Certificate Programs for International Students

Certificate Programs: How to Apply

Apply for a certificate program and obtain a Form I-20 Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status. The Form I-20 allows you to then apply for an F-1 visa to study full-time in the United States. If studying from your home country, an I-20 and F-1 visa are not required.

The application process has several phases. To participate in a UCLA Extension International Certificate program, each step must be completed in its entirety by the mandated deadlines. If you need assistance at any stage during the application process, please contact the International Programs-Global Education Office (IP-GEO) at intlcertificates@uclaextension.edu.

Phase 1: International Certificate Program Application

If you have not already created a UCLA Extension student account, you will need to create one in order to begin the application process.

Create a new student account

You be asked to fill in the following information to complete your student profile:

Section 1: Personal and Emergency Contact Information
Section 2: International Representative Information. If you are working with a representative, agency, or a UCLA Extension university partner on your application to UCLA Extension, enter their information in this section.
Section 3: Why UCLA Extension? We are excited to get to know you better! Answer a few brief questions about why you chose UCLA Extension and what you hope to accomplish with us.
Section 4: Proof of English Language Proficiency. Students participating in courses offered solely by UCLA Extension must meet the English Language Requirements outlined below.
Section 5: Program Selection. Select your certificate program and the quarter in which you will begin.*
Section 6: Acknowledgements and Policy Statements. Read about the application process and policies.

International students participating in a UCLA Extension Certificate program will be charged International Program Fees in addition to the fees outlined on the individual certificate program web pages. The International Program Fee is $4,500 for your first quarter and $3,500 for each subsequent quarter at UCLA Extension. This fee includes a variety of services, programs and activities, access to campus facilities, health insurance, etc. The fee does not include tuition, the certificate candidacy fee, or housing costs.

The International Program Fee charged by UCLA Extension for international students enrolled in certificate and study abroad programs are higher than fees for U.S. and California residents. That is because the higher fees cover the costs of providing additional student services for international students, such as visa support, health insurance, access to campus services, advising support (academic, visa, housing, etc.), social and cultural programming developed specifically for international students, etc. These higher fees are common for public institutions in the U.S.

Accepted Tests and Minimum Scores

Scores that are equal to or higher than the listed minimum scores from the following tests, taken within the past two years, can satisfy the English proficiency requirement.

TOEFL: 80 (iBT or Home Edition)
IELTS: 6.5
iTEP: 4.5
CAE: B (CEFR C1)
CPE: C (CEFR C2)
TOEIC: 685 (Listening & Reading or Speaking & Writing)
DUOLINGO (DET): 105

While no other type of test score is accepted in general, students who are affected by test center closures may request an exception to submit an alternate test score.

Students currently enrolled in an academic institution where the primary language of instruction is English or International Baccalaureates (IB) students, may submit an official academic transcript or verification of enrollment from their school as proof of English proficiency.

Exemptions

UCLA Extension recognizes English as the official language from any of the following recognized countries and territories, and as such are exempt from providing proof of English proficiency.

Applicants who are citizens of the following countries and territories and identify with/use English as their first/primary language do not need to establish English language proficiency via examination.

Anguilla
Antigua and Barbuda
Australia
Bahamas
Barbados
Belize
Bermuda
Botswana
Anguilla
Antigua and Barbuda
Australia
Bahamas
Barbados
Belize
Bermuda
Botswana
British Indian Ocean Territory
British Virgin Islands
Canada (excluding Quebec)
Cayman Islands
Cook Islands
Dominica
Falkland Islands (Malvinas)
Fiji
Gambia
Ghana
Gibraltar
Grenada
Guam
Guernsey
Guyana
India
Ireland
Isle of Man
Jamaica
Jersey
Kenya
Kiribati
Lesotho
Liberia
Malawi
Marshall Islands
Mauritius
Micronesia
Montserrat
New Zealand
Nigeria
Norfolk Island
Northern Mariana Islands
Papua New Guinea
Pitcairn Islands
Philippines
Puerto Rico
Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Singapore
South Africa
South Sudan
Sudan
Swaziland (Eswatini)
Tanzania
Trinidad and Tobago
Turks and Caicos Islands
Tuvalu
Uganda
United Kingdom
United States
U.S. Virgin Islands
Zambia
Zimbabwe

Students can request additional waivers for the English language proficiency by emailing intlcertificates@uclaextension.edu with details for our review.

After you submit your Phase 1 application, please allow 3-5 business days for the IP-GEO to review your application. You will receive an email with next steps.

Apply to a Certificate Program as a new international student.

New International Certificate Application

Phase 2: International Student Commitment to Participate Application

Once your Phase 1 application is reviewed and approved, you will be emailed a link to complete the Phase 2 application. Review the Phase 2 application thoroughly, complete the application steps, and pay a $500 non-refundable program deposit. The $500 deposit is part of the total $4,500* International Program Fee. After you pay your $500 deposit, you will secure your placement in the program and will have a remaining program fee balance of $4,000 which will be paid during Phase 4 of the application process.

Please note: Quarterly program fees are separate from and do not include program tuition.

Entry Quarter	New Students Outside the U.S.	Transfer Students with Current I-20
Fall September-December	August 1	August 15
Winter January-March	November 1	November 15
Spring March-June	February 1	February 15
Summer June-September	May 1	May 15

After you submit your Phase 2 application, please allow 3-5 business days for the IP-GEO to review your application. You will receive an email with the next steps.

Phase 3: I-20 Application

Once you have completed Phase 2 of the application process and the IP-GEO has reviewed your application, you will receive an email from the IP-GEO with instructions to complete Phase 3: the I-20 Application. Complete this application to begin the process of obtaining an F-1 student visa. It is important to complete your I-20 application fully and as soon as possible so you have plenty of time to go through the visa process. If you have any questions about the I-20 Application or F-1 visas, please contact the International Student Services Office at iss@uclaextension.edu.

