CSE MS Program - New Student FAQs

Welcome, New CSE MS Students!

This page is designed to provide you with updates, FAQs, and resources for the fall 2026 quarter.  As the MS Program receive updates on Fall 2026 Enrollment Instructions, information will be posted here on this web page and email notifications to your @UCSD.edu account. 

MS Curriculum Guidance:

New MS Student - Curriculum Action Items

IMPORTANT: Ahead of the upcoming UCSD TSS Enrollment and Degree Plan Session, please make sure that you have carefully reviewed the following:

General Course Recommendations
  • The general recommendation during the first quarter or couple of quarters is to enroll in a combination of courses that you seek as priority academic interests, or to explore your depth area of interest, as well as degree plan.
  • The most critical component is that you have the proper background to succeed in your courses of interest. Students are responsible for reviewing course  Prerequisites and Preparation (NOTE: FAll 2026 is in progress and will be posted soon.) and CSE Graduate Course Descriptions which are updated on a quarterly basis.
  • Please note the course instructor’s stated “required knowledge” and background for all CSE graduate courses. All students, especially students that need background preparation in specific subject areas, will benefit from reviewing the faculty area recommendations for Graduate Course Preparation.  
  • Each individual student may have a different combination of courses in mind, depending on their specific goals, including to build skills for industry goals, and/or for building research interests. As one example, this may be a combination of a depth course, along with a breadth or elective. However, there are many other combinations (such as two depth courses & one breadth course, etc), depending on your customized  academic plan. 
Balancing TAships  
  • If a student is offered a TAship: The 12 unit course load should be balanced by enrolling in two graduate courses and TA units. Other variations are possible with guidance from advisors. 
Enrollment Policies to Note Ahead

Quarterly Unit Limit

MS Students may enroll in 12 -14 units quarterly. Enrollment and Accounts holds are placed if a student is not within the permitted unit policy.

Required to enroll in CSE Curriculum Courses ONLY

Students must be enrolled in CSE graduate level breadth, depth, elective pre-approved coursework (Electives List), or CSE upper-division (100-199) courses on a quarterly basis

**CSE MS Students are NOT permitted to enroll in lower division courses (numbered 0-99) at UCSD.

Enrollment holds will be placed for accounts with enrollments not in compliance with their CS75 or CS76 major requirements. 

Enrollment Deadline

Students have until Friday of Week 2 (Quarterly) to finalize all course changes. Please make sure to check your academic history to make sure you are enrolled in the correct courses and units.

Students with TAs, GSR, or UCSD Employment

Graduate students with TA employment should balance their course load with the employment work. For example, if a student is offered a 50% TA position, they should be enrolled in two graduate courses (8 units) and the corresponding TA units.  

 CSE MS Orientation and Degree Plan Advising Session
  • The date and time for the CSE MS New Student Welcome Orientation and Degree Plan Sessions will announced directly to your @UCSD email.
    • The first session will be scheduled for July 7 (MS Program Policies and Comprehensive Degree Plan) and July 8 (Thesis Plan).
    • Invitations will be for CS75 an CS76 majors only and directly sent to your @Ucsd.edu accounts before the dates above.
  • All sessions will be offered remotely.
  • The dates and times are anticipated to occur this summer and will be announced at a later date. Students will receive notice via email (to their UCSD email address). 
Academic Advising and New Student Questions
  • 1-1 Advising meetings for Fall 2026 will be announced in September 2026
  • Students will have the opportunity in fall 2026 to meet with academic advisors for either appointments or drop-in advising meetings.

FALL 2026 Enrollment Instructions  

Fall 2026 Enrollment Instructions

Fall 2026 Course Enrollment Timeline

  • UCSD Emails - Enrollment Announcements
  • DATES of Enrollment:
    • Update: The Registrar Office has announced that the enrollment dates has been shifted to begin on 7/22 for all new and continuing graduate students.
  • TSS Access, Booking Times, Schedule of Classes
    • Students will have access to TSS on 7/20. 
    • Once you access TSS on 7/20, you will be able to view your booking time.
    • Schedule of Classes will be released on 7/20. 
  • TOOLS and Resources for TSS
  • Note in Advance:
    • All CSE Graduate students (new and continuing) will enroll during the same enrollment period. Since all CSE graduate students will begin enrolling at the same time, it is important that you:
      • Be ready to enroll as soon as your enrollment window opens. 
      • Resolve any enrollment holds as soon as possible. Holds may prevent you from enrolling when your enrollment window opens, and delays could affect your ability to secure seats in your preferred courses.
      • Enrollment will be managed through the Triton Student System (TSS), which introduces new enrollment workflows and system-enforced policies.
    • Monitor your enrollment carefully. The Triton Student System enforces a unit limit max and policies that the department cannot override if required enrollment actions are not completed on time.
  • Separately, the CSE Department Graduate Enrollment Office/Coordinator will also be sending announcements in July 2026 regarding CSE graduate course information (anticipated around mid-July). This will include faculty course descriptions and any other CSE specific course information.  The notice will be sent by the CSE Enrollment Unit (cse-grad-enrollment@ucsd.edu). 
  • Support and Help for TSS or Enrollment Technical Issues: 
    • For a TSS access issue, technical issue, use ONE of the following options:Important
      •  Email support: tss@ucsd.edu - Emailing this address will automatically
        create a support ticket and add your inquiry to the support queue.
      • Phone support: (858) 246-4357, press 2 for TSS support
      • TSS In-person support: Applied Physics & Math, Rm 1313
Enrollment Policies - Required Quarterly for MS Students

