International Students Onboarding Sessions
Getting Acclimated
Online Orientation Program
UCLA provides a thorough online orientation program called iSTART@UCLA for all incoming international students. Some of the components are mandatory and some of them are highly recommended – but all of them have been created to help you get familiar with the United States, Los Angeles, visa issues and regulations, the American classroom, cyber security as well as UCLA campus life.
English as a Second Language
Most international applicants to UCLA graduate school are required to submit scores from either the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) examination. International students and U.S. citizens who hold a bachelor’s or higher degree from a university located in the U.S. or in another country in which English is both the primary spoken language of daily life and the medium of instruction, or who have completed at least two years of full-time study at such an institution, are exempt from this requirement.
Applicants who are required to submit TOEFL or IELTS scores (i.e., do not belong to the exempted categories listed) may also be required to take the UCLA English as a Second Language Placement Examination (ESLPE) to determine potential coursework in academic writing. Incoming students who score at least 100 on the TOEFL iBT (Internet-based test) or at least a 7.5 overall band score on the IELTS examination are exempt from the ESLPE requirement.
For more information, please refer to the International Applicants page of the 2023-2024 UCLA General Catalog.
More Information
Your Academic Experience
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Your Career Considerations
Get an early start on your career preparation
Tips for International Students
Getting established in the United States