Graduate Admissions

The application deadline is  December 1, 2023.

Steps to Apply

  • Complete the online application for graduate admission
  • Submit all supplemental materials online
  • Upload unofficial transcripts in application 
  • For technical questions about the application, please email OnlineAppHelp@grad.ucla.edu

Requirements for Admission

 Applicants should have a B.S. degree in Engineering, Life Science, or Physical Science.

Office Address

Department Mailing Address:
Bioengineering Department
UCLA
420 Westwood Plaza
5121 Engineering V
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1600
Phone :
(310) 794-5945
Fax:
(310) 794-5956
E-mail:  bioeng@seas.ucla.edu
Major code: 288ETS Test Codes:
GRE:
Institution Code: 4837
Dept. Code: 1603
TOEFL/TSE/IELTS:
Institution Code: 7845
Department Code: 69

Bioengineering Supplemental Information in the Online Application

• The data you enter on your research background in these fields is a very important part of your application.
• Indicate your major of your undergraduate study in the appropriate field. In the case of a double major, list both majors.
• Entering one of our five fields of study is required as all applications are monitored by a Field Chair (click here to view the list of Field Chairs). An admitted applicant can request to change field via petition.
• By entering the name of your preferred Faculty Advisor in the appropriate field for MS Thesis and PhD applicants allows your application to be reviewed by that particular Faculty Advisor. If the name of your preferred Faculty Advisor is not on this list or you have not yet decided on one, list the name of the Field Chair and state on your Statement of Purpose the name of the actual Faculty Advisor you wish to work with. For MS Comprehensive Examination applicants, your Faculty Advisor is the Field Chair by default.

Grade Point Average (GPA)

To apply for the M.S. or PhD degree, applicants should have a B.S. degree in Engineering, Life  Science, or Physical Science, with a grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher. Applicants who  already have the M.S. degree or will obtain the degree before enrolling, should have an overall GPA  of at least 3.25 for the M.S., however, such applicants must still report their undergraduate GPA.  Meeting the above minimum requirements does not guarantee admission; the actual standard for  admission is set by the current pool of applicants, and is generally much higher.

Academic History and Transcripts

Please upload unofficial transcripts from all colleges or universities attended.

International students please upload the original and the English translation of unofficial transcripts, unofficial degree certificates and/or unofficial copies of your diplomas.

If you are a university/college senior, do not wait for senior-year grades before submitting your application and uploading unofficial transcripts.

Statement Of Purpose (Required)

The Statement of Purpose is uploaded online only. Do not send to the Bioengineering Department. It should specify the research area you are interested in. Your statement is a means of  helping us match your academic and research interest with those of our faculty (this is very  important if you are applying for financial support as most financial offers are through Graduate Student Researcher (GSR) appointments). It should not be a personal life history; it should contain  only such academic details that will aid the Admissions Committee in evaluating your application. Describe exactly what you wish to study at UCLA. “Bioengineering”, for example is not specific  enough. State what branch of Bioengineering interests you, e.g., Biomedical Signal & Image  Processing, Cellular Therapies, Neuroengineering, etc. If you possess such a background, write  about your experience as a researcher and what you researched, the extent of your research,  publications in print, peer reviews, the number of poster presentations you have given, research  awards earned, number of oral presentations, and number of conference proceedings attended.

Personal Statement (Required)

This statement should not duplicate the Statement of Purpose. In this statement, describe how your  background, accomplishments, and life experiences led to your decision to pursue the graduate  degree for which you are applying. Include any educational, personal, cultural, economic, or social  experiences, challenges or opportunities relevant to your academic journey. In addition, please  describe any aspects of your personal background, accomplishments, or achievements that will  allow the department to evaluate your contributions to the University’s diversity mission.  Contributions to diversity and equal opportunity can take a variety of forms, such as efforts to advance equitable access to education, public service that addresses the need of a diverse population, or research that explores inequalities. A well written detailed personal statement is  helpful for fellowship nominations.

Supporting Documents (optional)

It is optional to upload additional documents such as journal papers, conference proceedings, and manuscripts in this section of the online admission application.

Resume/CV (required)

Please upload a copy of your Resume/CV.

