Documents Required

Official sources are the final authority

Statement of purpose

Research interests and program fit; reviewed with personal history statement.

CV or resume

Personal history statement

Required Berkeley graduate application statement.

Recommendation letters x 3

Strong letters from faculty with whom the applicant has worked closely preferred.

Unofficial transcript(s)

Academic records of all college-level work; official records if admitted per Grad Division.

Published Score Requirements

Official sources are the final authority

Academic: Bachelor's degree with GPA 3.0/4.0; Graduate Division minimum. Successful applicants generally have GPA 3.5/4.0 or higher; competitive profile, not published as a hard program cutoff beyond the campus minimum.
Prerequisites: Relevant academic background; BA/BS in engineering, biology, or other sciences. Typical preparation: two-year college mathematics including calculus and differential equations; one-year physics and chemistry; extensive upper-division work in engineering or biology; linear algebra highly desirable. Outstanding applicants missing some areas may be admitted conditional on completing basic requirements after admission. Prior research experience is common among successful applicants.
IELTS: 7.0 overall; Graduate Division minimum overall band for applicable applicants. IELTS Online accepted; Indicator and One Test Retake not accepted. Dual-scale Speaking/Writing component floors publish for Fall 2027 tests after 21 Jan 2026.
TOEFL: 90 overall; UC Berkeley Graduate Division minimum for applicable international applicants. iBT and iBT Home Edition accepted; TOEFL ITP and MyBest not accepted. Institution code 4833. Page also publishes dual-scale thresholds for Fall 2027 cohorts (new TOEFL scale after 21 Jan 2026).