Application Materials
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How do I determine whether or not additional materials are required?
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Where do I send additional materials requested by the department to which I am applying?
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I submitted my application, but I uploaded the wrong material; what can I do?
What materials are required for the application?
You need an email address to use the online system.
A complete application consists of:
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Submitted online application
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$135 application fee ($155 for international applicants)
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Transcripts (official or unofficial) from each college-level institution attended
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Three letters of recommendation
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Required test scores (including TOEFL/IELTS for international students)
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Other materials requested by the department (resume, writing sample, CD or tape, etc.)
Where do I send hard copy materials?
Transcripts and items sent from your school or a private letter service are the only materials we accept in hard copy format.
The online application is designed so that most required items, including your transcripts, statement of purpose, letters of recommendation, writing samples and resumes, can be submitted online. Please use the online features whenever possible and do not send paper copies of material that has been submitted online.
These paper documents will be scanned and saved digitally so that they can be viewed electronically by your admissions committee. To assist us in processing your application, please do not bind, glue or laminate your documents, nor send in folios or document covers. Be sure to include your name, birth date and the department to which you are applying with every document.
Mail hardcopy materials to:
UC Santa Cruz
Graduate Application Processing
1156 High Street
Santa Cruz, CA 95064
For parcel services (FedEx, DHL, UPS), include "Kerr Hall - 500" after the street address
For additional materials requested by the program such as portfolios, please send directly to the department.
Unsolicited material sent to Graduate Application Processing WILL NOT be included in the review materials and will be discarded.
Can I get copies of my application materials? Can I have my application materials forwarded to another person, institution or organization?
All materials, including the application itself, submitted as part of an admission application are the property of UC Santa Cruz and will not be returned to the applicant, nor shared with another individual, institution or organization under any circumstances.
How do I determine whether or not additional materials are required?
Please review our Graduate Programs page. Any additional (often referred to as “supplemental”) materials required to complete the application package will be listed on the program information page (click the name of the program).
You can also contact the graduate program to which you are applying.
Where do I send additional materials requested by the department to which I am applying?
Materials should be sent directly to the program to which you are applying. Check with the graduate program directly for information about required additional materials and where to send them.
How do I reactivate my old application materials?
If your official test scores were reported in the last admission cycle (one year ago), and they are still considered valid per the testing agency, we will be able to re-use those for your current application. We will not reactivate other application materials (letters of recommendation, personal statements, etc.). You should ensure that your application materials are up-to-date and accurate each time you apply for graduate programs at our campus.
I have additional relevant material (book, magazine article, videotape, award certificate, etc.) that I would like the review committee to see. How do I include it with my application?
If you have website links available to material you would like the review committee to see, please provide the links on your résumé, or in the space for additional information. For all other materials, please check directly with the graduate program you are applying to, to find out what materials they will accept and where to send them.
Please DO NOT send unrequested materials to Graduate Application Processing. We will not process items that are not required by your department. Unsolicited material sent to Graduate Application Processing will not be included in the review materials and will be discarded.
How will I know if you have received all of my application materials? What if you didn't receive everything I've sent?
After you submit your application, your application portal will show you your checklist on your Status Page.
If you have sent material that is not reflected on your Status Page in the application portal:
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If you mailed the document yourself, allow 5-10 business days for mailing and processing time.
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If the item was sent directly to us by another source (ETS test scores, transcripts from another university, letters of recommendation), contact the source directly to confirm if, when, and to where it was sent.
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Please note that many language testing sites are experiencing long delays in reporting scores to campuses in the United States due to the ongoing pandemic.
If we have a required document, it will be listed as "Received," missing documents will be listed as "Awaiting."
If you contacted the source and they were not able to resolve your issue, send us an email at gradadm@ucsc.edu to inquire about your missing document. Include in your email:
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Your full name
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The email address used to create your application profile
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The reference number from your Status Page
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The department you applied to
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Information on the document:
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Type of document
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Where did you or your sources (recommender, school, ETS) send it
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When was it sent
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When did you last check on the status of this document
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I submitted my application, but I uploaded the wrong material; what can I do?
Applicants who have not paid the application fee, and who have no less than 7 business days before their official application deadline, may ask the program or department they are applying to, to un-submit their application to make adjustments. Programs/departments will need determine if this is acceptable (it is up to their discretion to permit your request) and they will contact the division of graduate studies no less than two business days before the official deadline to request the application be un-submitted. Programs/departments will be responsible for notifying their applicants this has been done.
If a program/department does not approve your request, we will not be able to assist you further. Programs/departments may have their own policies regarding application materials being corrected on submitted applications.
We can not extend the deadline if you do not re-submit your application on time.
If you have already paid the application fee, we will not un-submit your application.