flexible, and departments take a variety of other factors into consideration, including GRE or other test scores, GPA in the major subject, letters of recommendation, and the reputation of the degree-granting program or institution. Soon after the department forwards its recommendation to the Graduate Division, the applicant is notified in writing (first, via e-mail) of the Dean's decision. If admission is offered with work still in progress, official transcripts reflecting the satisfactory completion of this work and the awarding of the degree (where appropriate) must be submitted as soon as possible. An offer of admission is valid for a specific quarter only; admission may not be deferred to a later quarter. Accepted students who wish to be admitted for a subsequent quarter must reapply and, if additional coursework has been completed, submit updated transcripts. Please note that all applicants must submit a new application and application fee if reapplying for a later quarter.
The Computer Science and Engineering master and PhD programs receive a large number of applications and meeting all admission criteria do not guarantee admission to our graduate program. Admission is offered to candidates with the highest qualifications. UCR views as a high priority the enrollment of men and women from different backgrounds and from different demographic and ethnic groups.
For additional information, please check the Graduate Division website.
For admission inquiries, please email gradinfo@cs.ucr.edu