Admissions

We are interested in a 1-page summary of your academic and professional background. On the application, please upload your most current resume or curriculum vitae. If applicable, please also include honors, awards, publications, presentations, languages spoken, and associations you belong to.

You will be required to submit electronic copies of transcripts from every post-secondary school ever attended. Unofficial transcripts suffice for the initial application; official transcripts will be requested upon successful admission. Please do not mail any documents to the program office.

GPA Minimum

To be eligible for the MAS-E degree, as with all UC Berkeley graduate degrees, you must have a minimum grade-point average (GPA) of 3.0 (B) on a 4.0 scale.

Applicants whose GPAs are based on a 4.0 scale will need to enter their cumulative GPA, as well as calculate their Advanced GPA and Major GPA for the application. The application will specify which courses to calculate for each GPA field. The university does not provide a GPA calculator. Applicants should use their university’s grading scale to calculate their GPAs to the best of their abilities.

Applicants whose GPAs are not based on a 4.0 scale should not calculate or convert their GPAs. Instead, these applicants should leave the aforementioned GPA fields blank and enter their cumulative GPA as it appears on their transcript in the “Other Scale GPA” section.

U.S. Degree Equivalency

If you graduated from a recognized academic institution outside the United States, you must hold a degree equivalent to a U.S. bachelor’s degree. Equivalency is determined by international evaluators in the UC Berkeley Graduate Admissions Office [http://grad.berkeley.edu/admissions/requirements/ ]

If you are recommended for admission and choose to enroll in the program, UC Berkeley Graduate Division will require that you submit official academic documents (transcripts, degree conferral certificates, translations, as applicable) by the end of your first term.

This essay question was created to provoke honest, thoughtful responses to help us get to know you. The admissions committee is interested in learning how your professional and academic experiences and achievements equip you and motivate you to enroll in our program. At a minimum, the statement of purpose should indicate, with clarity and focus, your purpose for entering the Master of Advanced Study in Engineering program and why this advances your professional and personal goals. We are especially interested in understanding both your experience in and your capacity to take full advantage of an intensive, fast-paced degree program.

Be specific about why UC Berkeley and the MAS-E program would be a good intellectual fit for you. The Statement of Purpose should be shorter than two pages.

For more insights, refer to the Graduate Division website.

Anything that can give reviewers a sense of you as a person belongs here. Any experiences that show your promise, initiative, and ability to persevere despite obstacles could be considered. If you have faced any obstacles or barriers in your education, sharing those experiences provides a deeper understanding of who you are as an applicant. If one part of your academic record is not ideal, due to challenges you faced, this is where you can explain that, and direct reviewers’ attention to the evidence of your potential for higher education.

Discuss the impact of your personal background and experiences on your decision to pursue a graduate degree. Touch on the following points without duplicating your Statement of Purpose:

• Overcoming obstacles to access higher education.
• Gaining insights into barriers faced by others.
• Experience or leadership pertaining to underserved populations, equitable access or inequality.

Compose a concise (under two pages) Personal History Statement. This essay also factors into the selection process for MAS-E program scholarships. More tips can be found on the Graduate Division website.

Letters of recommendation provide the admissions committee with third party, qualitative accounts of your potential for success in our program. We require two letters of recommendation from all applicants.

We strongly prefer that letters of recommendation come from a current direct supervisor, former direct supervisor, faculty, or other individuals with whom you have had significant professional interaction. Please select individuals who know you well and who will take the time to write thorough and thoughtful letters on your behalf. The title of those you select is not important. What does matter is how closely your letter writers have worked with you and whether they can attest to your value as an employee or student, your professional accomplishments, and your personal qualities. We have found the most helpful letters to be recent, relevant, and written specifically for this application. We discourage letters of recommendation from subordinates, family, or friends.

When completing the online application, you will enter the email address of your recommender and click the appropriate box to have the recommender upload their letter.

The application system requires 3 recommenders despite our program requiring 2, please put your own email address as the third and ignore the instructions to submit.

You are responsible for ensuring that letters of recommendations are submitted by the application deadline.

Evidence of English language proficiency is required of applicants with basic degrees from countries in which the official language is not English. This includes U.S. citizens who have obtained their basic degrees from an institution outside the United States. Applicants can take either the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS).

TOEFL 

The TOEFL is a standardized test of English language proficiency administered by the Educational Testing Service (ETS). We accept the internet based (iBT) and iBT Home Edition. We do not accept the Duolingo or scores obtained under the Institutional Testing Program (ITP).

Applicants must send an official score report via ETS to Berkeley’s institution code 4833 for Graduate Organizations; no department code is required. Official score reports import directly into Slate and will be matched with the application.

ETS reports and verifies TOEFL scores for a period of two years after the date the test was administered. Applicants who took the test more than two years ago must retake it.

The most recent test score for the current test must be at least 90 for iBT. Applicants may take several administrations of the TOEFL, hoping to receive an acceptable score. Because we are concerned with an applicant’s current level of proficiency, the Graduate Admissions Office will base its decision on the applicant’s most recent score, even if earlier scores are higher.

IELTS

The IELTS is a standardized test of English language proficiency which was designed by the University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate and is administered by the British Council worldwide. Applicants may obtain information on how to register for the IELTS from the IELTS website.

The test is scored on a band width and the most recent overall band score must be at least 7 on a 9-point scale. See how the IELTS is scored here.

Graduate Admissions will no longer be accepting Paper Test Report Forms. All IELTS scores must be sent electronically from the testing center, no institution code is required. Our address for identification purposes is: University of California, Berkeley, Graduate Division, Sproul Hall Rm 318, MC 5900, Berkeley, CA 94720. Please do not have applicants mail any score reports.

Applicants currently residing in Iran must take the Academic Modules of the IELTS.

You must submit an application fee when you apply. The application fee is not refundable. If you are a U.S. citizen or current permanent resident, the application fee is $135; for all others, the fee is $155.

Graduate Division Fee Waiver
The Berkeley Graduate Division offers application fee waivers for both students who demonstrate financial need and students who have participated in certain programs. The form to request a fee waiver from the Graduate Division is included in the payment section of the online application. More information is on the Graduate Division website. Only U.S. citizens or current permanent residents are eligible for an application fee waiver.