Prospective PhD Students

Admissions for PhD programs at the Jacobs School of Engineering is managed by the academic departments. Follow the links below for program-specific information. The Jacobs School is committed to building and strengthening its inclusive academic culture, including providing transitional support to PhD students when it is needed. Read a March 2023 message from the Dean regarding the Jacobs School's strong support for our graduate students as well as available resources. Learn about our IDEA Engineering Student Center, which is a hub for student life at the Jacobs School.

Bioengineering Department (Shu Chien-Gene Lay Department of Bioengineering)

  • Bioengineering (Ph.D.)
  • Bioengineering with a specialization in Bioinformatics (Ph.D.)
  • Bioengineering (M.D./M.S., M.D./M.Eng., and M.D./Ph.D.) degrees offered in conjunction with UCSD School of Medicine, pending independent admission to the medical school.

Bioinformatics Program

  • Bioinformatics (Ph.D)

Computer Science and Engineering Department

  • Computer Engineering (Ph.D.)
  • Computer Science (Ph.D.)

Electrical and Computer Engineering Department

  • Electrical Engineering (Ph.D.) with a Specialization in

    Applied Ocean Sciences
    Applied Optics and Photonics
    Communication Theory and Systems
    Computer Engineering
    Electronic Circuits and Systems
    Electronic Devices and Materials
    Intelligent Systems, Robotics and Control
    Signal and Image Processing
  • FAQ: Electrical and Computer Engineering graduate admissions

Materials Science and Engineering Program

  • Materials Science and Engineering (Ph.D.)

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department

  • Engineering Sciences (Ph.D.) with a Designated Specialization in

    Aerospace Engineering
    Applied Mechanics
    Applied Ocean Sciences
    Engineering Physics
    Mechanical Engineering

NanoEngineering Department

  • Chemical Engineering (Ph.D.)
  • NanoEngineering (Ph.D.)

Structural Engineering Department

  • Structural Engineering (Ph.D.)

Did you know?

The Jacobs School of Engineering at the University of California San Diego offers excellence at scale in research, education, industry collaboration and technology transfer. The Jacobs School of Engineering ranks the #10 engineering school in the nation and #6 among public schools. A global thought leader, the Jacobs School of Engineering ranks #1 in the nation among public engineering schools for citations per publication. With 288 faculty and more than 9,100 students in six departments, the Jacobs School of Engineering is the second largest engineering school in California. Year after year, our graduates future-proof the innovation economy. Our entrepreneurial faculty lead teams that work across disciplines and industries to tackle the toughest challenges that no lab, department or company can handle alone. At the UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering, we make bold possible.