Admissions

APPLICATION PROCEDURES

The Department admits applicants for the degrees of M.A. and Ph.D. However, the M.A. exists here as a foundation for the Ph.D., and the Department admits only those applicants whose ultimate objective is the Ph.D.

All applicants must submit an online application. Information may be found at UCLA Graduate Division(online application steps). All supplemental materials must be uploaded online.

Also, upon admission to the program, digital copies of OFFICIAL transcripts of all colleges and universities attended MUST be sent directly by the institution to:

Jenée Misraje
Student Affairs Officer
UCLA Geography
jenee@geog.ucla.edu

and/or by mail to:

Department of Geography
Graduate Admissions
1255 Bunche Hall
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1524

An application may be submitted for admission to any quarter. However, funding decisions are generally made in the spring for students who plan to matriculate in the Fall. For that reason, students who wish to be considered for funding are strongly encouraged to submit applications for Fall quarter.

The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is required of all international applicants whose native language is not English or if you did not receive your bachelor’s degree in an Anglophone country. You must certify proficiency in English when you apply to the program. UCLA accepts the Internet-based Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL iBT) and International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Academic exams.

    • Minimum overall score on TOEFL iBT: 87. Minimum scores for each section: Writing: 25, Speaking: 24, Reading: 21, and Listening: 17. TOEFL iBT scores should be sent to your major department. Be sure to list the TOEFL institution code for UCLA 4837. UCLA does not currently accept MyBest TOEFL 
    • Minimum overall band score on IELTS Academic: 7.0. Ask IELTS to send your scores to your major department and the Division of Graduate Education.

For further information about English requirements, please visit https://grad.ucla.edu/admissions/english-requirements/.

Graduate study in the Department is tailored to the research interests of each individual student, and a student’s graduate program is designed in consultation with her or his faculty advisor and M.A. or Ph.D. degree committee. Therefore, incoming graduate students are expected to share interests with active faculty in the Department. Applicants may find it useful to initiate contact with appropriate faculty members.

In general, a successful applicant will have:

  1. Completed an undergraduate degree with a major in geography or a related field;
  2. Attained at least a 3.3 grade-point average (GPA) in courses taken in the junior and senior years and in the major for admission to the M.A. program or a 3.5 GPA in graduate courses for students entering the Ph.D. program with an M.A.; and
  3. Provided strong letters evaluating past academic, and possibly professional, performance and potential for high achievement in graduate studies.

In addition, students applying to the Ph.D. program should provide evidence of substantive research in the form of a published paper, thesis chapter, or equivalent document.

Admission to the M.A. or Ph.D. program requires that a faculty member from the Department of Geography express a willingness to serve as an interim advisor to the applicant. Students are therefore strongly advised to establish personal contact with potential advisors before application. (Geography faculty list)