Admissions

Ethnic Studies Ph.D. Program Application Information

New students are admitted in the Fall quarter of each academic year.

• Ph.D Program Overview
• UCSD Graduate Admission Application
• Fellowships for Incoming Students
• Who are the faculty that teach in the Ethnic Studies doctoral program? Check out our faculty! 
• Who are the current students in the doctoral program and what are they studying? Our current students are listed here! 
• What courses do you take in the Ethnic Studies doctoral program? Courses are listed here while here is a PhD timeline which takes you through the doctoral program at a glance! 
• How does funding work for the Ethnic Studies doctoral program? According to UC San Diego graduate funding policy, all graduate students will be fully funded for their first 5 years of study. Tuition and fee remission most often comes in the form of employment–either a teaching assistant or graduate student researcher. Read here about Graduate Funding policy. Read here about funding opportunities from the Department of Ethnic Studies, these are not guaranteed and are reviewed by application, see each fellowship for guidelines. 
• Who are Ethnic Studies alumni and where do they work? Our alumni are doing amazing things in the field of Ethnic Studies, see a few examples here. 

Register for an Information Session this November where the Graduate Coordinator will be available to help answer any additional questions.

Application & Admission

The application for Fall 2025 is now open and will close Wednesday, January 8, 2025. Only completed applications will be reviewed. 

UCSD Official Application for Admission and the application fee are submitted through the UCSD Online Application Form.

Application Requirements 

• The Statement of Purpose (no more than 2500 words)
• At least three letters of recommendation
• Unofficial transcripts from each institution attended after high school must be uploaded to the online application; students who are admitted to the program will be required to submit official transcripts (to the UCSD Graduate Division) when they are admitted.
• At least one writing sample (e.g., research paper) should be uploaded to the online application as a .pdf file.  The writing sample should be no more than 15-30 pages of original research that demonstrates your writing ability and experience with scholarly research, ideally on a topic related to ethnic studies.
• Resume/CV
• No Graduate Record Exam (GRE) is required

International Applicants

• 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.
  • The following test(s) are accepted by this department:
    • TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language)
    • IELTS (International English Language Testing System)
    • PTE (Pearson Test of English)

For more details and additional application requirements for international students, please go to:

 https://grad.ucsd.edu/admissions/requirements/international-students/index.html

Additional Information

• Admissions/Application requirements and info.
• FAQ's
• Information for Undocumented Students

Graduate Student Funding

UC San Diego offers all incoming PhD students a five-year funding guarantee for the 9-month academic year. Students shall receive a minimum compensation (from all university sources, including non-work sources) that is equivalent to the amount allocated for a 50% Teaching Assistant or Graduate Student Researcher (GSR) appointment rate associated with a Step/Salary Point 1, whichever is less. A 50% appointment is equivalent to an average of 20 hours per week. See salary table at: https://grad.ucsd.edu/_images/financial-support/employment/10-01-2024.pdf 

During the first year in the Ph.D. program, all entering students receive an Ethnic Studies Department Fellowship or equivalent which pays a stipend of $25,000 for the 9-month academic year and opportunities for summer employment and/or fellowships. In addition, the tuition and fees are covered in full for all incoming students including international students.

During the second, third, fourth, and fifth years, students are guaranteed the opportunity of financial support. This support may include employment as an Instructional Assistant/Teaching Assistant or Graduate Student Researcher. The support will include payment of tuition and fees for the 9-month academic year, that is equivalent to the amount allocated for a 50% Teaching Assistant or Graduate Student Researcher (GSR) appointment rate associated with a Step/Salary Point 1, whichever is less. A 50% appointment is equivalent to an average of 20 hours per week. See salary table at: https://grad.ucsd.edu/_images/financial-support/employment/10-01-2024.pdf 

During terms in which graduate students are employed, their compensation will be governed by the collective bargaining agreement(s) that cover the student’s employment title.

Beyond the fifth year, students are eligible for department support, as available, which may be comprised of graduate student employment, fellowships, or a combination of support. Graduate students also have the opportunity to apply for dissertation writing fellowships including: UC Presidents, Mellon/American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS), as well as others.

Contact Information