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Admission to the Energy and Resources Group
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The Energy and Resources Group (ERG) seeks students who have excelled academically, whatever their discipline; who show promise of ability to cross disciplinary boundaries; and who want not only to understand problems of energy, resources, and environment but to help solve them. Those admitted to the program have strong academic records and letters of recommendation, balanced and strong GRE scores, and related work experience and publications. It is preferred that applicants have a minimum of one year of mathematics and one year of college-level chemistry or physics on transcripts of social science majors and four or more basic social science and humanities courses on the transcripts of science and engineering majors. Publications, work experience, extracurricular activities, and the statement of purpose are vital in demonstrating an applicant’s commitment to the program. Academic background, standardized test scores, work experience, letters of recommendation, personal circumstances, and the statement of purpose all play substantial roles in decisions on admission. Admission to ERG is highly competitive. ERG selects a class of 11-15 students each year from 150 to 200 applicants. The average GPA of students admitted is 3.4. Average GRE scores are 670 verbal, 750 quantitative, and 720 or 5.5 analytical. Please feel free to email our Student Affairs Officer, Bette Evans, erggrad "at" berkeley "dot" edu if you need further advice or assistance. Energy and Resources Group Program Information Application InformationFees and Financial Aid |
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The minimum requirement for admission to the Master's program is completion of a Bachelor's degree or its equivalent at a fully accredited U.S. institution of higher learning or foreign equivalent. Because the program is fundamentally inter-disciplinary, there are no other formal requirements for consideration, although, as discussed above, successful candidates will demonstrate academic and intellectual excellence. Based on prior experience, we highly recommend at least one term of college-level calculus and some fundamental science (physics, chemistry, biology, etc.) as a prerequisite for the ERG core technical courses. One year of upper-division (junior/senior) social science (political science, sociology, anthropology, etc.) is also recommended.
Consideration for admission to the Ph.D. program at ERG normally requires separate application following the prior completion of a two-year Master's program similar in scope to the ERG Master's degree from a fully accredited U.S. institution of higher learning or foreign equivalent. Those completing ERG Master's degrees will be asked to apply in fair competition with those applying from other institutions. Applications from students with one-year Master's degrees, or with single-discipline professional degrees (e.g., law, public health) will usually be redirected to the ERG Master's program for consideration.
The faculty will review the files of those admitted to the Master's program and from among those who indicate a desire to continue on for the Ph.D., and will select a small number of very highly qualified applicants as joint candidates for the joint Master's and Ph.D. track. The remainder will be admitted to the two-year Master's program.
Candidates for admission to the Master's program whose ultimate goal is to continue on for a Ph.D. at ERG should select both the MA/MS and Ph.D. options on the online application, and clearly indicate their intention in their statement of purpose. Denial of direct entry into the Ph.D. is a judgment based on evidence available at the time of application, and will in no way prejudice or affect the outcome of a later case for entry into the Ph.D. program after completing a Master's degree. Candidates admitted into the joint Master’s/Ph.D. track will be expected to complete all the requirements of an ERG Master's degree before continuing.
Admission to the Master’s/Ph.D. track does not preclude the possibility that, as a result of a screening exam, a candidate could be found unlikely to complete the Ph.D. and be asked to withdraw from that aspect of their program. Continuation past the Master's will be contingent on a faculty review of the candidate's progress, to take place no later than the end of the third semester of the four-semester Master's sequence. Those who pass the review will be allowed to continue to the Ph.D. program following completion of their Master's requirements, with no further review. Those who fail the review will be allowed to complete their Master's degrees with their entering class. As a matter of course, they may apply for readmission to the Ph.D. program at a later date, using the normal Ph.D. application route.
**PLEASE NOTE: DO NOT APPLY TO THE CHAIR OR ANY OTHER FACULTY MEMBER
All information about the program is available on the Energy and Resources Group website. The general graduate application to the University is available online in September at http://www.grad.berkeley.edu/admissions/grad_app.shtml.
Paper applications will be accepted only under special circumstances. Write to the Student Affairs Officer at erggrad at berkeley.edu.
DO NOT use the online application if you have ever been enrolled as a graduate student at Berkeley. Contact the Student Affairs Officer at erggrad at berkeley.edu for necessary forms and procedures to change or/and add a degree.
ERG admits new students once a year to the following fall semester only. The application submission deadline Fall 2008 for forms and support documents is December 15, 2007.
The application submission and postmark deadline is December 15, 2007; late applications are not accepted. All support documents should be sent to the department at the address below. When your online application is complete, be sure to press the SUBMIT button.
Energy and Resources Group
Attn: Graduate Admissions
310 Barrows Hall, #3050
University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA 94720-3050
Applications will not be considered complete until all materials have been received.
Required:
1. Submit all relevant and completed application forms by the deadline. Complete the application online at http://www.grad.berkeley.edu/admissions/grad_app.shtml. First-time applicants must complete all relevant forms. Those who have applied within the past two years must complete the sections of the online application regarding previous application and personal information, as well as any other form that reflects a change of status or circumstances. If you applied more than two years ago, we will no longer have your application on file and you will need to complete the Graduate Application and submit all new support materials. Current Berkeley graduate students, write to erggrad at berkeley.edu for assistance. The Admissions Committee gives considerable weight to the Personal Statements: 1) the Statement of Purpose (to explain your aptitude and motivation for graduate study in your area of interest), and 2) the Personal History Statement (to explain how your personal background shaped your decision to pursue a graduate degree), so care should be given in their preparation. If you are reapplying or are a current Berkeley graduate student, make sure all information on forms is current.
2. Two official sealed copies of transcripts for all college work completed after high school (send to department). Official copies are transcripts issued by an institution of higher learning; photocopies or PDF copies of transcripts are not acceptable.
3. ERG does not require applicants to list specific ERG faculty members with whom they hope to work (in response to the statement, "If your proposed department requires this..."), however, it is helpful to include names of professors you have contacted and particularly those whose interests are aligned with yours.
4. All Applicants must submit a recent Graduate Record Exam (GRE) aptitude test score: the department GRE code is 0999. The GRE (www.ets.org) must have been taken within the last five years (GRE scores are valid for approximately five years from the date taken. No scores are valid beyond the date ETS will send or resend them to schools. Valid scores are those for test dates on or after October 1, 2002). Because we have frequently encountered delays in receiving GRE exam results, we strongly recommend that you take the exam early, ideally no later than the beginning of December. Unofficial scores in the online application or by email to erggrad "At" berkeley.edu.
5. Three letters of recommendation are required. Additional letters may be submitted but applicants are requested to not exceed five letters. Letters may be submitted via the online UC Berkeley Graduate Application, on institution letterhead mailed to the department, or via your college or university letter service mailed to the department.
6. International applicants from countries in which the official language is not English must provide official evidence of English proficiency. There are two standardized tests you may take: the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), and the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). The minimum score for the TOEFL is 570 (paper-and-pencil test) and 230 (computer-based test). The minimum score for the IELTS is 7 on the 9 point scale. Both scores must be current: tests taken before June 2006 will not be considered. The department TOEFL code is 99.
Below are the fees per semester for U.C. attendance.
| Student Category | Fees per Semester |
| Resident Graduate (CA) | $4,789.25 |
| Nonresident Graduate | $12,283.25 |
also see:
UC Berkeley Registrar : Registration Fees
How much does it cost to live in the Bay Area?
http://students.berkeley.edu/fao/graduate/67bud.html
The University of California at Berkeley offers a wide variety of financial aid programs to help students meet their educational expenses. Financial Aid is awarded on the basis of demonstrated financial need and is available to all citizens of the U.S. and permanent residents. Among the types of aid offered are grants, loans, work-study, scholarships, and fellowships. In addition, ERG receives Block Grant funding whereby grants are given to new and continuing students covering one or a combination of the following: tuition, fees, and/or stipend. All applicants, domestic or international, are eligible for Block Grant monies which are awarded on both need and academic merit. The Block Grant is used as a "fellowship" for newly admitted students and a need-based award for continuing students on a yearly or semester-by-semester basis.
To apply for University or Department awards, applicants must complete the Financial Aid application which is part of the online UC Berkeley online Graduate Application. To be eligible for university funding, all US citizens or Permanent Residents of the United States must complete the FAFSA at www.fafsa.ed.gov (or you may obtain a paper copy at colleges and universities throughout the US). Information about financial aid at UC Berkeley may be found at http://www.grad.berkeley.edu/financial/fellowships_office.shtml.
In addition to the kinds of formal financial aid mentioned above, students may find employment as Graduate Student Instructors (GSI) for courses taught by ERG professors and affiliates, or as Graduate Student Researchers (GSR) on campus or at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL).
GSIs for ERG courses are chosen by the professor in charge, usually several weeks before the course begins. Since ERG professors teach only a small number of courses each year that require GSIs, this is not a major source of employment for ERG students. Rarely are first year students selected as GSIs. There is no requirement that ERG students serve as GSIs while in the program, but interested students should check the links below regarding prerequisites for teaching. For salary information, see http://www.grad.berkeley.edu/policies/appointments_faq.shtml.
Because of limited department fellowship resources, most ERG students who need financial aid find work as GSRs. Thus far LBNL’s Applied Science Division and the ERG-managed internship program with the California Public Utilities Commission have been the largest sources of employment for ERG students, but a variety of research projects supervised on campus by ERG core and affiliated faculty also support GSRs. GSRs normally work 25%-50% during the academic year, and may work full-time during the summer. For salary information, see http://www.grad.berkeley.edu/policies/appointments_faq.shtml. There is no application form for GSI or GSR positions. Instead, new ERG students should contact the ERG office on arrival in Berkeley for the latest information on job availability.
•Graduate Council Policy on Appointments and Mentoring of Graduate Student Instructors: http://gsi.berkeley.edu/faculty/mentoring.html.
•Required 300-level Courses for GSIs (in general, potential ERG GSIs must take ESPM310, which is offered only in the Fall semester): http://gsi.berkeley.edu/faculty/300courses.html.
•GSI Professional Standards and Ethics Online Course: http://gsi.berkeley.edu/ethics/index.html