Applicants for admission must have completed a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution. Candidates are evaluated on their academic record and potential for success as demonstrated in the submitted application materials listed below. We recommend you verify all application information before submitting. Once you submit your application, you can no longer update it for the remainder of the application cycle.
Transcripts from all institutions attended (with English translation if needed):
Please upload unofficial copies of transcripts for each college and university attended with your online application. Transcripts scanned and uploaded to your application will be used to conduct the initial review. If you are admitted and have decided to attend UCI, you will be asked to submit official transcripts.
Send official transcripts to:
Graduate Division
120 Aldrich Hall
Irvine, CA 92697-3180
E: gradtranscripts@uci.edu
Candidates may apply to the program if they hold the equivalent of a four-year US Bachelor’s degree. Transcripts from non-US universities should include evidence of degree conferral (proof of graduation). International applicants should refer to the International Applicant page for more specific requirements.
Three Letters of Recommendation
Three letters of recommendation are required for your application. References can be either academic and/or professional. Letters of recommendation are submitted through the online application system.
Essays
PERSONAL HISTORY STATEMENT demonstrating your writing and communication ability. The personal statement should include: a personal history describing your previous professional and academic achievements.
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE providing a statement of your personal, academic, and professional goals, as well as why and how the MDS program will help you achieve these goals.
Official TOEFL or IELTS (International applicants – Scores valid for two years)
English Language Proficiency: All graduate applicants, except those who have earned an undergraduate degree from an institution at which English was the sole language of instruction according to the World Higher Education Database, are required to demonstrate English proficiency for admissions consideration. If English is not the sole language of instruction listed or if no language is listed at all, the waiver does not apply, and the applicant is required to take and pass an approved English proficiency test (TOEFL or IELTS).
Per UCI Graduate Division, the minimum score for admission for the Internet-based test is 80. TOEFL scores are valid for up to two years from your test date. Exam results should be sent to UC Irvine institution code: 4859. For more information on the TOEFL, visit toefl.org.
As an alternative to the TOEFL, you may also take the Academic Modules of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). For the IELTS, the minimum required score for admission is 7, with a score of no less than 6 on any individual module.
UC Irvine Graduate Division only accepts scores submitted electronically by the IELTS test center. No paper Test Report Forms will be accepted. An institutional code is NOT required. Please contact the test center directly where you took the IELTS test and request that your test scores be sent electronically using the IELTS system. All IELTS test centers worldwide are able to send scores electronically to our institution.
GRE
NOTE* – The GRE is WAIVED for ALL APPLICANTS until the Fall 2026 admissions cycle. Do not submit your scores as they will not be considered in admissions.
Application Fee
Your application cannot be reviewed until UCI has received your non-refundable application fee. Please review the UCI Graduate Division site for application fees.
Fee Waivers are available to qualified domestic applicants only. Eligibility to apply for a fee waiver is determined by program participation, US veteran status, or demonstrated financial need based on information requirements specified on the application. For more information please visit Fee Waivers | Graduate Division.