Letters of Recommendation (Required)

Three names of individuals who will be submitting a letter of recommendation on your behalf. Note  that letter of recommendation requests can be made prior to the student finishing his/her application.  You will need to enter contact information for the letter providers, and they will be contacted by the  online admission system via email. The status of receipt of letters of recommendation is posted on the online graduate admission application as soon as it is received and applicants are urged to  check it frequently. Applicants are able to frequently remind those recommending you for admission  to submit their letters online by having the system resend the email to those recommending the  applicant. Do not have the persons recommending you for admission send their letters to the  Bioengineering Department either via US post or by email attachments.  

For the M.S. program, we recommend that you request letters of reference from professors who  have taught you in your junior or senior years. 

For the Ph.D. program, we urge that all you request letters from academic references as recent as  possible. If you have an M.S., letters from professors who served on your M.S. committee are  particularly helpful. If you cannot obtain academic references, the letters should be from people who  can comment on your recent professional attainments and your qualifications for graduate study in Bioengineering at UCLA. 

Confidentiality: Applicants are not permitted to inspect or retrieve letters of recommendation in their  UCLA files. If you are admitted to UCLA and enroll, you will then have access to your letters of  recommendations unless you have previously waived the right of access. All letters of  recommendation need to be uploaded into the system by the recommender by the December 1st  deadline. Letters received after the deadline may not be considered.

Graduate Record Examination (GRE) (Optional)

http://www.gre.org/

Students who wish to apply for admission to our graduate program for the 2023-2024 academic year are not required to take the GRE or submit a GRE score report as part of their application package. However, students may voluntarily submit GRE test scores and they will be reviewed as part of the holistic application consideration. The applications with GRE scores will not be given greater weight than those that do not include scores

If you have taken the GRE within the last five years, you may send a copy of the results pending  receipt of official scores from the Educational Testing Service.  

The only other report accepted in lieu of the GRE official report is the MCAT official report. Upload  the unofficial copy of the MCAT report at the time of applying online.

TOEFL or IELTS (Required)

Test of English as a Foreign Language
http://www.ets.org/toefl/
or

IELTS band score – International English Language Testing System
http://www.ielts.org/

Students whose native language is not English are required, for admission, to have an IELTS  Academic overall band score of 7.0 or higher, a TOEFL score on the paper and pencil test must be at least 560 or at least 87 on the internet-based test. These scores represent the minimum required  for applications to graduate programs at UCLA.

***Please note that TOEFL scores are considered  valid for only two years, and that if several scores are submitted, only the most recent is considered. *** 

Because processing, sending, and receiving TOEFL and IELTS scores often takes several weeks,  international students must schedule the TOEFL examination no later than October in order to meet  the Departmental deadlines. TOEFL scores should be sent directly to the Department address. In addition, students whose native language is not English must take the English as a Second  Language Placement Examination (ESLPE) on arrival at UCLA and, beginning in their first term in  residence, take any English as a Second Language courses needed as determined by the results of  the ESLPE. Because such courses may not be applied toward the minimum course requirement,  students who are required to take them should expect to spend additional time in residence.

ETS Tests UCLA/Bioengineering Institution Codes

GRE: Institution Code: 4837/Dept. Code : 1603

TOEFL/TSE/IELTS: Institution Code: 7845/Dept. Code: 69

http://www.ets.org

Financial Statement for International Students


DCISS-Online-I-20-RequestProcessGuideline

The office of Graduate Admissions at UCLA requires that international admits prove that they have  the current amount stated on the I-20 application portal at their disposal for the first academic year of  graduate study. According to U.S. Immigration and Naturalization regulations, the University may  only issue Certificates of Eligibility (Form I-20) for Visas to applicants who have been offered  admission and have submitted documented evidence (e.g. Financial statement, bank statements, letters of sponsorship, etc.) of sufficient funds for their study at UCLA. For more information, please  contact the Dashew Center at 310-825-1681 or https://www.internationalcenter.ucla.edu/.  These documents must bear the appropriate seals and/or signature of a Bank Official, and must  state the full name of the applicant and the amount of the support offered. Please upload these  documents during your online application. All financial statements are kept confidential.

Checking Decision Status

The BE Department no longer sends paper decision letters through the US post.

Please review your decision status by logging back into the UCLA application status page at https://apply.grad.ucla.edu/portal/status and clicking on the “View Your Official Decision Letter” link.