Graduate Program Information

Admissions

histadm@berkeley.edu

History graduate admissions is now closed for Fall 2008. Application information pertaining to Fall 2009 entry will be available around July. Please note that our next application deadline will be DECEMBER 1, 2008

Applications available: September 10, 2008
Deadline: December 1, 2008 (Online at 11:59 pm Pacific Time. Hand delivery 4 pm); Postmark supporting materials by this date as well.

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GREETINGS PROSPECTIVE APPLICANTS!

The Department of History conducts one review each year for admission to the following fall semester only, and we observe strict adherence to the deadline for submission of the application and supporting documentation. All applicants (except those who are or have been a Berkeley graduate student) must submit the main graduate application through the Internet, and can access all instructions and application materials from this website. We advise applicants not to wait until the final days to submit their application as the electronic traffic is very heavy at that time. The deadline applies to new applicants, re-applicants, University change-of-majors, re-admits after 5 years and Education Abroad Program applicants. Individuals who have applied to the history program in the past two years should contact us early if you wish to re-use previously-submitted supporting documentation. Such students must still submit a new online application and the fee. Former or current Berkeley graduate students may not submit an application online. If you are one, please contact us for further instructions at histadm@berkeley.edu

Applicants who will have an MA in history at the time of entry into our program indicate "PhD" as their degree goal, while all others indicate "MA/PhD" as their degree goal. We do not offer a stand-alone terminal masters degree. On the online application be prepared to specify an emphasis or focus from among the departmental sub-fields (e.g., Late Modern Europe, or Southeast Asia, or U.S. History, etc.) and to list a 3-5 word description of your interest (e.g. and to list faculty members whose research is of particular interest, so that we may anticipate future collaborations.

If you have studied our program information and wish to apply for Fall 2008, welcome to our admissions page and please continue reading to find out more about the application process.

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

Required of all applicants:

A bachelor's degree (or international equivalent); 3.0 minimum gpa

History Supplemental Application (2 pages -- must be printed)

University online Graduate Application for Admission and Fellowship -- including the Statement of Purpose and Personal Statement (must be submitted online)

Three letters of recommendation (NEW! Recommenders are asked to submit letters through the Internet.)

Two sets of official transcripts of all college-level work

Scores from the GRE General Test (or the TOEFL exam)

Writing Sample (on an historical topic not to exceed ten pages)

Application components:

1. HISTORY SUPPLEMENTAL APPLICATION -- This item must be printed and mailed to us
http://history.berkeley.edu/graduate/admissions/HISTORYsuppAPP.pdf
Be prepared with transcript in hand because you will need to calculate grade point averages and then transfer them to the online application.
Page 1 (Application Status Form) -- We use the status form to check the completeness of your application. Include a 3 or 4 word phrase describing your research interests and list faculty whose research is of interest to you. You will repeat this same/similar information on the online application.
Page 2 (Grade Point Average Worksheet) -- Calculate the following: (1) GPA for all coursework taken after the first two years of college. Exclude physical education classes. (2) GPA for all courses taken in a department of history (do not count history-related courses taken in other departments; (3) GPA for graduate courses. Transfer your calculations to the appropriate blanks on the online or paper Graduate Application. Your GPA for courses taken in a history department (if any) should be entered under "GPA in your major," even if your major was not history. (International applicants calculate GPAs only if their grading system is similar to that of the U.S.)

2. The online GRADUATE APPLICATION FOR ADMISSION AND FELLOWSHIPS (http://www.grad.berkeley.edu/admissions/online_app_inst.shtml) is available starting the 10th of September. Listed below are additional instructions for certain sections of the online application.
- Proposed Degree Program: Next to Department, type "History" and next to Emphasis 1 indicate your main sub-field of interest from the pull-down list (e.g., U.S history, Late Modern Europe, Medieval, or East Asia, etc). Leave Emphasis 2 blank or indicate a secondary subfield. By Emphasis 3 type a 3 to 4 word description of your research interest (e.g., Christianity, reformation, women; or U.S. intellectual; or Latin Am -- religion, labor, migration). If you already have an MA in history or related field put "PhD" next to Degree Goal; otherwise, put "MA/PhD." Do not list institutions where you took courses not relevant to your degree award.
- Grade Point Average Calculations: To complete the Grade Point Average section, first calculate GPAs using the GPA Calculation Worksheet on page two of the History Supplemental Application. Transfer GPAs to the blanks on Form B2. You only have to calculate and enter: (1) Coursework After Two Years, (2) Graduate GPA and (3) GPA in Your Major Both History majors and non-majors should calculate "GPA in Your Major," counting ONLY courses taken in a history department. Leave "GPA in Your Major" empty if you took no history departmental courses!!! (International applicants calculate GPAs only if the grading system is similar to that of the U.S.).
- Personal Statements: Statement of Purpose AND Personal History Statement (two essays total). These two essays are required of all applicants (see #3 below for details). Do not exceed 1000 words in each essay. (1000 words is approximately 5000 characters).
- Recommenders: NEW PROCEDURE! The Department of History requests that all recommendations be submitted through the Internet by letter writers. See #4 below for further information.
- Academic Interests: It is not necessary for you to contact faculty before applying, BUT YOU MUST list faculty in the department whose research interests are of particular interest to you. Omit titles like Professor or Dr.
- Fellowship Section for Domestic Students: All U.S. citizens and permanent residents should complete this section. To be considered for funding, citizens and permanent residents must complete a FAFSA by March 2008.
- FLAS application (Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowship): Individuals for whom the study of a specific language is critical to their academic field of study are urged to apply for a FLAS. There is a short essay.
- Fellowship Section for International Students: International applicants complete this fellowship Form E
- Transcript Request Form. Use these forms to have your Registrar send your transcripts to Berkeley ONLY IF you cannot obtain sealed transcripts yourself for inclusion with your returned application (See #5 below for details)

3. More about the Personal Statements (Statement of Purpose, and Personal History Statement) You may type these two essays using a word-processing application like Word -- flush left, single-spaced, with double-space between paragraphs -- and then upload them to the online application OR you may type directly onto the online form. Do not format using boldface, underlines, or tabs. Do not exceed 1000 words on either statement. Statement of Purpose prompt (from last cycle) -- "Describe your aptitude and motivation for graduate study in your area of specialization, including your preparation for this field of study, your academic plans or research interests in your chosen area of study, and your future career goals. Be specific about why UC Berkeley would be a good intellectual fit for you." Personal History Statement prompt (from last cycle): "Discuss how your personal background informs your decision to pursue a graduate degree. Please include any educational, familial, cultural, economic, or social experiences, challenges, or opportunities relevant to your academic journey, how you might contribute to social or cultural diversity within your chosen field; and/or how you might serve educationally underrepresented segments of society with your degree."

4. THREE LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION -- You, as an applicant, should let their recommenders know early that the Department asks that recommendations be submitted through the Internet. Here's how the online letter system will work: Once you open up an online application account and enter some basic information, you can access the Recommendation section. You will complete the waiver option, and fill in the names and email addresses of the recommenders. You can and should submit the Recommendation section before completing and submitting the whole application. The earlier the better to give recommenders advance notification. As soon as you submit the Recommendation information, Berkeley will send an email request for your letter to each recommender listed, with instructions on how to submit the letter online. Make sure you enter the email addresses correctly! As soon as Berkeley receives the recommendation, it will be linked to your application. You will be able to go into your account to see if the letter has arrived, or not. It will be up to you to send a reminder, which you can do at a touch of a button within your account.
If a recommender is not able or willing to submit your recommendation through the web (no email address, no access to computers, etc.) s/he can use surface mail. You will indicate on your application that the letter will NOT be submitted online and you will give the recommender a self-addressed stamped envelope and a paper Recommendation Form with your name and waiver section filled out legibly. Ask recommenders to return Form G (http://www.grad.berkeley.edu/admissions/pdf/form_letter_recommendation.pdf) and the completed letter to you in the envelope sealed and signed across the flap in time for you to mail it to the Department with other mailed application items by December 3. Recommenders who wish to send paper letters directly to the department should postmark it by December 3. College letter services may send letters on your behalf directly to the department.

5. ACADEMIC TRANSCRIPTS -- Obtain not one, but two official transcripts in sealed envelopes from each college-level institution attended. If you have already graduated we expect the transcript(s) to reflect all years of your program.. Current seniors should not wait for fall grades to be posted to order transcripts. Applicants may omit transcripts for individual courses taken that did not count toward the degree and for study abroad programs, if and only if both grades and credits for that year abroad appear on the main transcript. Applicants must hold a minimum 3.0 GPA. International students should check the Graduate Division website at http://www.grad.berkeley.edu/prospective/index.shtml to determine if they hold the equivalent of an American bachelor's degree, and they should comply with requirements regarding documentation and translation.

6. WRITING SAMPLE We prefer a sample written on an historical theme. It must be in English and limited to ten pages double or 1 1/2 spaced. A ten page excerpt from a longer paper with a cover explanation is also acceptable. Send the sample with other mailed materials by the December 1 deadline. Do not send whole books or magazines with your article in it. They won't fit in your file folder!

7. GRADUATE RECORD EXAMINATION GRE (http://www.gre.org) -- The subject test is not required. Take the general GRE test if you received or will receive your bachelor's degree in a country in which the official language is English. Otherwise, take the TOEFL as proof of English language proficiency. We consider GRE scores up to five years old. Take the GRE by early November and arrange for scores to be sent to Berkeley Institution Code 4833 and the GRE History Departmental Code 2799.

