Applications, Admissions, and Recruitment

The Neuroscience Graduate Program offers a Ph.D. program. Applications are accepted in late fall for the following academic year. We do not offer a Master's Degree, nor accept Spring applications.

Requirements for admission:

• A bachelor's degree or equivalent from an accredited institution with a minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
• The Graduate Record Examination (GRE; use Institution Code 4833 and Program Code 0213 for reporting)
• At least one year of laboratory research experience.
• Three letters of recommendation.
  
• Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) required of international applicants.
  

Strongly recommended:

• Graduate Record Subject Examination in one of following subjects: Biochemistry, Biology, Chemistry, Psychology, Mathematics, Computer Science, and Physics.

The UC Berkeley Application for Graduate Study is available online beginning September at: http://www.grad.berkeley.edu/admissions/grad_app.shtml

The new deadline for application submission is December 1, 2008. Late applications are not accepted.

All supplemental materials, such as, original transcripts, GRE test scores, abstract of previous laboratory experience, must be sent to:

Neuroscience Graduate Program
UC Berkeley
3210F Tolman Hall, MC#3192
Berkeley, CA 94720

Strong undergraduate preparation for neuroscience includes at least one year of college level coursework in one of the following disciplines: biology, physics, chemistry, calculus, or engineering. Additional coursework in cognitive science, psychology, biophysics, or neurobiology is advisable.

At least one year of laboratory experience is required for admission. Applicants should describe their research experience either on the personal statement portion of the application (F1) or the statement of purpose form (F2).

Applicants are required to submit three letters of recommendation. Letters should be from individuals who have supervised their work in a laboratory, research, or academic setting and can comment on the applicant’s intellectual ability, creativity, scientific leadership skills, and scholarly potential.

A GRE subject test is strongly recommended. Biochemistry, Biology, Chemistry, Psychology, Mathematics, Computer Science, and Physics are all good choices.

The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is required of those international students whose native language is not English. The minimum passing score (570 for Paper-based test; 233 for Computer-based test; or 68 for Internet-based test) must be met for an applicant to be considered for admission.

If the applicant has attended an American University for at least one year and has a minimum 3.0 GPA, the TOEFL requirement can be waived.

All applications are reviewed by an admissions committee comprised of four faculty members and a senior graduate student. Application review begins in early January, and only complete applications are reviewed. It is the applicant’s responsibility to make sure that all materials are received by the program on time. The committee considers all aspects of an application: undergraduate transcripts, prior performance in lab, test scores, letters of recommendation, statement of purpose, and personal history.

Top applicants are invited to visit the program in February. During the visit, candidates meet with faculty for brief interviews and also interact with current graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. Faculty interview evaluations inform final admissions decisions, which are then referred to the Graduate Division for final approval. Admission offers are made in early March.