ECE Apply FAQs

We Do Not accept additional materials. A mention of papers, technical reports, theses, etc., in the resume is sufficient. Also, Do Not send copies of your passport.

If we receive such materials, they will be discarded.

Applicants will not be notified once the application is complete - it is the applicant's responsibility to follow up and review their application status.

What is and where can I find my student PERM #?

UCSB Perm # / Student ID

The PERM # is your unique UCSB student identification number that you will use throughout your studies at UCSB. To find your PERM #, refer to the application status page several days after completing and paying the online application fee.

How do I choose whether to apply to the BS/MS, MS, MS/PhD or the PhD program?

Choosing whether to apply to the MS or PhD Program?

• The PhD program is open to applicants who hold a master's degree or its equivalent in either electrical and computer engineering or computer science or related fields and who demonstrate unusual ability and promise for professional success. It is also open to applicants of exceptional promise directly on completion of a baccalaureate degree program. The program prepares individuals for a career in academia as a professor at a research university or liberal arts college, or as a researcher in an industry or government research laboratory. The program typically takes 5 years to complete.

• Applicants with only a baccalaureate degree who intend to seek the PhD degree should apply for simultaneous admission to the MS/PhD program.

• The MS program is designed for individuals who are interested in further developing their knowledge and skill base in a rigorous academic program in preparation for either a PhD program or a professional position. The program offers a flexible curriculum with either a research (thesis) track or a comprehensive exam. Our average MS student completes the program within 2 years.

• The combined BS/MS program seeks to prepare undergraduate students at UCSB more deeply and broadly than the Bachelor's program alone. The BS/MS in ECE program is ONLY open to current UCSB Electrical Engineering and Computer Engineering students. The program allows outstanding students to pursue a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering and a Master of Science degree in Electrical & Computer Engineering or Materials and to complete graduation requirements for both degrees ideally within five years. Graduate units taken during the student's senior year will allow the completion of MS program requirements in the fifth year. The BS/MS process is an internal process and not completed through the Graduate Admissions online website.

Acceptance Criteria

The evaluation process for applications is extremely complex, taking into account all the materials submitted with the application. All applicants for admission to graduate status are required to present evidence of a high level of technical skill, scholarship, and aptitude for electrical and computer engineering. This evidence normally is provided through a combination of undergraduate transcripts, letters of recommendation, and accounts of professional goals and experience. Applicants whose native language is not English are required to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). The ECE Department does a thorough evaluation in a committee consisting of several faculty members. Then the UCSB Graduate Admissions Office evaluates each nominated application to determine whether or not their minimum standards for admission have been met

What are my chances of being admitted?

Admission Prospects

It is not possible to evaluate an individual's chances of admission without reviewing their file within the context of the peer applicant pool.

My GPA is not on a 4.0 scale, so how will it be evaluated?

GPA Scale Evaluation

• Many institutions, particularly those outside of the US educational system, do not grade students on a 4.0 GPA scale. Our faculty is familiar with the higher educational systems of countries all over the world and evaluates an applicant's academic performance within that individual's local context.
• When applying, you do not have to convert your grades to a 4.0 scale. Instead, please indicate your overall standing and the grading scale used in the fields provided in the online application.

Degree Background

The graduate programs are open to those who have a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, computer engineering, computer science, other areas of engineering, or in mathematics, physics, or other related fields of science. Applicants with degrees in fields other than electrical and computer engineering or computer science may be required to complete undergraduate prerequisite courses. Fundamental subject areas required include mathematics through differential equations and advanced calculus, a full year of college-level physics, and introductory computer programming.

I'm a current/former UCSB student in the MS program who wishes to continue/transfer to the PhD program, how do I apply?

Current or former students continuing or transferring into the PhD program

Students who are already involved in the MS program at UCSB and who wish to work for a doctorate should discuss their prospects with their faculty advisor and other professors. If, after receiving advice and encouragement, a student wishes to apply for the PhD program, they must start and complete a new application via the Graduate Division application website. This application is usually done after passing the PhD Screening Exam. Current students who apply and are accepted into the doctoral program will be fully eligible for central recruitment funding including the International Doctoral Recruitment Fellowship (IDRF) if they apply and are admitted. If admitted, students will be given a new start quarter for the doctoral degree objective. This means that the degree clock starts anew.

Application Status

I have already applied to the program and am waiting to hear back. When will I know if I have been admitted?

When will I know if I am admitted?

• Admission decisions will by finalized by early May.
• Applicants are accepted and rejected on a rolling basis.
• To check your application status, log into your eApp and review your Overview page and/or Application sections. Your Application Status page will be updated with a decision letter when a decision has bee made on your application.

