Santa Clara University

Admissions Requirements and Deadlines

We accept application on a rolling basis with deadlines for each of the four quarters. For students who request I-20 for visa purposes, please apply early to make sure your offer of admission and the I-20 form will reach you with ample time for you to apply for a visa.

While most of our students have already earned a bachelor's degree, we also consider college seniors for admission. Students in their final year of undergraduate study may be admitted on the condition that their bachelor's degrees are awarded before they enroll at SCU and they are in good academic standing in their senior year.

To be admitted as a regular graduate student, an applicant must have earned a bachelor's degree or its equivalent from a college, university, or technical school of acceptable standing.

Below is the minimum admission requirement of each department. Please note that the acceptance decision is made by department chairs. All applicants meeting the stated minimum requirements will be carefully considered.

*Foreign applicants will need to submit either the TOEFL or the IELTS scores.

English Language Exception:
Individuals who have earned a U.S. bachelor’s or master’s degree from a college or university accredited by a regional accrediting association in the United States
-OR-
The equivalent of either degree from a non-U.S. college or university of recognized standing where all instruction is provided in English. This exception does not apply if the courses were completed in a country where English is spoken but not all instruction is provided in English.
NOTE: Being a U.S. citizen does not automatically exempt an applicant from taking the TOEFL/IELTS; if the applicant’s first language is not English, the applicant must meet the exception above or submit the TOEFL/IELTS.

**The minimum GPA requirement is determined by the department chairs on a case-by-case basis.

***An applicant without the background in Computer or Software Engineering may still be admitted into Computer Engineering and Software Engineering programs, provided the deficiencies are corrected by SCU coursework that is in addition to the normal degree requirements and that is completed within the first year of graduate study.

Quarterly Deadlines:

• Fall
• Winter
• Spring 
• Summer