At Berkeley, graduate work in chemical and biomolecular engineering emphasizes the excitement of original research in frontier areas of applied science. Graduate students may pursue a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering, or they may apply to our Product Development Program to obtain an M.S. in Chemical Engineering. While formal courses are necessary to provide scientific fundamentals and intellectual breadth, the primary characteristic of Berkeley's graduate experience is to participate in the quest for new knowledge. Graduate students and faculty collaborate as partners in scholarship, in learning, and in intellectual discovery.
Admission is granted by the University's Graduate Division on the recommendation of the department. Applicants generally are required to provide the following: evidence of superior performance in the last 2 years of undergraduate studies; test scores for the aptitude portion of the Graduate Record Examination (the advanced GRE or subject test is not required); and 3 letters of recommendation from professors or colleagues familiar with the applicant's academic and professional aptitudes. International students whose native language is not English must provide evidence of English language proficiency. The weight of evidence from all sources determines admission. Students do not need a master's degree to apply for a doctoral degree. Most applicants will have completed a typical undergraduate program in chemical engineering. However, admission may be granted to students with undergraduate degrees in a related discipline. In this case, necessary background courses in chemical engineering are taken as part of the program for the first year.
Applications are only accepted for the fall semester.
Deadlines:
to apply to the PhD program is December 14th, 2012 and
to apply to the PDP program is January 4th, 2013
Please note that all administrative offices are closed December 24, 2012 through January 1, 2013. Early submission of materials is strongly encouraged.
The online application will be available September 8th at the Graduate Division Website. Letters of recommendation may be submitted online via the online application. Once students have submitted an online application through the Graduate Division, applicants are able to check the status of materials received online.
We welcome inquiries concerning admission to our graduate program by email at chegrad@cchem.berkeley.edu or by phone at (510) 642-1533. Prospective students are encouraged to visit the department only after receiving an offer of admission.
GRE (Graduate Record Exam)
The general GRE is required. There is no minimum score, and the requirement cannot be waived. The institution code is 4833, and the department code is 1001.
Evidence of English Language Proficiency
All international applicants are required to provide evidence of English language proficiency by providing test scores from either the TOEFL or International English Language Testing System (IELTS). The minimum score for the TOEFL is at least a 570 on the paper-based test (PBT) or 68 on the (Internet-based test) iBT. You may also submit an IELTS score of an overall Band score of 7 on a 9-point scale.The TOEFL/IELTS requirement can be waived if you have studied at a U.S. institution of higher education for at least a year and received grades of B or better. In that case, an official transcript from that institution can be used as evidence of English language proficiency.
Links
Graduate Record Exam (GRE)
Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)