Transfer Questions

Can I apply course credit from UCSB Extension or from another institution toward my degree requirements if I am admitted?

Course credits from UCSB or another institution

• Students may transfer, to UCSB, units from upper-division and graduate courses that were completed while the student was enrolled in another graduate program. A grade of B or better is required and courses already applied toward a degree awarded are not transferable.
• Students may transfer a maximum of 8-quarter units from an accredited college outside of the UC system and a maximum of 12-quarter units from another UC. Transferred units do not affect UCSB academic residency requirements.
• Currently enrolled graduate students may not take courses through UCSB Professional and Continuing Education (formerly UCSB Extension) that can be completed through regular enrollment at UCSB. If courses are taken, no unit credit will be counted toward fulfillment of degree requirements.
• Transferred units appear on transcripts as follows:
  • Non-UC institutions - only total number of units transferred appear on unofficial and official transcripts
  • Other UCs - name, course title, units and grade appear on unofficial and official transcripts
  • UCSB Professional and Continuing Education - course title, units and grade appear on unofficial and official transcripts

  Transferring from another graduate program

  Students who wish to transfer from another graduate program into the ECE Department at UCSB follow the same procedures as all other applicants. Please submit an application through the UCSB Application for Graduate Admission. If admitted, your academic advisor will work with you to transfer all eligible coursework.

  Application Fee

  Can the department help pay the application fee?

  Application fee payment

  • Unfortunately, the department cannot help with paying the application fee.
  • Graduate Division processes any fee waiver requests through the online application. A limited number of fee waivers are available for qualified US citizens and permanent residents. McNair Scholars and California Alliance for Minority Participation (CAMP) applicants are among those eligible. Fee waivers are not available to international applicants. You may apply for a fee waiver within the online application. Within your application click on the Payment Information tab and scroll down to the fee waiver information. Submit your request online by selecting the option relevant to you and uploading your supporting documentation. You must submit your fee waiver request at least two weeks before the application deadline. Do not submit a fee waiver request the day before the application deadline; it will not be processed and your application will not be reviewed.

  Funding/Financial Support Questions

  Does the department provide funding/financial support for your graduate students?

  Types of funding/financial support

  All submitted admission applications are considered for departmental financial support and are merit-based. Types of financial support available include:

  • Graduate Student Research (GSR) Positions: pays a monthly stipend plus fees, health insurance, and nonresident tuition. Offers are made by individual faculty members.
  • Teaching Assistantships (TAships): Pays a monthly stipend plus fees, health insurance, and nonresident tuition. Offers are made by the department.
  • Fellowships: most pay a quarterly stipend plus fees and health insurance and sometimes nonresident tuition. Offers are made by the department or UCSB's Graduate Division.

  Applying for financial support

  The completed application for admission automatically serves as the application for financial support. Applications must be completed and submitted by December 15th to be considered for financial support. There are no exceptions for applications completed after the December 15th deadline.

  I have been admitted to the graduate program, how do I find out if I received departmental financial support?

  Financial support status

  Not all students admitted into our graduate program are awarded financial support. If you have an award, notification of a Teaching Assistantship (TAship) or a Graduate Student Research position (GSR) is sent by the ECE Department soon after the Dean of the Graduate Division notifies you of the final admission.

  Can I apply for financial aid?

  Applying for financial aid

  Need-based aid is only available for domestic students:

  • UCSB Financial Aid Office
  • UCSB Financial Support
  • Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) – U.S. Department of Education's online form to apply for aid.

  International students and financial statement

  All international students need to complete documentation of financial ability to pay for expenses for the first year of study at UCSB. Applicants do not need to submit a financial statement until they have been officially admitted and will not be penalized in any way for not submitting the financial statement earlier with other application materials.

  Please note that newly admitted students should refer to the O.I.S.S. (Office of International Students and Scholars) website and send the financial statement directly to O.I.S.S. and not the ECE department.

  Send to:
  Office of International Students Scholars
  University of California, Santa Barbara
  Santa Barbara, CA
  93106-7150
  USA

  What is the cost of attendance?

  Cost of attendance

  The Cost of Attendance is calculated by the Financial Aid Office

  Contacts

  • Graduate Division: First read Graduate Division's Admissions & Outreach FAQs and next contact Grad Div directly at gradadmissions@graddiv.ucsb.edu.
  • ECE Department: UCSB Graduate Division handles the online application, status, and supplemental documents.

  NOTE: Applicants will not be notified once the application is complete and it is the applicant's responsibility to follow up and review their Application Status