How to Apply to Mathematics at UC Riverside: A College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences Department with BA and BS Degrees in Pure, Applied and Computational Mathematics, Changing Majors by Coursework, for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

At the University of California, Riverside (UCR), undergraduate mathematics is offered by the Department of Mathematics in the College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences (CNAS), and you apply to the University through the UC Application. Here is what you need to know, based on the department, the CNAS advising center and the admissions office, organised for US domestic applicants, international applicants and applicants from China, followed by transfer students. Computer science, statistics, data science and actuarial science are not covered; this site has a separate article on computer science.

1. Degrees and options

• BA and BS: the CNAS advising page says the department offers a B.A. and a B.S. that share a common mathematical foundation but differ in specialization in the pure and applied areas. The BA follows the liberal arts tradition, combining broad coverage of the humanities and social sciences with a moderate amount of advanced mathematics; it is chosen most often by students who intend to obtain a teaching credential or to pursue graduate work in business or the social sciences. The BS is more technical, with a greater concentration of work in the major.
• Options: Pure Mathematics (for students who may wish to pursue graduate work in pure mathematics); a General Applied Math option (for graduate work in applied mathematics); other applied mathematics programs with options in Biology, Chemistry, Economics, Environmental Sciences, Physics and Statistics; and Computational Mathematics (preparing students for professional work with computers and for graduate work in computer science). There is also a B.S. in Mathematics for Secondary School Teachers and a minor in mathematics. The admissions office’s major list places Mathematics and Mathematics for Secondary School Teachers under Mathematical Sciences, with Mathematics marked as having a minor.
• Honors: the department says honors are awarded based on overall mathematics GPA, performance in core courses, completion of a research project or graduate coursework, and potential awardees notifying the department of eligibility; see the UCR catalog for details (the catalog was not read for this article).
• Course requirements: degree requirements, option course lists and four-year plans are in the CNAS advising page’s linked documents and the UCR catalog; they were not read here.

2. How admission works: apply to the University, change majors by coursework

• At application: you apply through the UC Application; the admissions office’s major list shows Mathematics and Mathematics for Secondary School Teachers under CNAS, and also an Undeclared Program (Science). Whether freshman applicants face a separate mathematics quota or cut-off is not published; ask the admissions office.
• Changing into mathematics after entry: the CNAS advising page says to declare the mathematics major a student must be in good academic standing (quarter and cumulative GPAs of 2.0 or above) with no grade lower than C- in any attempted major requirement, a minimum upper-division GPA of 2.0 if upper-division courses were taken, and be able to complete the degree within 216 units (AP/IB or transfer units earned before graduating high school are excluded). By class level: freshmen (up to 44.9 units) must complete MATH 009A (or MATH 007A or MATH 005B) with C- or better; sophomores (45-89.9 units) must also complete MATH 009B (or 007B) and one of MATH 009C or MATH 010A; juniors and seniors (90 units or more) must complete MATH 009A/007A/005B, 009B/007B, 009C, 010A and MATH 031.
• Mathematics minor: good standing, two upper-division minor courses with a C or better, and completion of major and minor within 216 units; the minor must be declared no later than two quarters before expected graduation.

3. Prerequisites and placement

• High school mathematics: the UC a-g requirement is 3 years of mathematics (4 recommended, including geometry).
• Your first math course: the department says it (through the CNAS Enrollment Management Center) can only place you in a class based on what you have already taken or tested into; it does not advise on progression, and your advisor decides which path to take. Math majors must take MATH 006B (Precalculus II) or MATH 009A (first-year calculus I), 009B, 009C, 010A, 010B and MATH 046 (ordinary differential equations); the page says all of these must be taken for the BA and BS. Non-majors have seven paths starting from MATH 4 or 5 or 6A. The placement score cut-offs were not read.
• AP / IB / A-Level: the first-year page says AP scores of 3, 4 or 5 earn credit toward graduation; for IB it lists scores of 5, 6 or 7 (the sentence is worded as “AP examinations”, which looks like a typo, and the international page says IB Higher Level scores of 5 or above earn credit, so check the admissions office); A-Level grades A, B or C are considered for transfer credit, with the exact amount set after admission. The international page adds: an IB diploma with 30 or more points earns 30 quarter units, IB Higher Level certificates with a 5 or above earn 8 quarter units each, and GCE, Singapore-Cambridge and Hong Kong A-Level academic subjects earn 12 quarter units in total. Which math course AP Calculus maps to was not read. Official scores must come directly from the testing agency; the first-year page gives July 15 as the deadline.
• Competitions: the pages read do not say how math competitions are viewed in admission. The department site describes the Putnam Mathematical Competition (each December, for undergraduates) and lists a contact.

4. Deadlines and application materials

• First-year dates: the UC application opens August 1 and is submitted October 1 to November 30; notifications begin in March; the FAFSA/California Dream Act priority date is March 2 (school code 001316); the Statement of Intent to Register is due May 1; the final high school transcript July 1; AP/IB/A-Level official scores July 15. The international page gives the filing period as November 1-30 while the first-year page says October 1; the two differ, so check. The pages show no year; check that they apply to fall 2027 entry.
• Application fee: the international page lists $80 per UC campus, with a fee waiver available in the application.
• Essays: Personal Insight Questions, answer 4 of 8, up to 350 words each, all given equal consideration.
• Recommendation letters: not stated on the pages read; not published as far as this article could find, so check the UC application instructions.
• Testing: UCR does not consider SAT or ACT scores in admission decisions or scholarships; if submitted, they may serve as an alternative way to meet minimum eligibility or for course placement.
• Review: comprehensive review; first-year applicants receive an Academic Index Score based on the capped high school GPA in a-g courses (honors courses add points, capped at 8 semesters), AP/IB courses, Eligibility in the Local Context, low family income and first-generation status. The pages do not describe any mathematics-specific requirement such as a math teacher’s letter.

5. US domestic applicants

• GPA: a minimum 3.0 in a-g courses taken in grades 10 and 11 (3.4 for non-California residents).
• Costs (estimated for 2026-27): the financial aid office lists, for California residents and AB540-eligible students entering as first-years in 2026-27: UC tuition and fees $15,588, campus and technology fees $1,202, student health insurance $2,824, and, in university housing, housing $13,793, food $7,282, books $1,700, transportation $1,275 and personal expenses $2,875, for an on-campus total of $46,539 ($44,329 off campus; $35,764 living at home). New students pay a one-time orientation fee ($300 for freshmen) and a $315 student records fee in the first term. Under the UC Tuition Stability Plan, tuition is set for each incoming class and then stays flat for up to six years. The figures for fall 2027 entry are not published here; check the website.
• Aid: the page says nearly 80% of UCR undergraduates receive financial aid, and 99% of those receive need-based scholarships and/or grants; apply with the FAFSA or the California Dream Act Application (priority date March 2).
• Department awards: the Ketchersid Scholarship (for UCR undergraduates from Riverside and San Bernardino counties), the Bosch Prize, the Bryce-Mason Award (for undergraduates who have shown passion for and excellence in mathematics) and the CNAS Academic Excellence Award (one graduating senior per major). Amounts are not published on the pages read.
• Priority or guaranteed admission for residents: not published; the first-year page gives only the 3.0 GPA for California residents.

6. International applicants

• GPA: the international page says a minimum 3.4 on a 4.0 scale (equivalent to 85 percent), based on a-g courses in years 10 and 11; if your school offers a different curriculum, your achievement is assessed on that system’s grading scale.
• English: if your native language is not English and your secondary education was in a country where English is not the language of instruction, complete one of the following by December of your final year: IELTS 6.5 or higher (no One Skill Retake; only the highest composite from a single sitting); TOEFL iBT (including Home Edition) 80 before January 2026, or 4.5 on the new scale from January 2026 (no MyBest); Duolingo 115; AP English Language or Literature 3 or higher; IB English A Standard Level 6 or 7, or Higher Level 5, 6 or 7; ACT English Language Arts 24 or higher; SAT Writing and Language 31 or higher (the digital SAT Reading and Writing score is not approved); or a C or better in a UC-transferable college English composition course. A campus may require a higher score or an interview. Score-report codes: TOEFL/AP/SAT 004839, ACT 0456.
• Credential evaluation and visa: international students need a valid passport and an F-1 or J-1 visa; the International Students and Scholars office helps after admission. Proof-of-funds requirements were not on the pages read.
• Aid: international first-year and transfer students are automatically considered for the Achievement Scholarship for Nonresidents with their acceptance: up to $89,100 for four years (first-year) or $44,550 for two years (transfer); they must be confirmed nonresidents, meet UC eligibility and submit the SIR, and keep a 3.0 GPA each quarter.
• Costs: for out-of-state and international students entering as first-years in 2026-27: UC tuition and fees $15,588 plus non-resident supplemental tuition of $39,270, campus and technology fees $1,202, health insurance $2,824; in university housing, housing $13,793, food $7,282, books $1,700, transportation $1,100 and personal expenses $2,525, for a total of $85,809 ($83,599 off campus; $75,034 living at home).

