Ph.D. Application Instructions

Application Deadline: December 11, 2009

We welcome students from a diverse set of backgrounds; some will be technically educated, some educated in the humanities and social sciences.

All application materials must be received by the December 11 deadline, including letters of recommendation, transcripts, and examination results. We encourage you to apply early. The I School does not accept applications for spring term admissions.

Admission Requirements

• A bachelor's degree or its recognized equivalent from an accredited institution
• Superior scholastic record, normally well above a 3.0 GPA
• Indication of appropriate research goals, described in the Statement of Purpose
• Results of the General Test of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE)
• For international applicants whose academic work has been in a language other than English, the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)

Selection Criteria

The I School accepts only 3–5 Ph.D. students each year from more than 80 applications.  Applications are reviewed by a committee of faculty.

Applicants are judged on a number of factors. Good scores and a high GPA are necessary, but not sufficient. The deciding factor is the ability to demonstrate a research record and agenda that fit well with specific I School faculty. In a small, interdisciplinary program, it is important that applicants clearly indicate in their statement of purpose which faculty member(s) they are interested in researching with, and why.

Application Instructions

(1) Online Application Forms

Online application form (Instructions)

NOTE: If you have ever registered as a graduate student at UC Berkeley (whether or not you completed another graduate degree), please follow the alternate instructions for former Berkeley graduate students.

(2) Statement of Purpose & Personal History

The Statement of Purpose and Personal History are two separate essays, submitted with the online application.

The Statement of Purpose should succinctly explain your reasons for applying to the I School, briefly review your relevant academic preparation and work experience, and describe your future academic or professional goals once the degree is acquired. The focus should be on your preparation, experience, and aims rather than a discussion of the trends or the importance of information in general. The most successful statements are 1–2 pages in length and focus on the strengths and experiences of the applicant, providing the reviewers with evidence and justification for admitting those applicants who are qualified and well-suited for the I School.

Ph.D. applicants should make clear their research interests and agenda.  Applicants should also identify the I School faculty member with whom they are interested in working.

The Personal History should include any relevant information not already included in the Statement of Purpose. Additional suggestions may be found in the Graduate Division's Personal Statement Guide. There is no minimum length for the Personal History.

The two essays are used in part to evaluate the candidate's writing skills. Pursuant to UC Berkeley policy, the statements must be written by the candidate her or himself. For admitted students, application materials must comply with the Code of Student Conduct.

(3) Three Letters of Recommendation

Ph.D. applicants should provide letters which speak directly to their ability and potential to perform academic research at the doctoral level.

We encourage your recommenders to submit their letters online; please follow the instructions in the online application. If this is not possible, please send the hard-copy letters along with Form G in their original sealed envelopes in your supplemental packet. If your letters of recommendation are being submitted online, please do not include hard copies of the letters in your supplemental packet.

(4) Application Fee

(submitted with the online application)

• Fee for domestic applicants: $70.
• Fee for international applicants: $90.

(5) Graduate Record Examination (GRE)

All applicants must submit valid test results from the General Test of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE).

We recommend taking the GRE no later than October, and preferably earlier.  To be valid, the GRE must have been taken within the past 5 years: for applicants for Fall 2010 admittance, test scores taken before December 2004 will not be accepted.

Please have your test scores sent directly to UC Berkeley by the testing authorities. The school code for UC Berkeley is 4833. The department code for the I School is 0404 (Information Sciences).

More information: GRE website

(6) TOEFL Scores

Applicants who received their degrees in countries other than the U.S., U.K., Australia, or English-speaking Canada are required to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). This includes applicants with degrees from Bangladesh, Burma, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Latin America, the Middle East,  North Africa, the People’s Republic of China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Southeast Asia, and most European countries.

Only applicants who have completed a full year of U.S. university-level coursework with a grade of B or better are exempt from this requirement. Your most recent score must be at least 570 for the paper-based test, at least 230 for the computer-based test, or at least 68 for the Internet-based test.

Please have your test scores sent directly to UC Berkeley by the testing authorities. The school code for UC Berkeley is 4833. The department code for the I School is 99.

More information: TOEFL website

(7) Current Curriculum Vitae

Please include a current curriculum vitae (C.V.) in the packet of supporting materials mailed to the I School. (Your C.V. is not part of the online application.)

(8) College Transcripts

Submit official transcripts or academic records for all university-level studies you have completed abroad and at U.S. institutions. Be sure to request a current transcript from every post-secondary school that you have attended, including community colleges, summer sessions, and extension programs. Please only include one copy of each transcript.

Official transcripts must be in sealed envelopes as issued by the school(s) you have attended. We prefer that transcripts be included in your supplemental packet. If this is impossible, transcripts may be sent directly from the school to the School of Information at the address below.

Please send all supporting materials in one package directly to the I School, on or before the deadline. Please do not send incomplete application packages. The packet should include:

• Resume
• Letters of recommendation, in original sealed envelopes (unless submitted online)
• Transcripts, in original sealed envelopes

We request that supplemental materials be on 8½" x 11" or A4 paper. Do not include duplicate copies of essays or other materials from the online application. If your letters of recommendation are being submitted online, please do not include duplicate copies in your supplemental packet. Do not include photocopies of GRE or TOEFL scores; test scores should be sent directly from the testing agency.  Letters of recommendation and transcripts must remain in their original, sealed envelopes.

Mail application package to:

School of Information
Admissions
102 South Hall
University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA 94720-4600

All application materials must be received by the application deadline, including transcripts, test scores, and letters of recommendation.

Computer Ownership Requirement

We require that students own a computer. No particular configuration or operating system is required. However, students will be expected to complete assignments using office productivity software (e.g., Microsoft Office, OpenOffice, etc.), web browsers, etc., and should own a computer capable of running such software. More specific guidance will be provided upon acceptance to the program.