Prepare Supporting Documents

Before beginning your I-20 application, review the information below.

Please note that all supporting documents uploaded with your application must be in either .pdf .jpg format.

Passport Photocopy

Make a clear, readable copy of your passport biographic page containing your name, birth date, expiration date, and the bottom two lines filled with letters and numbers.

If you are currently in the U.S. without an F-1 visa and want to change your current visa status to F-1, you will also be required to upload:

Completed Change of Status Form (pdf)
A copy of your most recent I-94
A copy of your current Visa

However, we strongly recommend that you return to your home country to obtain an F-1 student visa.

Statement of Financial Support

You and/or your sponsor are financially responsible for your educational and living expenses for the duration of your program and must provide financial certification meeting the minimum funds for you and any dependents you may seek to bring with you. This financial statement is a federally required part of the visa-seeking process.

Statement of Financial Support Form

In the Phase: 4 I-20 Application, you will submit the Statement of Financial Support Form (pdf). Upload this form with an accompanying bank document or letter outlining your ability to cover the costs for your chosen program.

We will accept bank documents and letters dated within 6 months of your submitted Form I-20 application. All supporting bank documents or letters must show available funds to meet or exceed the amount of your program as outlined on the form. Types of acceptable support documents are outlined on the form.

Statement of Financial Support form (pdf)

Calculation of Financial Support

Each applicant is required to show a minimum of funding for school tuition and living expenses while enrolled as an F-1 student enrolled at UCLA Extension. Proof of additional funds for a spouse and/or children is required for F-2 dependents.

The costs for each program are outlined on the Statement of Financial Support form, which is required as part of the application process.

Health Insurance

You are required to have health insurance for the duration of your studies. Health insurance fees are included in the quarterly international program student fee.

To view policy details, visit the Relation Insurance Services website or call (877) 246-6997 to speak to a representative.

Dependent Information

If you plan to bring any dependents with you (spouse or children), the following must be provided for each family member:

Name (as it appears on passport)
Date of birth
Place of birth
Country of citizenship
Passport photo copy

Transfer Students

If you are already in the United States on F-1 visa status and plan to transfer your I-20 to UCLA Extension, you will also be required to upload:

Copy of your most recent I-94
Copy of your F-1 Visa
Copy of your most recent I-20

We request that your current immigration advisor not release your SEVIS record to UCLA Extension until you are fully admitted and make your Commitment Deposit (Phase 2 of the application). If your SEVIS record is in anything but "Active" status, please contact International Student Services at iss@uclaextension.edu for more information.

Returning Students

You are a returning student if you have previously applied for an I-20 and paid the international program fee at UCLA Extension. If you are a current or former student but never applied for an I-20 at UCLA Extension, complete the new student application.

If you are an F-1 student transferring back to UCLA Extension, you must complete all application phases and be admitted into your new certificate of choice. Instructions on transferring your SEVIS record to UCLA Extension will be on your program admission letter.

If your SEVIS record is in anything but "Active" status, please contact International Student Services at iss@uclaextension.edu for more information before having your record transferred to UCLA Extension.

Application Deadlines

Entry Quarter*	New Students Outside the U.S.	Transfer Students with Current I-20
Fall Quarter September-December	August 1	August 15
Winter Quarter January-March	November 1	November 15
Spring Quarter March-June	February 1	February 15
Summer Quarter June-September	May 1	May 15

*Instructional dates for each quarter can be viewed on the UCLA Extension Academic Calendar

Phase 4: Pre-Arrival and Course Identification Application

Once your Phase 3 application process has been reviewed and approved, you will receive a welcome letter from the International Student Services Office (ISS) with your digital Form I-20 attached. You will receive another email from the IP-GEO with instructions to complete Phase 4 of the application process: Pre-Arrival and Course Identification Application. In this application, we will ask you to identify the courses you plan on taking for your first quarter at UCLA Extension. This application will help you plan and prepare for your time at UCLA Extension. Lastly, in Phase 4, you will make your final first-quarter program fee payment of $4,000. You must pay the balance of your program fee before you can register for your classes.

Phase 5: Class Registration

The IP-GEO will notify you when it is time to register for your UCLA Extension courses.

Subsequent Quarters

After your first quarter, you will need to complete a new and shortened program application with a program fee of $3,500 for each quarter you attend UCLA Extension. You will receive an email with instructions from the IP-GEO each quarter when it is time to complete the application.

Refunds

International Program Fee

The $500 program deposit is non-refundable. In the event that you choose to defer the start of your program to a later quarter, the $500 deposit will be valid for up to one year from the quarter selected in the initial application.

UCLA Extension will reserve your space in the program upon completion of the Confirmation to Participate: Statement of Responsibilities (Phase 2) and payment of your $500 non-refundable program deposit. Individual students canceling their application (prior to the program start date) will be refunded according to the following refund schedule:

Days Prior to Program Start Date	Percentage of International Program Fee to be Refunded*
60+	100%
59-45	75%
44-30	50%
29-15	25%
14 or Less	0%

*Fees incurred to process a refund will be deducted from the amount refunded to the student; this could include but is not limited to wire transfer fees, postage fees, etc.

Tuition

Tuition refunds will adhere to and follow the UCLA Extension Tuition Refund Policy

Fees incurred to process a refund will be deducted from the amount refunded to the student; this could include but is not limited to wire transfer fees, postage fees, etc.

Denial or delay of visa does not waive a student from the refund policy. Students are advised to purchase airfare after obtaining their visa (when applicable).

The following fees may be non-refundable: