Admissions

We welcome applicants with undergraduate training in Astronomy, Physics, and related fields to apply to the UC San Diego Astronomy & Astrophysics Ph.D. program.  The UC San Diego Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics offers a Ph.D. program that provides a focused training in the astronomical sciences, particularly in areas of observational, experimental, and theoretical astrophysics. 

Non Discrimination Statement
In accordance with applicable Federal and State law and University policy, the University of
California does not discriminate, or grant preferences, on the basis of race, color, national origin,
religion, sex, disability, and/or other protected categories.

More information about Proposition 209 can be found here.

More information about the University of California Anti-Discrimination Policy can be found here.

Application deadline for Fall 2026 is Wednesday, December 3, 2025

Note: requests for application fee waivers requires application submission to the Division of Graduate Education (not the A&A department).

Please send inquiries to astrophd-inquiry@ucsd.edu

Application Elements

Special Instructions for Applications Submitted in 2025

Due to the unprecedented uncertainty in federal and university funding, admissions in Astronomy & Astrophysics this year will be very focused on applicants whose research goals align with our faculty who are actively recruiting. These faculty are: 

• Griffin Hosseinzadeh (https://griffin-h.github.io/join.html) 
• Kyle Kremer (http://www.kylekremer.com) 
• Eve Lee (https://evjhlee.github.io/)

Please read their webpages carefully to understand their research programs, and address your fit with one or more of those programs in your personal statement.

Statement of Purpose

The statement of purpose, no longer than 2 pages, is your opportunity to describe your individual goals as they pertain to a Ph.D. program, and advocate for your likelihood to succeed in the program. Be sure to describe: 

• The fundamental scientific importance of the research you have done in the past and the research you would like to do at UC San Diego.
• The academic, teaching, and research skills you have learned and how they connect to the academic program and the research you would like to conduct at UC San Diego. 
• Evidence of leadership and personal initiative that you have exhibited so far in your career and your community. 
• How your personal experiences are related to your goal of achieving a Ph.D. in Astronomy & Astrophysics. 
• How your research interests and goals connect to the faculty at UC San Diego. 

The Statement of Purpose can also be used to address any potential weaknesses in your portfolio that you would like to explain. 

Academic Transcripts and Coursework

UC San Diego requires academic transcripts, including a GPA, from each college-level institution you have attended. Qualified applicants are expected to have sound knowledge of undergraduate physics (mechanics, electromagnetism, thermodynamics, quantum mechanics) and mathematics, and have completed at least one (1) upper-division (junior/senior level) laboratory or computational course. 

Include in your application (the academic preparation section of your CV is a good place to put this) a listing of the courses you are taking or plan to take that are not on your academic transcript, so that the application team can see what your entire undergraduate preparation will look like. 

Coursework and research experience in Astronomy is desirable but not required. You must also satisfy all requirements for graduate admissions set by UC San Diego's Graduate Division.

GRE/PGRE is not Required

The GRE General and Physics exams are not required for admission to the Astronomy Ph.D. program. Applicants may send GRE/PGRE scores as optional elements of their application.

English Language Assessment Requirements

A test of English language proficiency is required for international applicants whose native language is not English and who have not studied full-time for one uninterrupted academic year at a university-level institution in which English is the language of instruction and in a country where English is a dominant language (for a list of qualifying institutions, see https://www.whed.net/home.php). The English language proficiency requirement may be satisfied by completing one of the following:

• The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL): The minimum TOEFL score for admission using the Internet Based Test (iBT) is 85, and the minimum TOEFL Speaking score required is 23.  The minimum score for the TOEFL Paper Based Test is 64; however, please note the Paper Based Test does not have a speaking component which may prevent appointment as a Teaching Assistant. TOEFL information and forms are available at the ETS TOEFL website.
• The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Academic Training exam: The minimum IELTS score is Band Score 7 and the minimum IELTS Speaking score is 7. IELTS registration information is available on the IELTS website.
• Duolingo English Test (DET): Duolingo English Test (DET) is an approved option to meet the English language proficiency requirement for graduate admission. International applicants may submit DET scores in place of TOEFL or IELTS.
  
  

Note that international Students whose native language is not English will be required to demonstrate English language proficiency before they may serve as teaching assistants (TAs).

Letters of Recommendation

At least three (3) letters of recommendation are required, and up to five (5) letters of recommendation can be submitted. Letter writers may reflect a mix of backgrounds (e.g., academic or industry). 

Guidelines:

• Make sure at least one letter writer can speak to your preparation for graduate research.
• Make sure at least one letter writer can speak to your academic preparation. For example, this could be a classroom teacher who can give a detailed assessment of your academic capabilities.
• Make sure your letter writers know the deadlines and send regular reminders!

CV/Resume

Your CV/resume should summarize your academic preparation, research experience including authorship of papers and presentations at conferences, technical skills, accomplishments, awards, scientific outreach work, and leadership activities within your career and your communities. In the academic preparation section, it is useful if you list any classes not on your transcript that you plan to take before you graduate. 

Tips to remember:

• List all of your academic institutions and earned degrees since high school.
• List relevant job experience and responsibilities
• List skills and experiences (e.g., coding languages, technical software experience, astronomical observing)

COVID-19 Statement 

We recognize that many applicants have had disrupted or impacted educational experiences during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The graduate application provides an opportunity to describe how COVID-19 has impacted your educational experience in relation to your academic performance or grading scale. For example: “For the spring semester, my university let us take two classes P/NP and I chose this because..” or “For the spring quarter, my college graded all classes as P/NP and we didn’t have an option for a letter grade."

Additional Educational Experiences

The graduate application includes a section to describe additional education experiences. There are seven (7) short response (3-5 sentences) sections, any of which may be optionally completed. We recommend completing these sections, with information that references other information in your CV or personal statement. Use these sections as a way to highlight how aspects of your application demonstrate these particular qualities or experiences.

• Leadership: Examples may include coordination of community volunteer activities, board member or officer in a student organization, residential life advisor, etc.
• Overcoming Adversity: Examples may include overcoming educational, social, cultural, economic,  accessibility, or personal barriers, among others.
• Community Involvement: Examples may include volunteer service, organizing, activism, teaching, mentoring, counseling, volunteer tutoring, etc.
• Social Justice Experience: Examples of addressing systemic inequality may include education, organizing, activism, mentorship, counseling, outreach/access, survival and development work, event planning/coordination, community building and development, etc.
• Personal or Professional Ethics: Examples may include experience with ethical code development, conduct seminars, IRB training, etc.
• Research: Examples may include undergraduate research through REU, McNair, or similar organized programs; independent or group study with a professor or other researcher; research outside of academia (e.g., in industry); full-time research after college; etc.
• Other: Use this question to provide any other kind of experience or information that you feel will help to create a diverse spectrum of ideas, perspectives, and experiences in the Astronomy Ph.D. program.

Fees and Fee Waivers

The graduate application fee for 2025 applications will be: 

• US Citizens, Permanent Residents, and Undocumented Applicants: $135.00
• International Applicants: $155.00

UC San Diego offers a fee waiver program for applicants who are U.S. citizens, Permanent Residents, or Undocumented students and who demonstrate financial need, U.S military service, or who have participated in UCSD graduate preparation programs, include STARS and PATHS, UC LEADS, UC-HBCU and UC-HSI initiatives, Cal-Bridge, etc. 

A full list of qualifying programs is provided here: https://grad.ucsd.edu/admissions/requirements/application-fee-and-fee-waiver/eligible%20-grad-prep-programs.html. 

Select your fee waiver qualification under the "Other" section of the application, and provide any additional required information to request a fee waiver. 

Fee waiver requests can be made after completion of the full application; however, all fee waiver requests must be submitted at least one week prior to the application deadline through the application portal. Your application must be fully submitted for your fee waiver request to be processed. As fee waivers are handled by the UCSD Admissions Office, please do not request a fee waiver from the department directly.

Holistic Review

The Admissions Committee evaluates applicants using holistic review, an evidence-based approach that aims to identify potential graduate students that are likely to succeed in the Astronomy & Astrophysics academic program and in graduate research, regardless of prior research opportunities. You can learn more about how holistic review reduces bias in graduate admissions in Baceló et al. (2020).

Fellowships

UC San Diego offers a number of fellowships to incoming graduate students, and there are a number of fellowships sponsored by other organizations that can be used for graduate education at UC San Diego. You can browse these at UC San Diego Fellowships.

Commitment to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

The Astronomy and Astrophysics Ph.D. program is committed to UC San Diego's mission of advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in higher education. We strongly encourage applicants for traditionally underrepresented groups in higher education and the sciences to apply. We commit to evaluating each applicant's potential for success regardless of socioeconomic background and access to resources and opportunities. 

The Admissions Committee commits to continuous analysis and evaluation of admissions procedures through the lens of equity, inclusion, and bias reduction. The UC San Diego Graduate Division and faculty in the Astronomy Ph.D. program are active participants in the California Consortium for Inclusive Doctoral Education (C-CIDE), a National Science Foundation-funded initiative that aims to create a network of faculty and administrators across doctoral-granting universities to diversify the demographic composition of STEM graduate programs and the scientific workforce in California.

Admissions Information Session

An information Zoom session will be held on November 12th from 12:30-1:30pm Pacific Time. If you have started an application by late October, you will get an email reminding you about this session, and details for connecting will be posted here. After the session, we will upload slides and a video recording of the session here.