Application Requirements

UCLA Graduate School requires the submission of an online application.

Admission through UCLA ACCESS is limited to the Ph.D. degree. Applicants to ACCESS have the equivalent of a bachelor's degree. Undergraduate majors that are most appropriate include any discipline in the life or physical sciences, and upper division coursework in biochemistry, molecular biology and/or cell biology is advantageous. Applications are accepted for enrollment in the Fall quarter only. The Application deadline is December 15. Complete applications consist of the following material:

  • the application form
  • official transcripts of grades
  • three letters of recommendation (to be submitted online by your recommenders)
  • general test GRE scores
  • statement of purpose

Applying for individual fellowships to funding agencies is part of the ACCESS curriculum; thus a GRE subject test is required if you are accepted into the program.

International students whose native language is not English must submit results of the TOEFL.

The institution code for UCLA is 4837. The GRE code for UCLA ACCESS is 0206. The TOEFL code is 30 or 74 (either one will send the record to UCLA ACCESS).

Admission through UCLA ACCESS is limited to the Ph.D. degree. A master's degree is not required to obtain a Ph.D. from any ACCESS-affiliated program.

Applications are reviewed in January and selected applicants are invited to UCLA for a personal interview on a weekend in January through March. The interview consists of meetings with faculty and students, and includes an opportunity to visit the campus, its research facilities and the surrounding community. Based on the results of the personal interview, the Admissions Committee generally makes admission offers within ten days of applicant visits. Approximately 60 students enter through the ACCESS program each year. As ethnic, gender and cultural diversity are both a strength and a priority at UCLA, we solicit and encourage applicants who will increase and strengthen our diversity.

Policies and Practices concerning Foreign Applicants

Opportunities for Undergraduates at UCLA