This information is for all prospective applicants with university degrees from academic institutions outside the United States. Please read it carefully.
 
Biostatistics receives 90-100 applications for admission each academic year. Only 15-20% of applicants in any given year are admitted and new students are admitted in the Fall semester only. Minimum requirements for admission for the MA degree include a bachelor's degree, a GPA of 3.0, three letters of recommendation; applicants for the PhD should hold a masters degree in a relevant field. Additionally, successful applicants have completed a year or two of calculus with a grade of at least B and a course in linear algebra. Applicants must also take the GRE and the TOEFL (or IELTS) test in their home country.

• GRE receipient code: 4227
• TOEFL recipient codes: 4833 & 4227
     PLEASE SUBMIT BOTH RECIPIENT CODES FOR TOEFL SCORES.
   
  
• Institution code for the University of California, Berkeley: 4833

 
Biostatistics Pre-Application Q & A Session_________
In the Fall, (usually during the month of October) the faculty & staff of the Graduate Group in Biostatistics offer a Pre-application Question and Answer Session, where prospective students can get answers to questions specific to the Biostatistics programs offered at UC Berkeley.
 
  At the informational sessions, applicants will have a chance to...

• meet the Biostatistics Faculty
• ask questions about the Biostatistics program

Please check back at this webpage towards the end of summer for scheduling of the session offered for next fall.
 
 
 
 
Pre-Application Advising Sessions______________
The School of Public Health's Office of Student Services holds three Pre-Application Advising Sessions in the Fall, during the months of September through November, before the December application deadline.
 
  At the advising sessions, applicants can learn about...

• the application process
• financial assistance
• and other related issues.

Please check the SPH homepage (under "For Prospective Students") for session schedules.

 
 

---

Students from countries other than the US must show that they have the funds necessary for at least the first year of their degree program at Berkeley in order to obtain a nonimmigrant visa to enter the US. Tuition and fees are subject to change without notice and these and other expenses may increase by 10-30% per year. Large sums of money will be required to pay initial living expenses such as rental deposit, tuition and fees during registration, and your first months' living expenses.
 
The number of fellowships and graduate scholarships granted to newly entering students is limited. Typically only one student from those admitted receives an award. Successful applicants have attained a very high level of scholastic achievement before entering Berkeley strong with strong goals and letters recommending them for admission. Fellowships and scholarships are marks of honor and are not designed to cover the full expenses of a year of study so even students awarded fellowships need to supplement their income. Teaching Assistantships and Research Assistantships in Biostatistics are limited in number.
 

---

Biostatistics requires that all applicants take the Graduate Record Exam (GRE). Arrangements to take the GRE should be made directly with the Educational Testing Service (ETS) at least six weeks before the desired test date if you are registering to take the GRE at a center outside the United States. Information on the GRE is available on the web at http://www.gre.org.
 

---

All applicants from any country in which the official language is not English are required to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). The Graduate Division does not accept score reports of tests more than two years old. Applicants to the Fall semester should arrange to take the TOEFL 12 months in advance. For further details concerning registration for the examination and examination dates, consult the TOEFL website at http://www.ets.org/toefl/ .
 
A score of 570 on the TOEFL (230 in the computer-based test) is necessary for admission to graduate school at Berkeley. If you are not able to take the TOEFL, you may substitute the IELTS (International English Language Testing System) exam. The overall BAND score must be at least 7 on a 9-point scale.  To register for  the IELTS,  consult their website at http://www.ielts.org.
 
Knowledge of written and spoken English is required before enrollment, and students with inadequate knowledge of English will be denied admission.
 

---

In addition to the TOEFL or IELTS, all international students whose native tongue is not English and who wish to be considered for an appointment as a teaching assistant must complete the Test of Spoken English (TSE) in their home country and submit the scores with the application for admission.
 

---

If after reading the information above you feel that you are eligible to apply for graduate study at Berkeley, please follow the SOPHAS (Schools of Public Health Application Service) instructions below. All applicants, both International and Domestic, are required to apply on-line through SOPHAS as well as through the Graduate Division web-site.
 
Please use the SPH Application Checklist to ensure timely processing of your application.
 

---

THE DEADLINE TO APPLY FOR THE FALL 2010 SEMESTER IS DECEMBER 1, 2009. All mailed material must be POSTMARKED BY NOVEMBER 24, 2009. Please check the status of your application on the SOPHAS portal frequently throughout the admissions cycle. You will be notified by e-mail by January 30, 2010, if your application is complete or if additional documentation is required.
 
Be sure to follow all three steps below. Until you have done so your application will be incomplete. For complete application instructions, please consult the School of Public Health Website.
 

---

STEP ONE
Graduate Application for Admission and Fellowships
http://www.grad.berkeley.edu/admissions/online_app_inst.shtml

• Graduate Application for Admission and Fellowships 2010-11 (Forms A-G): Available online September 8, 2009.
   
  
• Submit Official GRE scores. