PhD | Admissions

The online application portal will go live September 15, 2024 and can be found HERE.

The deadline to apply and submit all required documentation is January 4, 2025. If you have any questions, please direct them to Ms. Noel Negrete at phd@merage.uci.edu. Thank you.

A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 or equivalent from the undergraduate institution is required. Please upload copies of transcripts for each college and university attended with your online application. Transcripts that are scanned and uploaded to the site are considered unofficial. We will conduct the initial review process with unofficial uploaded copies of transcripts. Official transcripts will be need to be provided if and when you are admitted and accept our admissions offer.

Candidates may apply to the program if they hold the equivalent of a four-year US Bachelor's degree. Transcripts from non-US universities should include evidence of degree conferral (proof of graduation). International applicants should refer to the International Applicant page for more specific requirements.

Three letters of recommendation are required. Those NOT using the online recommendation system, please use the pre-formatted Recommendation and Waiver forms provided by UC Irvine's Graduate Division for EACH recommender.

Letters must be mailed to:

PhD Program Office 
The Paul Merage School of Business
4293 Pereira Drive, Suite 3235
Irvine, CA 92697-3125

All applicants are required to take either the GMAT or GRE. There is no advantage to taking one exam over the other. If you take an exam multiple times, we will take the highest total score that you obtained on that exam. The Admissions Committee does not average exam scores. While there is no minimum GMAT or GRE score to apply, we do expect that applicants will have an overall competitive profile. Test scores are valid for up to five years from your test date.

Exam results should be sent to UC Irvine institution code: 4859. For more information on the GRE, visit: ets.org/gre

Exam results should be sent to UC Irvine institution code: 0DP-7R-24. For more information on the GMAT, visit: mba.com

We require a minimum overall score of 100 on the Internet-based TOEFL test. TOEFL scores are valid for up to two years from your test date. All graduate applicants, except those who have earned an undergraduate or master's degree from an institution at which English was the sole language of instruction according to the World Higher Education Database, are required to demonstrate English proficiency for admissions consideration. If English is not the sole language of instruction listed or if no language is listed at all, the waiver does not apply and the applicant is required to take and pass an approved English proficiency test (TOEFL or IELTS). Exam results should be sent to UC Irvine institution code: 4859. For more information on the TOEFL, visit: toefl.org 

As an alternative to the TOEFL, you may submit scores from the Academic Modules of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). UC Irvine, Graduate Division only accepts scores submitted electronically by the IELTS test center. No paper Test Report Forms will be accepted. An institutional code is NOT required. Please contact the test center directly where you took the IELTS test and request that your test scores be sent electronically using the IELTS system. All IELTS test centers worldwide are able to send scores electronically to our institution. For the IELTS, the minimum required score for admission is 7, with a score of no less than 6 on any individual module. 

English Language Proficiency Exam

In addition to the TOEFL/IELTS requirement, an official score on the English Proficiency Exam, for students whose primary language is not English must be on file. Our financial support package requires that students work for the university as Teaching Assistants (TAs). Therefore, international students need to have passed (or will pass) an approved speak exam before securing a TA position.

You can either take the test prior to admission OR you can take a UCI Spoken Proficiency English Assessment Kit (SPEAK) test when admitted into our program. 

- The application fee is $135 for U.S. citizens and U.S. permanent residents, and $155 for all international applicants. The application fee is non-refundable.

- Payment must be made by credit card via the online application system. Checks cannot be accepted.

- Fee Waivers are available to qualified domestic applicants only. Eligibility to apply for a fee waiver is determined by program participation, US veteran status, or demonstrated financial need based on information requirements specified on the application.

Since the PhD program is a full-time in residence program of study employment outside UC Irvine should not be sought. During this period of time students receive a full support package.

The five-year support package covers tuition, fees and a living stipend. This support is provided through a combination of scholarships, teaching assistantships and research assistantships, and is subject to terms described in the acceptance letter.

Several other types of financial assistance are also available to graduate students at UC Irvine, including fellowships, tuition fellowships for nonresident students, and student loans. All graduate students who are US citizens and permanent residents are encouraged to submit a FAFSA® Application | Federal Student Aid each year to access state and federal loans. Foreign students are not eligible for federal aid and do not need to complete the FAFSA. They may be eligible for a private loan with a US co-signer. Please contact Financial Aid Office at Paul Merage School of Business at meragefinaid@uci.edu.