The University of California-Los Angeles was originally opened in August 1882 as the southern branch for the State Normal School in San Jose. By 1925, the School had outgrown its 25-acre Vermont Avenue location and it was moved to the Jansse estate in Beverly Hills. Now planned as a 2028 Summer Olympics venue, UCLA maintains a 163-building campus for 44,947 Bruins to study across 15 schools, including the Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science. Attracting 119,000 applications each year, UCLA is one of the most popular public, land-grant Pacific Rim AAU members with a massive $6.7 billion budget. The University of California-Los Angeles is affiliated with tech alums like Vinton Cerf, Steve Crocker, and Barry Boehm.

According to the U.S. News, UCLA is the 21st best national university, top public college, and fifth most veteran-friendly campus. In particular, the University of California-Los Angeles has America’s 13th best computer science, ninth top artificial intelligence, and 17th best programming degrees. The Wall Street Journal ranked UCLA #1 for student outcomes and #8 for campus diversity. On Niche, UC-Los Angeles is applauded for the nation’s 21st best computer science education and seventh best student life. Forbes declared UCLA the 39th best school for international students and 27th top research institution countrywide. On a global scale, the University of California-Los Angeles was placed 12th by the ARWU and 14th by Times Higher Education.

University of California-Los Angeles Accreditation Details

Reaffirmed in 2010 under Chancellor Gene D. Block, the University of California-Los Angeles is institutionally reviewed by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) Senior College and University Commission. The regional accreditation means each of UCLA’s 337 degrees meet the quality and Title IV eligibility standards of the U.S. Department of Education. The Henry Samueli School also maintains programmatic approval from the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) Computing Accreditation Commission (CAC).

University of California-Los Angeles Application Requirements

Aspiring computer scientists setting their sights on the University of California-Los Angeles must pass the “most selective” admission rate of 18 percent. First-year applicants need to finish their high school diplomas with a superior record and four years of STEM subjects. The need-blind admission process would give credit for AP Computer Science exam scores above 3. For Fall 2017, admitted B.S. undergrads had a mean unweighted GPA of 3.90. Accepted freshmen also achieved an average SAT score of 1900 and ACT score of 27. Transfers can only apply as juniors with 90+ quarter units, including an engineering ethics course, and a 3.4 GPA or higher.

Getting into UCLA’s Computer Science Graduate Program involves finishing four-year, scientific bachelor’s degrees, preferably from ABET-accredited colleges. Majors like computer science, physics, statistics, and engineering would be deemed adequate academic prep. The Ph.D. in Computer Science can give priority to master’s degree holders with research and industry experience. Consideration for the M.S. mandates a minimum 3.0 undergrad GPA, but the Ph.D. pushes the cutoff to 3.5. On average, post-grads present an exceptional GRE score of 163 (quantitative) and 154 (verbal). Foreign students with non-native English speaking skills must submit passing TOEFL or IELTS scores less than two years old via code 4837.

The University of California-Los Angeles has a regular application filing period from November 1st through November 30th for undergrads. Post-grads can apply for the M.S. or Ph.D. in Computer Science until December 1st annually. Prospective applicants must create a My UC account login to complete the application, including four, 350-word personal insight question responses. Some extra materials might be mailed to 1147 Murphy Hall Box 951436 in Los Angeles, CA 90095. Most computer science majors need to submit the following:

• $70 application fee ($80 for international)

• Copies of each high school or college transcript

• Qualifying test scores (ACT, SAT, AP, GRE, etc.)

• Free Application for Federal Student Aid

• Three signed letters of recommendation

• Current résumé or curriculum vitae

Tuition and Financial Aid

Californians pursuing the B.S. in Computer Science full-time are charged $13,260 for yearly tuition. Nonresidents are billed supplemental tuition of $28,014 every nine months. Living on-site in Los Angeles costs $15,143 for room and board. UCLA suggests budgeting $1,173 for books, $420 for transport, and $2,177 for health insurance. Total annual cost of undergrad attendance is $33,604 in-state and $61,618 out-of-state. Computer science M.S. or Ph.D. students from California will pay $16,818 for annual tuition. Out-of-state graduates must afford yearly tuition of $31,920 full-time.

The NCES depicts 64 percent of beginning, full-time UCLA Bruins sharing $61.95 million in financial assistance for an average aid amount of $19,693. Computer science majors could claim institutional awards like the Achievement Scholarship, Regents Scholarship, Chancellor’s Blue and Gold Scholarship, James W. Binns Scholarship, Eugene Birnbaum Scholarship, Michael Blaine Brooks Scholarship, and Dhir Family Scholarship. The CA Dream Act offers funding to AB 540 eligible immigrants. Other Golden State residents may snag the Cal Grant A/B, Middle Class Scholarship, Chafee Grant, or National Guard Education Assistance. The FAFSA form unlocks Federal Pell Grant, FSEOG Grant, Stafford Loan, and PLUS Loan funding. Federal Work-Study jobs are available for undergrads with an EFC below $12,000. The Computer Science Department also features graduate assistantships and the Eugene V. Cota-Robles Fellowship.

Studying Computer Science at UCLA

Chaired by Dr. Mario Gerla, the Henry Samueli School’s Computer Science Department is located in the brand-new, 90,000-square-foot Engineering VI building to serve roughly 850 undergrads with the B.S. in Computer Science major. This 180-unit bachelor’s degree follows the quartile system for engaging courses like software construction, logic design, computer organization, and C++ programming with a 17:1 student-professor ratio. The UCLA program strives to teach undergrads the fundamental concepts of computer architecture for the design and production of tech solutions. Students might also double major in Computer Engineering, innovate in the Biocybernetics Lab, intern with Apple, study abroad in Rome, and join the ACM Chapter.

Administered from Boelter Hall, UCLA’s Computer Science Graduate Program lets post-grads advance their technological prowess for industry leadership or academia jobs with the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees. The Master of Science is a five-quarter program integrating courses from network security to automated reasoning and compilers before a thesis. Taking six years on average, the Ph.D. in Computer Science dives further into computing research with qualifying exams and dissertation work. There are also Online M.S. in Engineering – Computer Networking and Concurrent MBA-M.S. in Computer Science degrees available. The University of California-Los Angeles gives post-grads unparalleled lab experience in the NSF Frontier Award-winning Center for Encrypted Functionalities.

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