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Application & Admission Requirements

The application opens on October 1 each year. The application system closes each December 15th for students who wish to enter the UCSF Sociology PhD Program in the following fall quarter. Mid-year enrollment is not available.

Application Requirements

We suggest you do some advance preparation before beginning the application, to avoid uncertainty or roadblocks as you move through the process.

  • Applicants are accepted from candidates with either a bachelor's or master's degree in sociology or a related social science or professional field.
  • The UCSF Doctoral Sociology Program is a doctoral-level (PhD) program. Applications are not accepted from candidates interested in pursuing a master's degree. The program has three areas of special emphasis – 1) global health and global health policy; 2) race, class, gender and health disparities; 3) science, technology, and medicine studies. Additional substantive research areas include violence as a health issue, HIV/AIDS, aging, chronic illness, and disability, and global health.
  • The Statement of Purpose (three to five pages) should discuss your background, interests, research, goals, purpose in applying for graduate study, and your plans for the future. Please indicate what you hope to gain from being a doctoral student in Sociology, how your interests fit with those of Sociology faculty, and any other pertinent information supportive of your application and qualifications.
  • Personal History (three to five pages) The University of California, San Francisco is committed to a diverse and inclusive graduate student population. Diversity refers to the variety of experiences and perspectives that arise from differences in race, culture, religion, mental or physical capabilities, heritage, age, gender, sexual orientation, and other characteristics. UCSF values diversity because it enhances the educational experience, the workplace, and services to the public provided by this campus. Discuss how your personal background informs your decision to pursue a graduate degree. Please include any educational, cultural, economic, family or social experiences, challenges, or opportunities relevant to your academic journey.
  • Unofficial Transcripts from all colleges and universities attended can be uploaded directly to the online application or can be sent directly from the institution to the UCSF Graduate Sociology Program at our mailing address (below). Your application cannot be reviewed without these documents. Please be sure to have all transcripts uploaded/forwarded in ample time for consideration. Transcripts do not need to be official for the application process; should you be offered admission, we will request official transcripts be sent.  The UCSF Graduate Division requires a minimum 3.0 grade point average (GPA). Admission of a student who does not have a 3.0 GPA is sometimes possible, if ample evidence exists that s/he is capable of performing at the graduate level. Non-English and/or non-US transcripts must be translated and evaluated for comparison to US educational standards, e.g., GPA. If you opt to upload your transcripts online, please note that if accepted into the program you will be required to provide official transcripts.
  • Applicants are NOT required to have taken the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) and will not be able to submit scores during our application process.
  • The Program requires at least two letters of recommendation, preferably from social scientists with whom you have studied and/or worked. No more than four letters will be accepted. These letters will also be used as recommendation letters for fellowships. As part of completing your application, you will need to identify these individuals including their names, email addresses, and affiliations. The application system will send your designated recommenders an email requesting a letter of support from them for your graduate application. If your recommender does not have the capability to upload a pdf letter of support, you can provide the recommender with a hardcopy of the form (PDF requires AdobeAcrobat). The pre-printed form should be returned with their reference/recommendation letter before the deadline date, and addressed to:

UCSF Graduate Program in Sociology
490 Illinois St, Floor 12, Box 0612
San Francisco, CA 94143
Attn: Graduate Program Administrator

  • A single-authored example of Scholarly Writing (master's thesis, undergraduate term paper, published or presented paper, etc.) must be submitted for inclusion in your file.
  • A recent CV or Résumé is required.
  • There is an application fee (subject to change. Please follow the link for the latest fee charge). When your application is complete, the fee will be collected; the web site accepts secured payments using credit cards. Alternate payment methods are available; please allow extra time and see the online application system for details. In cases of financial hardship, applicants may apply for and receive application fee relief in the form of a waiver. Fee relief must be requested well in advance. Application fee waivers are reviewed once per week, therefore, it is in your best interest to request a waiver well in advance of your application deadline. International Applicants also pay an application fee  and cannot qualify for a fee waiver. The on-line application system contains additional payment information. Allow extra time to complete payments from non-US sources.

Additional Information for International Applicants

Admission requirements for International students are the same as for U.S. citizens and permanent residents. International/Foreign applicants, however, must fulfill two additional conditions:

  • Demonstrate proficiency in English by obtaining a minimum score on the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language, see the TOEFL website). Minimum scores are 92 on the internet-based TOEFL. Minimum scores are 24 for the writing and speaking sections. TOEFL scores are valid for two years after the test date.  OR International English Language Testing System (IELTS) – minimum score of 7. A student who attended an English-speaking University does not have to submit TOEFL scores. 
    • If you have earned, or are in the process of earning, a four-year bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited institution in a country listed below where English is BOTH the official language AND the language of instruction. Applicants who meet this requirement do not need to submit English Language Proficiency test scores OR If you have earned, or are in the process of earning, a four-year bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited institution in a country where English is not the official language but is the language of instruction, you must obtain official documentation that English is the primary language of instruction of the degree-granting institution. Please have the institution send the documentation directly to [email protected].
  • Provide evidence of sufficient financial resources, by personal resources and/or definite commitments of support from other sources, to support study at UCSF.

Further information regarding these requirements and other requirements for foreign students may be found at the UCSF International Students and Scholars Office website or on the Graduate Division's International Admissions webpage.

Annual fees can be found at the UCSF Registrar's web site under student fees/tuition for the School of Nursing PhD students (the Dept. of Social and Behavioral Sciences is affiliated with the UCSF School of Nursing). Note: the pages at the Registrar's site do NOT include costs of housing, food, and other living expenses. 

You must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, or you must have an immigration status that allows you to establish California residence, in order to qualify for California-residency fees.  Otherwise, international students must pay Non-resident tuition.  More information on residency may be found at the UCSF Registrar residency website.

Because many International students are unfamiliar with the educational system in the United States and with the stringent requirements of the University of California, the selection of applicants is made with great care.

It is a disservice to bring an applicant to the United States if there is any doubt as to the adequacy of the student's preparation for graduate work, including a command of written and spoken English sufficient to enable him or her to successfully pursue graduate study. Some students overestimate their knowledge of English and underestimate the time it will take and the amount of money needed to complete their graduate education here.

The Graduate Division reviews the credentials of  international students as carefully as possible. Unofficial transcripts are permitted during the application phase. Once you have been granted admission to UCSF, any transcripts you submitted in support of your application from institutions outside of the U.S. must be evaluated by World Education Services (WES), an accredited third-party credential evaluation service. You must submit an official transcript to WES that includes degree conferral information. A basic course-by-course evaluation will suffice. It is the student's responsibility to provide UCSF with an official WES transcript evaluation report. Your program cannot do this for you.

International transcripts that are translated into English from another language may be used only to make preliminary admission decisions. UCSF still requires a professional evaluation of your transcript to be performed by WES. WES does not translate documents and requires precise, word-for-word translations when your academic documents are not issued in English. Be sure to allow enough time for your institution to translate and provide your documents to WES in English.

More admission information for International students can be found on the International Admission Requirements on the Graduate Division website. 

The International Student Adviser is the University official responsible for issuing visa forms and interpreting U.S. immigration regulations concerning visiting students and scholars at UCSF. Although a foreign student may be approved for admission based on academic criteria, the International Student Adviser will not issue an I-20 or other student visa form until evidence of financial resources sufficient to provide for the student's support in the United States is provided by the applicant.

Applicants are asked to prove a level of minimum financial support.