Master of Engineering (M. Eng.) Application Process

Application Deadline

The Master of Engineering Program Application Deadline: February 1, 2013 at 11:59pm Pacific Standard Time. Late Applications will not be accepted. The deadline for supplemental materials (letters of recommendation, GRE, and TOEFL scores) is also February 1, 2013 at 11:59pm Pacific Standard Time. Admissions decisions will be sent in early April by e-mail.

The application for Fall 2013, the next available term, became available online in early September at the Graduate Division homepage.

Note: The application process in entirely online. Please do not mail materials.

Information Sessions

For more information about the M.Eng. program please plan to attend one of the M.Eng. Information Sessions held in the fall at many locations in the Bay Area and elsewhere.

The Online Application

The Online Application has several sections, including two essays, the Statement of Purpose and the Personal History Statement. Please note that these essays are very important to the application process and should be taken seriously. They should also be two separate essays-please do not cut and paste one into the other.

The Statement of Purpose asks:

Please describe your aptitude and motivation for graduate study in your area of specialization, including your preparation for this field of study, your academic plans or research interests in your chosen area of study, and your future career goals. Please be specific about why UC Berkeley would be a good intellectual fit for you.

The Personal History Statement:

In an essay, discuss how your personal background informs your decision to pursue a graduate degree. Please include any educational, familial, cultural, economic, or social experiences, challenges, or opportunities relevant to your academic journey; how you might contribute to social or cultural diversity within your chosen field; and/or how you might serve educationally underrepresented segments of society with your degree.

GPA Calculation

If you attended an international university, please do not try and convert your grades to our system--just leave that section blank.

California Residency

To determine if you are a California Resident please use the UC Berkeley Residency Office criteria.

Required Supplemental Materials

The following materials are required in addition to the online application:

GRE

The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is required for all applicants. The oldest acceptable exam date is June 2008. It is composed of three sections:

Analytical Writing
Verbal Reasoning
Quantitative Reasoning

We will be accepting both the new version of the GRE and the old. However, please be aware of the score reporting schedule for the new test and take that into account in regards to the Online Application deadline. For more information about the test, as well as locations, test dates, and the time it will take for score reports to reach Berkeley, please consult the Educational Testing Service (ETS). They can be reached at (609) 771-7670. Inquiries can also be made to gre-info@ets.org and www.gre.org. The institution code for Berkeley is 4833 and the Department code is 1203. We encourage you to take the November administration to ensure that your scores arrive by the deadline, but we will also accept scores from the early December administration. GRE Scores should arrive no later than February 1, 2013 at 11:59pm Pacific Standard Time.

Evidence of English Language Proficiency (TOEFL or IELTS)

All applicants from countries in which the official language is not English are required to submit official evidence of English language proficiency. This requirement applies to applicants from Bangladesh, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Latin America, the Middle East, Israel, the People’s Republic of China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Southeast Asia, most European countries, and non-English-speaking countries in Africa.

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.

There are two standardized tests you may take: the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), and the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL):

The TOEFL is administered by the Educational Testing Service. You can obtain detailed information from the TOEFL website or contact TOEFL Services, Educational Testing Service, P.O. Box 6151, Princeton, NJ 08541-6151, (609) 771-7100. Copies of the TOEFL Bulletin are also available at U.S. educational commissions and foundations, binational centers, and private organizations such as the Institute of International Education (IIE). To schedule an appointment for the computer-based test (CBT) in the United States or Canada, call 800-GO-TOEFL. We will only accept TOEFL tests administered by the Educational Testing Service and sent to us directly by the TOEFL office. Tests taken before June 2011 will not be accepted even if your score was reported to Berkeley. The institution code for Berkeley is 4833. You may submit a photocopy of the Examinee’s Score Report for review purposes only, but this is not a substitute for an official score report. For purposes of admission, your most recent score must be at least 570 for the paper-and-pencil test, at least 230 for the computer-based test, or at least 68 for the Internet-based test (iBT). Please contact individual academic departments for more information, as they may choose to require a higher score. The iBT emphasizes integrated skills so its format and scoring are different from the CBT or the paper version of the TOEFL. Please plan to take the TOEFL as soon as possible, regardless of the test’s format, to avoid delays in the review of your application.

International English Language Testing System (IELTS): As an exception, you can submit scores from the Academic Modules of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), which is jointly managed by the British Council, IDP:IELTS Australia, and the University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations. You are responsible for providing us with an official Test Report Form (TRF) of your IELTS. Remember to order the TRF when you register to take the test. Tests taken before June 2011 will not be accepted by Graduate Admissions. Your most recent overall Band score must be at least 7 on a 9-point scale. To register for the IELTS, consult the IELTS website to locate the office of the test center where you plan to take the test.

Transcripts

We require you to upload, in PDF format, one (1) copy of the Official Transcript and/or Academic Record from each college or university you have attended. Please note that even if you have not yet finished your coursework when you apply, we still require a current transcript from you.

•Only one PDF per school will be allowed to be uploaded to the site. PDF files should include both the front and back side of pages. Grading legends should be included.

•International Students must provide English Translations of their Academic Records as well as documents in their original language. For more details, please see required records.

•English Language Grades should appear at the beginning of the file. Translations, Legends, Degree Certificates and other material, should be towards the end of the file.

•All Social Security numbers need to be either blacked out by pen before scanning, or redacted in Adobe before you upload the documents, to protect your privacy. Please refrain from highlighting the numbers in black or changing the font color to white, as the information would still remain in the document.

•Unofficial transcripts from Bear Facts will not be accepted (for UC Berkeley Students).

•Once you have submitted your Online Application, you will not be able to update these materials, and unfortunately, due the number of applications we receive, we will not be able to upload them for you. Please do not email or mail us updated transcripts as they will not be reviewed. Thank you for your understanding in this matter. For more information about transcripts, please see: Admissions Requirements.

Three (3) Recommendation Letters

Do not send hardcopies or have them sent. Please follow the directions in the online application. Applicants will receive an e-mail acknowledgement for every letter submitted electronically. Recommendation letters should arrive no later than February 1, 2013 at 11:59pm Pacific Standard Time.

If it is necessary for you submit letters in another format, please contact us directly at .

Recommendation Letter Tips:

• Having more than 3 letters, though we allow it, is not recommended. Due to the volume of applications we receive every year, there is no guarantee that more than 3 letters will be read.
• Having more letters is not necessarily better. Three strong letters is much better than 3 strong letters and one mediocre or bad letter.
• It can be a good idea to ask your recommenders if they can write you a good, detailed letter. You would be surprised at the number of mediocre or nondescriptive letters we receive every year. A one-two sentence letter is probably not going to help your cause. The best letters gauge your ability and potential for research and graduate study, often citing examples from the recommenders own experiences with you.

EECS Department Contact information

E-mail: JennG@eecs.berkeley.edu
Phone: (510) 643-8107
fax: 510-642-7644
Graduate Admissions Homepage: www.eecs.berkeley.edu/Gradadm

Google Chat: Due to the high volume of emails and phone calls, we are unable to respond to all inquiries. During the admissions period we will hold Google chat sessions to answer your questions. Our Google Account name is csa.eecs.ucb@gmail.com. Please invite us to chat and initiate a session with if you wish to ask us a question.

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Questions? Please contact The EECS Graduate Admissions Office

created 11/9/11
revised 9/24/12