Application
The Graduate Application is submitted electronically; the online application becomes available in September for admission effective the following year. See the Graduate Division website for details. All applicants must use the online application.
ALL APPLICATIONS FOR FALL 2026 ADMISSION MUST BE SUBMITTED ON OR BEFORE: DECEMBER 1, 2025.
Application Materials
Statement of Purpose
Applicants compose a short two-page statement of purpose describing their intellectual interests and their motivations for applying to the department's graduate program. Review this page(link is external) for more information.
Personal History Statement
Applicants write a short two-page personal history statement describing their achievements with a particular attention to any hardships that were overcome during the process. Review this page(link is external) for more information.
Transcripts
The Graduate Division accepts unofficial transcripts from prior university and college programs for the initial review of applications. Admitted students are required to submit their original transcripts if they accept the department’s office of admission. Transcripts written in a language other than English must be accompanied with an official English translation.
Writing Sample
A writing sample is used to gauge an applicant’s preparedness for graduate studies. Writing samples are written in English and are approximately 15 pages. A writing sample can be an excerpt from a longer work. More than one writing sample can be submitted so long as the total number of pages does not exceed 20. Published and unpublished work is permissible.
Letters of Recommendation
Three letters of recommendation from mentors, employers, and/or colleagues are required. The online application will invite letter writers to submit their letters through the online application portal. These letters must be submitted before the application deadline.
Evidence of English Language Proficiency (If Applicable)
All applicants from countries in which the official language is not English are required to take an English language proficiency test, either the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the academic modules of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). However, this exam can be waived for those students who have completed at least one year of full-time academic course work with grades of B or better in a United States-based university. Please note that scores more than two years old at the time of application cannot be accepted. Scores must be submitted electronically before the application deadline. For more information about the TOEFL and IELTS exams as well as reporting instructions, visit the Graduate Division's website(link is external).
GRE
All candidates are required to take the GRE exam prior to the deadline for which they are applying. There is no minimum acceptable score. Please note that the Analytical Writing component is required for the GRE. For Fall 2026 admission, we accept official scores only from exams taken on or after October 1, 2020.
*All supporting documents, including letters of recommendation, should be submitted by the application deadline. Materials submitted after the deadline may not be considered for review. The department will begin reviewing applications immediately following the admission application deadline. For this reason, it is important that all parts of the student's application are submitted before the deadline.
What is Next?
All applications for admission are initially reviewed for completeness and then circulated to the faculty admissions committee. After the preliminary screening, the committee will solicit feedback from faculty members prior to beginning their deliberations in January. Successful applicants will be contacted by faculty members in late January.
Offers of admission are made in February. Admitted students are invited to visit the Berkeley campus soon after they are notified of their offer. These admitted students must declare their acceptance of the department’s offer before April 15 and are expected to begin their studies in August.
