UC Berkeley
Cal Berkeley, founded in 1868, is the oldest of the ten University of California campuses. Berkeley faculty are outstanding and diverse. The University is home to seven Nobel Laureates who are active faculty members, 196 American Association for the Advancement of Science members, 226 American Academy of Arts and Sciences Fellows, 28 MacArthur Fellows, 131 National Academy of Sciences members, 14 recipients of the National Medal of Science, 1 poet laureate, and 4 Pulitzer Prize winners. Nobelist Donald Glaser (Physics 1960) is active in the Neuroscience Graduate community, as is MacArthur Fellow and cellular neuroscientist Lu Chen. Generally considered the leading public university in the U.S., Berkeley graduate programs are highly ranked (97% of Berkeley graduate programs are ranked top 10 in their fields nationwide, and 32 have been designated “distinguished programs” by the National Research Council). The campus is home to over 10,000 graduate students from all over the world who are studying in 105 graduate programs. The Neuroscience Graduate Program is relatively new at Berkeley, being forged from preexisting programs in 2000.
[Back To Top]Related Programs at UC Berkeley
While the Neuroscience Graduate Program provides broad training at multiple levels of neuroscience, other graduate programs also offer more specialized training in specific subdisciplines of neuroscience. These include the MCB Graduate Program, which includes molecular and cellular neuroscience, the Psychology Graduate Program, which includes cognitive and behavioral neuroscience, the Vision Science Program, the Biophysics Graduate Group, and the Integrative Biology Program.
Other programs with some overlap with specific areas of neuroscience include the Chemical Engineering Graduate Program, Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences, and Community Health and Human Development. Many faculty members in these programs are also members of the Neuroscience Graduate Program.
Neuroscience in the Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area has a rich Neuroscience community, including UC Berkeley, Stanford, UCSF, and UC Davis. Graduate students and postdocs from these universities meet annually in the Bay Area Neuroscience Gathering (BANG) to showcase their latest research.
Bay Area & Beyond
Berkeley and the larger Bay Area offers a rich environment for students of all persuasions: world class wilderness, premier wine country, pristine beaches, sporting opportunities, shopping, arts and culture, superb cuisine, and a vibrant nightlife. A day away from the lab may include a drive over the Golden Gate Bridge to the Point Reyes Seashore, a glass of wine at a local winery, a gallery opening in downtown San Francisco, followed by a night on the town in the lively Mission District.
The best part is discovering your own spots, but here are some links to get you started:
Outdoors
- Tilden Park (minutes from campus)
- Point Reyes National Seashore
- Muir Woods
- Wine Country
Dining & Nightlife
- Restaurant Guide
- Nightlife Guide
- Review Sites
Arts & Culture
- California Academy of Sciences
- De Young Museum
- Museum of Modern Art
- Legion of Honor
- Symphony Hall
- San Francisco Opera