Completing the Application Process

• Application Fee

  The nonrefundable application fee must be paid online by credit card (VISA or MasterCard) prior to submission of your application. Please note that regardless of circumstances or application outcome, this fee is not refundable.

  $135.00 for U.S. citizens and Permanent Residents
  $155.00 for international/non-immigrant applicants

  Application Fee Waiver

  Undergraduate Mechanical Engineering students enrolled in the BS+MS Program can currently request an application waiver from the department office. Please reach out to the department Graduate Officer Joaquin Barraza (jbarr035@ucr.edu) to initiate this process. 

  The Department does not offer any fee waivers at this time unless you are enrolled in the BS+MS program. The Graduate Division offers a limited amount of fee waivers for financial hardships that are available for qualified applicants who are U.S. citizens or current Permanent Residents. Please visit https://graduate.ucr.edu/fee-waivers for more details. Fee waivers are not available for international students. 

   

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• Transcripts of Academic Record

  Requirement: GPA equivalent to 3.0 or higher.

  Unofficial transcripts from all institutions attended after secondary school (high school) must be uploaded directly on the online Graduate Application.  International applicants are required to submit unofficial copies of transcripts and degree certificates in the original language and in English. 

  All uploaded transcripts and academic records should include the following information:

  • Student's Name 
  • Institution's Name 
  • Dates of Attendance 
  • Grades Earned 
  • Credits/Units 
  • Grading Scale/Legend 
  • Degree Awarded (if applicable)

   

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  Domestic Applicant

  It is very important that all transcripts be uploaded directly to the online Graduate Application. If they are sent to any other office, the review of your application will be delayed. You must submit one unofficial copy of transcripts from ALL academic institutions you have attended since high school (secondary school). Please do not mail in physical copies of transcripts. 

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  International Applicants

  It is very important that all transcripts be uploaded directly to the online Graduate Application. If they are sent to any other office, the review of your application will be delayed. Applicants are required to submit one unofficial copy of transcripts and degree certificates that are in the original language accompanied by certified English translations from EACH academic institution attended after secondary school.  Specially prepared English versions are not acceptable in place of documents issued in the original language. If translations are not available from the institution itself, they may be prepared by government or official translators.  They must be complete and exact word-for-word translations of the original documents, not interpretations. Grades must not be converted to a US scale. Please do not mail in physical copies of transcripts. 

  Important Notice for Prospective Students 

  Please be aware that if you accept an offer of admission, you will be required to obtain a WES Course-by-Course ICAP Evaluation for degree(s) earned from institution(s) outside the United States. 

• Graduate Record Exam

  M.S. Application Requirement: GRE is not required to apply to the ME M.S. program.

  Ph.D. Application Requirement: GRE is not required to apply to the ME Ph.D. program.

   

   

• Verification of English Proficiency

  Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)

  This exam is administered by ETS and offered in nearly every country abroad. This exam must be taken within two years of the time you intend to enroll at UCR. The minimum acceptable scores are: 550 for the revised TOEFL paper-delivered test and 80 for the TOEFL iBT.  

  We do not accept the TOEFL ITP+ or the TOEFL MyBest™ scores offered by ETS. Scores reported to UCR will be evaluated based on an exam where all sections were scored from one exam date. Results from multiple exams cannot be combined to create a super score. We strongly advise you to be aware of the deadline for the program to which you are applying. Visit ETS for more information about this exam. UCR's school code is 4839. GRE department and major codes can be found here. If ETS has not assigned a major code to the graduate program you are interested in, select 99.

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  International English Language Testing System (IELTS)

  This IELTS Academic (offered at test centers or online) must be taken within two years of the time you intend to enroll at UCR. The minimum acceptable overall score is 7 with no score less than 6 on any individual component. An unofficial Test Report Form (TRF) may be provided with your application. If admitted, you will be required to provide official scores. These scores will need to be sent directly from IELTS to UCR electronically. For more information about registering for this exam or to locate the office of any test center, visit IELTS.

  Please Note: Our Graduate Division does not accept any other language exam than those listed above and will not accept the Duolingo English Test. If you don't have access to taking any of the approved English language proficiency exams, we recommend contacting our department directly.

• Letters of Recommendation

  Three (3) letters of recommendation are required by all academic graduate programs; submitting additional letters is discouraged.

  Two of the letters should relate to academic settings that directly evaluate your performance in college-level coursework or undergraduate research. Your academic ability and potential for success in a rigorous graduate program is demonstrated through these two letters.

  All letters of recommendation must be in English. 

  If you wish to waive your right to inspect the letters of recommendation, mark the appropriate box below the reference information. Only admitted and enrolled applicants are permitted to inspect letters of recommendation for which they did not waive their right to access. Letters of recommendation are not released to the applicant or other third parties.

  Applicants are responsible for entering their recommenders’ information directly into the online application. Recommenders will be notified via email and sent a link to a personalized portal where they are prompted to upload their recommendation letter. This notification email is sent as soon as the recommender information is confirmed within the application and is not linked to the timing of final submission.

  Hard copy Letters of Recommendation are not accepted.

• Graduate Statement of Purpose

  Starting Summer/Fall 2026, applicants must provide the following statement. 

  The Graduate Statement of Purpose is your opportunity to share why you are applying, including your preparation, motivation, and how UCR's faculty and resources support your goals. Please address the following areas:

  • Academic and/or Professional Background - academic journey (coursework and major areas of study), and relevant experiences (academic, research, or professional) that prepared you for graduate study.
  • Research or Professional Interests - key areas, themes, or problems you want to explore, and how they connect to your field of study.
  • Fit with UCR - how your interests or goals align with UCR's faculty, programs, labs, or professional resources.
  • Motivation for Graduate Study - what drives you to pursue this degree at this stage of your academic journey or career. Please share any long-term scholarly/professional aspirations.
  • Future Goals & Societal Impact - how your work or this degree will help you address professional, academic, or broader societal needs or contribute to the public good.
  • Contributions to the Academic, Professional, and UCR Community - how you hope to engage through leadership, collaboration, mentorship, or outreach.

  • The statement must not exceed 2,000 words.