Computational Science Ph.D. Program

Participating Units

• Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Science, UC Irvine
• Samueli School of Engineering, UC Irvine
• College of Engineering, SDSU
• College of Science, SDSU

Program Supervision and Administration

Overall program supervision will be the joint responsibility of a graduate faculty group at UCI and SDSU. A Program Director will be appointed at each campus. The two Program Directors will oversee the operation of the program, advise students, appoint preliminary advisors and recommend appointments to Doctoral Committees. At SDSU, the Office of Graduate and Research Affairs (GRA) processes forms for
advancement to candidacy, checks program requirements, and sends notices to students. At UC Irvine, the Graduate Division processes official graduate student forms, reviews student records to ensure that degree requirements have been met, and sends official communications to graduate students enrolled at UC
Irvine. Diplomas will be issued jointly.

SDSU Program Director: Dr. Jose Castillo – jcastillo@sdsu.edu
UCI Program Director: Dr. Filippo Capolino – f.capolino@uci.edu
SDSU Staff Contact: Parisa Plant – parisa.plant@sdsu.edu
UCI Staff Contact: Enmanuel Gallardo – enmanuel.gallardo@uci.edu

Admission Requirements

Students must be admitted to both institutions jointly. However, students must apply to UCI first. Admission will be granted to a limited number of qualified students, and therefore application should be made as early as possible. Applications are encouraged from both men and women, and particularly from members of underrepresented groups. Completed applications are due by January 15th for the Fall term, although later applications may be allowed at the discretion of the Admissions Committee. The Admissions Committee has the sole responsibility of deciding admissions, consistent with both campus regulations. The admissions review process may include personal interviews of applicants.

Applicants must hold a STEM baccalaureate degree with background in Linear Algebra, Differential Equations, Statistics, and Programming in languages such as C or Fortran. Applicants are evaluated on academic record, research and teaching potential, recommendation letters, GRE scores, CV, and Statement of Purpose. A minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0 is required and at least 3.5 in any prior graduate coursework. Applicants must demonstrate strong scholastic achievement backed up by recommendation letters indicating readiness for advanced study and independent research. The GRE General Test is required, with scores under five years old. Oral communication in English is very important. Non-native English speakers must show proficiency: TOEFL minimum 80, with TOEFL iBT speaking 26 or IELTS speaking 8.

For more information, please visit English Proficiency | Graduate Division | UCI

Please note that all international students, including those with Permanent Resident status, who wish to or will be expected to serve as a Teaching Assistant or Teaching Associate must pass an English proficiency exam approved by UCI. Please visit English Proficiency for Teaching Assistantships | Graduate Division | UCI for more information.