Application Instructions

Under Study Emphasis/Research Concentration, select one of our fields under Primary Research Interests and one under Secondary Research Interests.

Before entering your top three preferences under Faculty Adviser, please review our faculty profiles. Although you are asked to list the faculty with whom you would like to work,  your admission to our program is not contingent upon your answer.

Please review the required records for International Applicants and Domestic Applicants.

You will enter each educational institution attended after high school, including all bachelor’s, graduate, and professional programs, regardless of the length of attendance or whether or not you received a degree. We require that you scan and upload a transcript from each university that you have attended. The institution’s name and expected or conferred degree must be visible on the transcript. If you have already graduated, then the conferral date must appear on the transcript. If not, you must include a scanned image of your diploma with your transcript. Photographs of transcripts will not be accepted. Please ensure that the uploaded transcript is readable. An illegible transcript will delay our review of your application. Please note that any discrepancy between the uploaded transcript and the official transcript could result in the denial of your application or rejection of our recommendation of admission.

Verify that you meet the minimum-GPA requirement set by the Graduate Division.

Calculate and enter your Grade Point Average as a value between 0.00 and 4.00. If your GPA is not based on a 4-point scale, leave these fields blank as this is the case for many international applicants. Our program does not require a GPA calculation worksheet.

Three letters of recommendation are required. 

Recommenders may be either academic or non-academic and should be able to evaluate your potential for PhD level work and research and your potential to succeed in a doctoral program. You may submit your application after your three recommenders have been entered into your application. We will not accept hard copies of letters of recommendation.

We accept letters via Interfolio.

Please note that we no longer accept GMAT scores.

We require current GRE scores, regardless of prior degrees earned. Your most recent exam must have been taken within five years of our application deadline. The analytical writing section is required of all applicants.

Applicants must self report their scores under the Test Scores section of the application and arrange to have official score reports sent directly to UC Berkeley by the December admissions deadline. We are only able to accept exam scores sent to the correct institutional code (4833). No department code is needed.

Do not send scores to the Haas School of Business.

All international applicants from countries in which the official language is not English are required to provide Evidence of English Language Proficiency.

Exceptions to this requirement are very rare, and eligibility for a waiver must be confirmed by the Graduate Division before submitting your application. To verify your eligibility, please e-mail [email protected]. The Berkeley Haas PhD Program reviews your scores in each of the four scored sections of the iBT (Reading, Listening, Speaking, and Writing). If you choose to take the IELTS test, your most recent band score must be at least a 7 on a 9-point scale. Please note the expiration date for each exam.

Applicants must self report their scores under the Test Scores section of the application and arrange to have official score reports sent directly to UC Berkeley by the December admissions deadline.

• TOEFL: Institutional code is 4833, Graduate Organizations. No departmental code is required. (*Do not send scores to the Haas School of Business)
• IELTS: All IELTS scores must be sent electronically from the testing center, no institution code is required. For identification purposes, the address is University of California, Berkeley, Graduate Division, Sproul Hall Rm 318, MC 5900, Berkeley, CA 94720.

Gain helpful tips on drafting a compelling Statement of Purpose.

Gain helpful tips on drafting a compelling Personal Statement.

It is optional to submit any of the following materials:

• Academic or Professional History- Resume or CV
• Sample of Relevant Written Work
• Publications/Presentations
• Honors and Awards
• Website
• Survey

The non-refundable application fee can only be paid by a major credit card and must be paid in full by the application deadline to be considered. Your online application is only considered official if you have received a payment confirmation email from the Graduate Division by the deadline.

Please review the application fee FAQs. If you continue to experience difficulty processing the application fee after reviewing the FAQs, please email the Graduate Division at [email protected] for assistance.

Application Fee Waiver

U.S. Citizens or current permanent residents can review eligibility information for application fee waivers on the Graduate Division website.