8. TEST OF ENGLISH AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE (TOEFL) (http://www.toefl.org) -- Take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) if you are from a country where the official language is not English. Exception: If you have completed at least one year of full-time academic course work (not ESL) with grades B or better at an accredited U.S. university, take the GRE instead, and submit a transcript from the university. Take the TOEFL no later than early November. We do not accept scores from tests taken before June 2006, and we consider only the most recent score. The minimum required on the paper test is 570 points out of 677. The minimum aggregate on the iBT Internet-based test is 68 with minimums in the four sections: 18 for writing, 17 for speaking 26 is recommended to be teaching assistant) , 16 for listening, and 17 for reading. Arrange for TOEFL scores to be sent to Berkeley Institution Code 4833 and the TOEFL History Departmental Code 86.

9. FAFSA -- Domestic applicants who are applying for financial support should file (by March 2007) a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) (http://www.fafsa.ed.gov).

10. APPLICATION FEE (check payable to UC Regents) -- Submit the payment per instructions in the online Graduate Application. Online applicants may pay by credit card. If paying by check, make the check payable to UC Regents and write your name and "Department of History" on the bottom left.

11. SUBMITTING THE APPLICATION COMPONENTS -- By December 3 :

Via Internet: Submit the Graduate Application for Admission and Fellowship. (Exception: Berkeley "change of majors" must file a paper application)

Berkeley will generate email requests for your letters of recommendation as soon as you have completed and submitted the Recommendation section, which includes names and email addresses of all recommenders.

Via Surface mail: Collect and mail the following items to the Department in one large sturdy envelope:
- History Supplemental Application (2 pages)
- Two unopened official copies of Transcripts from each college attended
- Letters of recommendation only from writers who are unable to submit the letter through the web
- Writing Sample
(Letter services and faculty members who wish to send letters directly to the department may do so by exception and by the deadline.)

Mailing Address and other contact information:
Department of History
Graduate Admissions Office
3229 Dwinelle (Mailcode 2550)
University of California
Berkeley, CA 94720-2550

Ph: 510-642-2378
Fax: 510-643-5323
Email: histadm@berkeley.edu

12. NOTIFICATIONS -- The Department communicates with applicants largely by email during the application period. During this time we ask applicants to adjust their spam filters to accept all email messages from Berkeley into your IN BOX (including mass email) and to clear out mailboxes so that you do not exceed your email quota. Applicants should remain accessible during the winter break as well.

Receipt of Application, Missing Items, Completion -- We will notify you by email after we have received your online application and logged the information into our database and we will contact you again around the second week of December about missing items. Finally, we will notify you when your file is complete.

Decision -- The History Graduate Admissions Committee reviews applications, makes an initial recommendation to the Graduate Division to admit selected applicants, and notifies applicants usually between mid-February and mid-March of their recommendation to admit. The department's recommendation is usually approved by the Graduate Division; however, only the written notice of the Dean of the Graduate Division (usually mailed by mid March) constitutes official admission. In the past, denials of recommended applicants were usually related to their inability to produce the required documentation from schools attended. We urge applicants, especially international applicants, to apprise themselves of the specific academic documentation (and translations) that must be produced as part of the completed application.

We look forward to receiving your application to Berkeley

HISTORY ADMISSIONS CRITERIA

Each application is reviewed by at least two admission committee members who evaluate the applicant's academic degrees and record, statement of purpose, letters of recommendation, foreign language training, test scores (general Graduate Record Examination or TOEFL), writing sample, and the fit between the applicant's goals and the program's degree offerings and faculty research interests.

Each of our history subfields require one or more foreign languages, and these must be fulfilled in a timely manner if the student is to advance in the program by the expected time. It is not necessary for the applicant to have fulfilled all of the language requirements for his/her field of interest prior to entering the program. But strong foreign language acquisition is looked upon favorably, and in fields that require two or more languages for graduation it is strongly recommended that applicants come to the program with significant language preparation. In the field of Medieval History, for example, applicants are advised to have completed Latin through at least the intermediate level before entering the program.

Although the majority of applicants to the department have an undergraduate major or master's work in history or its equivalent, we accept applications for able students who have majored in other disciplines but have acquired the history background and other skills (such as languages) necessary to be competitive within the applicant pool.

The department receives 350 to 400 applications and selects a class of around 26 students each year. The average GPAS of domestic students admitted for Fall 2007 were 3.81 undergraduate, 3.87graduate, and 3.84 history. For 2007, the average GRE scores were 91% verbal; 78% quantitative; and 5.5 analytical writing on a scale of 1 to 6. There is no set minimum GRE scores. The minimum acceptable score on the TOEFL is 570 out of 677 for the paper test. For the new iBT Internet-based test the aggregate minimum is 68; the minimum subscores are: 18 writing, 17 speaking (26 preferred because that is the recommended minimum for teaching, 16 listening, and 17 reading), The TOEFL scores of our admitted students usually far exceed the minimum, for example, 658 (paper) The iBT test is still too new for us to give average scores.

International students should carefully review the Graduate Division web page regarding international academic equivalencies and required documentation. Go to: http://www.grad.berkeley.edu/prospective/index.shtml (Click on International Applicants)

Revised 8-16-2007