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Undergraduate Admissions

This page updated March 6, 2013.

Comments from recent graduated CSE undergraduates

"The years that I spent at UC San Diego made me who I am today and I will forever be grateful for that." Angelina I-Ting Lee, PhD student at MIT.

"I find that UC San Diego builds a strong foundation for programmers with a great understanding for the fundamentals." Nick Sha, software designer for Microsoft.

"I joined UC San Diego in 2002 with no prior programming skills. The (CSE) department at UC San Diego pulled me in with intriguing courses and enthusiastic professors." Khawaja Shams, software engineer at JPL.

"The faculty here have good industry connections. I was working on a research project with a faculty member, and he was contracted by a Google recruiter and referred me for a summer internship at Google." Michael Kelly, programmer at Google.

Why Computer Science or Computer Engineering at UCSD?

The CSE Department offers students an excellent and broad education through high quality faculty, students, facilities, and current curriculum. We offer you a dynamic environment that constantly strives toward excellence. Computer Science and Computer Engineering students acquire a strong background in both theoretical and practical aspects of computer technology. Students gain experience in designing and implementing software and hardware systems such as operating systems, communications networks, digital logic, machine architectures, databases, and compilers. These areas of study prepare students to work in high-tech industry or to go on to graduate study in Computer Science or Computer Engineering.

What can you do with a Degree in Computer Science or Computer Engineering?

A major consideration prospective students and their parents have is not only what university to attend and what program of study to follow, but also how the choices made will translate into opportunities after graduation. There are 64 Fortune 500 companies recruiting from UC San Diego, 15 of these firms are in the Fortune top 50. This means that for graduates with a degree in Computer Science or Computer Engineering at UCSD the outlook for careers is good. Surveys from Career Services at UC San Diego show starting salaries in the Computer Science and Computer Engineering fields are now typically in the $45,000 to $60,000 range.

Excellence in Education and Research

The CSE Department is committed to a vibrant and supportive educational environment. The faculty, outstanding in education and research, teaches underlying principles while keeping abreast of constantly evolving technology. Our department continues to recruit stellar faculty members and support great research facilities. Areas of world-class research and growing leadership include:

Research Opportunities for Undergraduates

There are numerous opportunities for undergraduate students to be involved in research projects in the CSE Department as well as research centers of national fame, such as the San Diego Supercomputing Center (one of only two such national centers), the California Institute for Telecommunications and Information Technology (CAL-IT(2)), the Salk Institute, the Scripps Research Institute, the Center for Wireless Communications, the Center for Magnetic Recording Research, and the Center for Computing in the Arts.

Jacobs School of Engineering

The Computer Science and Engineering Department is one of five departments in the Irwin and Joan Jacobs School of Engineering at UCSD. The Jacobs School of Engineering is ranked among the nation's top 10 engineering schools. It would be a good opportunity for you to be a student in the Computer Science and Engineering Department at UCSD; read on to find out why.

UC San Diego Mission

It is the mission of UC San Diego Office of Admissions and Relations with Schools, in conjunction with other components of the campus, to provide programs, activities and services for prospective students, parents, school and community college personnel, and the general public which:

  • Attract and enroll an undergraduate student body with highly competitive academic capabilities, which is representative of the diversity of the people of California.
  • Increase the presence and awareness of UCSD through marketing, promotional and recruitment activities to prospective students and their parents, high schools, community colleges and the general public.
  • Encourage and increase cooperative educational relationships between UC San Diego and California high schools, community colleges and educational organizations.


by Dr. Radut.