B1.3 Evaluation of Applicants
Updated: August 24th, 2011
Minimum requirements for admission. The minimum requirements for admission to graduate study at Berkeley are:
- a bachelor’s degree or recognized equivalent from an accredited institution;
- a satisfactory scholastic average — usually a minimum grade-point average of B or better (3.0);
- if the applicant comes from a country or political entity (e.g. Quebec) where English is not the official language, adequate proficiency in English to do graduate work, as evidenced by a TOEFL score of at least 570 on the paper-and-pencil test, 230 on the computer-based test, 68 on the iBT test, or an IELTS Band score of at least 7; and
- enough undergraduate training to do graduate work in the given field. Meeting these requirements does not guarantee admission, which is granted on a competitive basis.
Statement of admission procedures. The departments and the Graduate Division should have on file descriptions of the current procedures the department uses to evaluate applicants and calculate admissions decisions. See Appendix 4 in Chapter L, Section 2, of this guide. Departments should send an updated description to the cognizant Associate Dean, in care of the Graduate Admissions Office (318 Sproul Hall #5900), any time their procedures change. Admissions criteria and ranking procedures are subject to review by the Graduate Division.
Departmental evaluation of applicants. Faculty should select applicants for graduate study according to their scholarly and professional potential. Participation by current graduate students in the admission process is at the discretion of the individual units. If students participate in the process, they must be briefed on and abide by the standard rules of confidentiality. A department may choose whatever criteria are appropriate as a basis for its evaluation—undergraduate and graduate grade-point averages, work experience, test scores, letters of recommendation, evidence of past achievements, etc.
See All Topics in the Category: B. Admission, Guide to Graduate Policy