Quarterly Unit Limit

MS Students may enroll in 12 -14 units quarterly. Enrollment and Accounts holds are placed if a student is not within the permitted unit policy.

Required to enroll in CSE Curriculum Courses ONLY

Students must be enrolled in CSE graduate level breadth, depth, elective pre-approved coursework (Electives List), or CSE upper-division (100-199) courses on a quarterly basis

**CSE MS Students are NOT permitted to enroll in lower division courses (numbered 0-99) at UCSD.

Enrollment holds will be placed for accounts with enrollments not in compliance with their CS75 or CS76 major requirements. 

Enrollment Deadline

Students have until Friday of Week 2 (Quarterly) to finalize all course changes. Please make sure to check your academic history to make sure you are enrolled in the correct courses and units.

Students with TAs, GSR, or UCSD Employment

Graduate students with TA employment should balance their course load with the employment work. For example, if a student is offered a 50% TA position, they should be enrolled in two graduate courses (8 units) and the corresponding TA units.  

UCSD Email - Required

UCSD Email Account

ALL CSE AND UCSD COMMUNICATION for upcoming announcements and moving forward will be directed to your @UCSD email account. All new students should have setup their @UCSD email accounts. For assistance with technical issues regarding your UCSD email account, please contact the ITS Service Desk. 

UCSD Student ID Card 

UCSD Student ID Card Instructions

Students will be able to pick-up their student ID cards directly from the UCSD Campus ID Card office. For instructions, please read here.

International Students and ISEO Updates:

International Students - Full Time Quarterly Units Requirement

International Students are required to be enrolled full time *12 units*on a quarterly basis (maximum of 14 units).

Domestic Students (U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents):

Domestic Students - Quarterly Units

Domestic students with more than 25% UCSD campus employment, and/or reside in UCSD housing, financial aid contracts, or any other contract requiring full time status will need to be enrolled in 12 units. The maximum permitted units are 12-14 units.

Domestic Students: Half Time or Part Time Options

MS Domestic Students - Enrollment Options:

  • Domestic Students (U.S. Citizens & Permanent Residents) have the option to be enrolled full time (12 units), part time (less than 12 units), or half time status (6 or less units) depending on their academic standing, employment, and campus housing status. 
  • Half- Time Status Policies (6 units or less): Domestic students may officially file a petition for “half time status” (must be 6 units or less) for reduced tuition/fees. Students must be in good academic standing. NOTE: Students employed at UCSD more than 25% are not eligible to apply (this includes TA or GSR positions) since 12 units of enrollment will be required. In addition, students residing in UCSD housing may need to maintain 12 units of enrollment, financial aid contracts requiring 12 units, or any other contract requiring full time status.
  • NOTE:  If you are considering applying for half time status, please note that Half time forms should be submitted before the quarter begins. ** The application form will be available after July. Domestic MS students approved for half-time study must be enrolled in 6 or fewer units at the time of application. 

CSE and UCSD Employment, Scholarship, and GSR Opportunties:

CSE Teaching Assistantship (TA): Fall 2026 Applications

Fall 2026 Teaching Assistantship (TA) Application Timeline

A notice will be sent to new students from the TA Coordinator for the CSE TA application process. You are welcome to learn more about CSE TAships via this website. 

General Resources for Employment, Scholarships, and Campus Wide TA/GSR Opportunities
CSE Career Advising Services

The CSE MS Program Career Development Advisor will be notifying students (dates to be determined) of the upcoming fall 2026 orientation, workshops, and individual 1-1 advising sessions specific to our MS student population. 

 Graduate Student Resources:

Resource Mapping Guide 
Housing Resources
  1. UCSD Graduate Housing Information
  2. Off-Campus Housing Resources
  3. Another Option is VeryApt -  Housing guide for you based on the experiences of our current students and where they actually live. We hope this guide helps you to make an informed decision. You can find the housing guide here:  UC San Diego CSE Housing Guide
Graduate Division New Student Resources
UCSD Campus Virtual Tour
CSE Department News
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