7. Applicants from China

• Gaokao: not published; the UC country page does not mention gaokao scores, so ask the UCR admissions office whether they are considered.
• Transcripts and school records: the UC country page says that if you follow the Chinese national curriculum, list all courses and marks from grade 9 (year 3 of lower middle school) through grade 12 exactly as they appear on your official records, and be prepared to submit your upper middle school graduation certificate and the official lower and upper middle school records (grades 9-12) if accepted. If you follow IGCSE/GCSE/GCE you need at least 5 IGCSE/GCSE/O-Levels and at least 3 academic A-Level exams; IB students have separate instructions.
• International schools: the page says the school must be accredited by the Ministry of Education of your country or of the country whose system it follows, or hold US regional accreditation, and you must earn a certificate of completion.

8. Costs, research and outcomes

• Costs and scholarships: see sections 5 and 6. The UC Riverside Foundation scholarship database (scholarships.ucr.edu) was not read.
• Undergraduate research: the admissions office says undergraduates can do research even in the first year; a mathematics-specific undergraduate research program was not on the pages read.
• Outcomes: the CNAS page says only that mathematics can provide the basis for careers in mathematics itself or in many scientific and business fields; no specific outcome data is printed.

9. Transfer students

• Basic requirements: the transfer page says complete at least 60 semester (90 quarter) units of UC-transferable credit, with at least a 2.4 GPA in UC-transferable courses (2.8 for non-residents); some majors need a higher GPA. Complete the 7-course pattern by the end of the spring term before fall entry: two English composition courses, one mathematical concepts and quantitative reasoning course, and four courses from at least two of arts and humanities, social and behavioral sciences, and physical and biological sciences.
• Mathematics preparation: the majors preparation guide says all CNAS majors require a minimum 2.7 GPA in UC-transferable coursework, with a C or better in required courses; Mathematics (BA/BS) requires MATH 9A, 9B and 9C (or 7A, 7B and 9C, or 5A, 5B and 5C), plus one sequence from biology, chemistry, MATH 10A/10B/46, or physics 40A-40C. The Mathematics for Secondary School Teachers BS lists the same. CNAS does not accept Cal-GETC to meet college breadth, and recommends focusing on major preparation. California community college students use ASSIST.org.
• Dates (no year shown; check for fall 2027 entry): the application opens August 1; the TAG application is September 1-30; the UC application is October 1 to November 30; the Transfer Academic Update is due January 31; the FAFSA/CADAA priority date is March 2; admission notifications begin in April; the SIR is due June 1; final transcripts July 1.
• International transfer applicants face the same basic requirements, and must also follow the international-transfer instructions on the international page; the Achievement Scholarship for transfers is up to $44,550 over two years. Credit-transfer details were not read.

Checklist

US domestic applicants:

• UC application October 1 to November 30; a-g GPA 3.0 (3.4 out of state); Personal Insight Questions, 4 of 8; no SAT/ACT; FAFSA March 2

International applicants (including China):

• A-g or equivalent GPA 3.4; English: IELTS 6.5, TOEFL 80 or new-scale 4.5, Duolingo 115 (or another option); $80 application fee; list all grade 9-12 marks for the Chinese national curriculum

After entry:

• MATH 009A-009C, 010A, 010B, 046; change into the major with good standing and C- or better in the listed courses

Transfer students:

• 60 semester units, GPA 2.4 (2.8 non-residents); CNAS 2.7 and the calculus sequence; TAG in September, UC application October-November

Sources: UC Riverside and the University of California, CNAS advising: Mathematics; Mathematics: course progression chart; Mathematics: scholarships and awards; Mathematics: honors; Mathematics: Putnam competition; First-year admission; International applicants; Transfer admission; Transfer majors preparation guide; Majors; Cost of attendance; UC requirements by country. Most of these pages show no year, so check that dates apply to fall 2027 entry (costs are 2026-27 estimates) and see UC Riverside’s website for the latest.