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Department of Chemistry: Graduate Student Information: Graduate Student Admission Requirements

Graduate Application Information for Fall 2008

We appreciate your interest in pursuing doctoral studies in Chemistry at UC Berkeley. The department was ranked first in the nation among graduate Chemistry programs by the most recent National Research Council's "Report on Quality in Ph.D. Education." Below, please find information regarding application deadlines and requirements. You also may find it helpful to explore the Department of Chemistry Website for a description of the Chemistry Graduate Program and information on faculty research summaries.

Application Requirements:

2008-09 Graduate Application for admission and fellowships:

  • Submittal of an application to the Department of Chemistry is electronic, and the application is available from the Graduate Division Admissions website: http://www.grad.berkeley.edu/admissions/grad_app.shtml
  • Application Deadline: January 6, 2008 (Supplemental documentation will be accepted after this deadline.)
  • Applications submitted after January 6, 2008 will not be considered. Within 5 to 7 days after submission of your University application, you will be contacted by the Department, via email, to confirm the contact information of your recommenders, to choose your research interest and to submit your departmental research summary. Please note that University applications submitted after December 14, 2007 will be received by the Department the first week in January.

GRE (Graduate Record Exam):

Both the General Test and Subject Test (Chemistry Test preferred, Physics or Biochemistry Tests are acceptable substitutes) are required for admissions consideration. For information about taking the GRE, call 1-800-GRE-CALL or visit the ETS website at http://www.gre.org . Although current test scores are preferred, we will accept official scores from tests taken as early as October 2002. Plan ahead so that your scores will be received by the application deadline.

Transcripts:

Submit two (2) official copies of your transcripts of all college-level course work, including any post-secondary schools that you have attended such as community colleges, summer session, and extension programs, to:

Department of Chemistry
Graduate Affairs Office
419 Latimer Hall
Berkeley, CA 94720-1460

Letters of Recommendation:

Three (3) letters of recommendation are required. These should be from faculty you have worked closely with or supervisors from industry-related work experience. Your recommenders will be contacted via email to submit their letters on-line. You will be contacted upon submission of your on-line application to confirm the information you have provided about your recommenders.

International applicants, please note the following additional admissions requirements:

All applicants from countries in which the official language is not English are required to submit official evidence of English language proficiency.

If you have completed at least one year of full-time academic course work with grades of B or better in residence at a U.S. university, you do not need to take a standardized test. Instead, you must submit an official transcript from the U.S. university.

The TOEFL iBT or the TOEFL and TSE is required for admission consideration.


Internet-based Testing (TOEFL iBT, also called the Next Generation TOEFL):

In Fall 2005, ETS began to phase in the Internet-based TOEFL. ETS will continue to administer the current computer-based (CBT) and paper-based versions of the TOEFL abroad until the phasing in of the new internet-based test is complete. The Graduate Division has established a minimum required score for admission purposes, of at least 68/ 120 for the 2008-2009 admission cycle. The iBT emphasizes integrated skills, so its format and scoring is different from either the CBT or the paper versions of the TOEFL.

TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language):

If the applicant has not taken the TOEFL iBT, the TOEFL is required of all international applicants from countries where English is not the official language. The minimum score required for admission is 570 for the paper-based test, or at least 230 for the computer-based test or at least 68 for the Internet-based test (iBT). Although current test scores are preferred, we will accept official scores from tests taken as early as June 2006. International applicants who, by January 2008, will have completed at least one year of full-time academic course work with grades of B or better in residence at a U.S. university are exempt from the TOEFL/TSE requirement.

TSE (Test of Spoken English):

The TSE is required by the Department of Chemistry in addition to the TOEFL if the applicant has not taken the  TOEFL iBT. The minimum required score is 50. Although current test scores are preferred, we will accept official scores from tests taken as early as June 2006. The TSE will be discountinued as a stand-alone test in all countries where the TOEFL iBT has been introduced.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Click here for FAQ of interest to prospective students about our Graduate Program. For more detailed information on program opportunities and requirements, click here to go to a description of the program.

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Last Updated on February 13, 2008 12:52 PM