After reading the Master’s Admissions Requirements below, please see Application Instructions.

Graduate Division Requirements for Admission

Admission to the Master's program is contingent upon admission to graduate standing in the University of California, Berkeley, which requires:

• A bachelor's degree or its recognized equivalent from an accredited institution
• Sufficient undergraduate training to undertake graduate study in the chosen field
• A satisfactory scholastic average, usually a minimum 3.0 (B) grade-point average in bachelor's degree work completed after the first two years
• Results of the General Test of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE)
• In the case of international applicants whose academic work has been in a language other than English, the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)

School of Information Requirements for Admission

Selection from among those who meet the Graduate Division's requirements will be based on:

• Superior scholastic record, normally well above the 3.0 GPA
• Evidence of potential success as indicated by GRE scores and letters of reference
• Clear indication of professional career goals and reasons for seeking the degree described in the Statement of Purpose section of the application
• Computer competency and proficiency sufficient for successfully completing I School course work (For further guidance on the competency requirement, see the Computer Competency Entrance Requirement section.)
• Evidence of relevant work experience
• Particular consideration will be given to: knowledge of qualitative and quantitative research skills; socioeconomic background; unusual aptitude as reflected in high GRE scores; advanced preparation in related fields as evidenced by successful graduate study; successful work experience in relevant fields
• We anticipate students from a diverse set of backgrounds; some will be technically educated, some educated in the humanities and social sciences. Our first semester core curriculum is designed to bring these diverse students to a common level of knowledge and prepare them for the electives.

Required Entrance Examinations

Applicants must submit results from the General Test of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), and in the case of international applicants whose academic work has been conducted in a language other than English, the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) as well.

Graduate Record Examination (GRE)
All applicants to graduate degree programs in the School of Information Management and Systems must submit test results from the General Test of the Graduate Record Examination. Application blanks and information on testing dates and examination centers for the Graduate Record Examination General Test are available from the offices of the Educational Testing Service. Check the GRE website or phone: 1-800-GRECALL for exam locations and dates.

We advise all applicants to take the General Test of the Graduate Record Examination no later than October preceding submission of an application and preferably before.

Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)
International applicants are expected to fulfill all previously stated admissions requirements including submission of GRE scores and to have an excellent command of English before beginning graduate study at Berkeley. Applicants from countries in which the official language of instruction is not English are required to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and have the results sent directly to the UC Berkeley Graduate Admission/Fellowship Office by the TOEFL authorities. Applicants to Berkeley must attain a TOEFL score of 570 or higher.

International applicants from any country in which the official language is English or those who have studied for one year or more in schools or universities where English is the language of instruction need not submit TOEFL scores, but must submit the General Test of the Graduate Record Examination.

For more information about taking The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), visit the TOEFL website or contact the TOEFL Office, P.O. Box 6155, Princeton, New Jersey 08541-6155.

Computer Competency Entrance Requirement

The I School's academic program for the Master's degree includes a balance of courses, such as individual and group approaches to information systems use, user interface design and development, organization of information, management of information systems and services, economics of information, and principles of information retrieval. There are also extensive courses in information technology, systems analysis and design. The faculty expects entering students to have certain core competencies in the use of computing hardware and software.

A. Basic Level Competency
At the most basic level we expect entering students to be able to use personal computers and be familiar with the use of typical microcomputer applications and processes including:

• Document processing (e.g., Microsoft Word, HTML web document editors)
• Spreadsheets (e.g., Microsoft Excel)
• Data communication (e.g., E-mail, Telnet/SSH, FTP, HTTP)
• Database management (e.g., Microsoft Access, mySQL, FileMaker Pro)

B. Programming Competency
Students graduating from the School will be leaders in organizing, accessing, and managing information. We expect all students enrolling in the program to understand the basics of programming in order to enhance their understanding of computing and to build on that understanding through coursework in the degree program.

Computer skills at a level comparable to those obtained in a college-level course on computer programming in a high-level object-oriented language (e.g., Java) will be expected. This is the minimal requirement; additional course work and/or experience with computers, and familiarity with a scripting language (e.g., Perl, Tcl/Tk, Python) is highly recommended.

Each applicant must submit a Computer Competency Statement describing specifically his/her level of proficiency with the requirements set forth in Parts A and B above along with a brief description of relevant courses completed. This statement should accompany the other application materials and will become part of the supporting documentation upon which admission will be based.

Computer Ownership Requirement

We require that students own a computer. No particular configuration is specified in this requirement. However, students will be expected to complete assignments using office productivity software (e.g., Microsoft Office, WordPerfect Office, Star Office), web browsers (e.g., Netscape Communicator, Internet Explorer) and the like, and should therefore own a computer capable of running such software.

Students may own a desktop or laptop. The most common platform is an Intel-based computer running Microsoft Windows. However, students are free to use another platform (e.g., an Intel-based computer running Unix/Linux or a Macintosh running MacOS). Students who do not already own a suitable computer will receive more specific guidance on selecting a new one upon acceptance to the program.