How to Apply to Psychology at UC Riverside: The BA and BS in Psychology, and Requirements and Timeline for Chinese, Canadian High School and Transfer Students

At the University of California, Riverside (UCR), psychology is taught by the Department of Psychology in the College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences (CHASS), which offers a BA in Psychology and a BS in Psychology, along with an inter-college Neuroscience major (BA or BS) and a BA in Psychology/Law and Society. Here is what you need to know for fall 2027 entry, based on UCR and University of California information, for students at high schools in China, students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Vancouver), and transfer students.

1. What to apply for

• Choose a major: apply through the UC Application and select your UCR major. UCR lists Psychology among CHASS majors; undecided students can choose an Undeclared program in Humanities or Science.
• The BS track: the BS is more research-intensive, with more lab courses and lab experience. Students opt in after completing PSYC 001, 002, 011 and 012 (each C- or better), one calculus course and one formal-skills course (computer science, statistics, data science or mathematics, C- or better), with an overall GPA of at least 2.0.
• Changing into psychology: complete PSYC 001, 002, 011 and MATH 004 or higher with C- or better, and be in good academic standing for at least two quarters.

2. BA requirements (2026-27 catalog)

• Lower division (at least 39 units):
  • one mathematics course at MATH 004 or higher (or a sufficient placement score);
  • one 4-unit biological science course, one 4-unit physical science course and two more courses meeting the CHASS natural sciences and mathematics breadth requirement;
  • PSYC 001, 002, 011 and 012.
  These must be completed by the end of sophomore year with an average of C or better and no grade below C- before upper-division psychology courses.
• Upper division (37 units): PSYC 110 or CBNS 106; PSYC 140 and 150; PSYC 132 or 134; one of PSYC 160 to 163; and four more 4-unit upper-division psychology courses, with limits on research and internship courses. All courses must be letter-graded.

3. Deadlines and decisions

• Application: opens 1 August; submit from 1 October to 30 November.
• Decisions: first-year notifications begin in March; submit your Statement of Intent to Register (SIR) by 1 May.
• After admission: final high school transcript by 1 July; official AP, IB and A-Level scores by 15 July.

4. Grades, testing and English

• GPA minimum: nonresident and international applicants need at least a 3.4 GPA in grades 10 and 11 (equivalent to 85%). Other curricula are assessed on their own grading scales. This is a minimum; selection uses comprehensive review.
• No SAT/ACT: UCR does not consider SAT or ACT scores for admission or scholarships; submitted scores may only be used to meet minimum eligibility or for placement.
• English (international first-year applicants, completed by December of your final school year), any one of:
  • IELTS 6.5, no One Skill Retake;
  • TOEFL iBT (including Home Edition): 80 before January 2026 or 4.5 on the new scale from January 2026; no MyBest scores;
  • Duolingo 115;
  • AP English Language or Literature 3 or higher, IB English A (SL 6+ or HL 5+), ACT English Language Arts 24+, or SAT Writing and Language 31+.
  UC notes that campuses may require higher scores and may interview applicants to assess English.

5. Students at high schools in China and Canada

• Chinese national curriculum: list every course and mark from grade 9 through grade 12 exactly as on your records; if admitted, submit your upper middle school graduation certificate and official records. A-Level students need at least five IGCSE/GCSE/O-Levels and three A-Levels. UC publishes no Gaokao policy.
• Canada: outside Quebec, you need your provincial secondary graduation diploma after 12 years of education; Quebec requires the DES plus the two-year DEC at a CEGEP. No separate BC grade requirement is published beyond the 3.4 (85%) minimum.
• Credit: AP scores of 3 or higher earn credit; an IB Diploma of 30 or more earns 30 quarter units, and HL exams at 5 or higher earn 8 quarter units each; A-Levels at A* to C in academic subjects earn 12 quarter units.

6. Costs and scholarships

• 2026-27 estimates for new nonresident and international first-years (US$, university housing):
  • UC tuition and fees 15,588, nonresident supplemental tuition 39,270, campus and tech fees 1,202, student health insurance 2,824;
  • housing 13,793 and food 7,282, plus books, transportation and personal costs;
  • total about 85,809 (about 83,599 off campus).
  Under UC’s Tuition Stability Plan, tuition is set for each entering class and stays flat for up to six years.
• Achievement Scholarship for Nonresidents: international first-years and transfers are considered automatically on admission. First-years can receive up to $89,100 over four years and transfers up to $44,550 over two years, if confirmed as nonresidents, UC-eligible and submitting the SIR; recipients must keep a 3.0 GPA each quarter.

7. Transfer students

• Dates: TAG applications in September (mainly for California community college students); UC application from 1 October to 30 November; Transfer Academic Update by 31 January; decisions from April; SIR by 1 June.
• Basic requirements: 60 semester (90 quarter) units of transferable credit; a minimum GPA of 2.8 for nonresidents; a seven-course pattern by the end of spring (two English composition courses, one math/quantitative reasoning course, and four courses in at least two of arts and humanities, social and behavioral sciences, and physical and biological sciences). No more than 14 semester units may be Pass/No Pass.
• Psychology: transfer applicants need a minimum GPA of 2.70 and at least one UC-transferable math course equivalent to MATH 004 or higher. Students entering the major after sophomore standing must finish the lower-division requirements within one year or may not continue in the major.
• International transfers: selection is the same as for US-educated applicants; submit coursework records according to the requirements for the country where you studied.

Checklist

Students at high schools in China:

• Submit the UC Application between 1 October and 30 November, choosing Psychology at UCR
• Gao 1 and Gao 2 GPA of at least 3.4 (85); list all courses and marks from grade 9 to grade 12
• TOEFL 4.5 (80 on the old scale), IELTS 6.5 or Duolingo 115, taken by December of your final year

Students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Vancouver):

• Same dates; grades 10 and 11 at roughly the 85% minimum or higher
• Non-native English speakers must meet the English requirement by December

Transfer students:

• Apply by 30 November with 60 semester units and a GPA of 2.8+, and 2.70+ plus a MATH 004-level course for psychology
• Complete equivalents of PSYC 001, 002 and 011 early if you can

Sources: University of California, Riverside, and the University of California, International applicants; First-year requirements and dates; Transfer requirements and dates; Majors; 2026-27 estimated costs; Psychology undergraduate program offerings; Psychology advising and major change; UCR General Catalog 2026-27 (PDF); UC requirements by country. Information is for fall 2027 entry (costs are 2026-27 figures). Check UCR for the latest details.