UC Doctor of Philosophy in EconomicsUniversity of California, Berkeley · Berkeley, California, United States

Program Overview

Dates and tuition are specific to the 2027 intake

Please check the official program website (link below) for specific writing guidelines

Statement of purpose

With personal history statement prompts as published by department.

CV or resume

Personal history statement

Required additional statement; prompts on department admissions page.

Recommendation letters x 3

Must arrive by supporting materials deadline.

Transcript(s)

Academic: Bachelor's degree with GPA 3.0/4.0; Graduate Division minimum. No external terminal MA; Ph.D. only for external applicants.
Prerequisites: Quantitative background; Strong mathematical preparation for economics research.
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. Exemptions for degrees from English-primary countries/regions per Grad Division. Page also publishes dual-scale thresholds for Fall 2027 cohorts (new TOEFL scale after 21 Jan 2026).
GRE: Required (no minimum published); Official GRE required; department page states GRE required. Supporting docs including GRE must be received by stated supporting-doc deadline in the cycle.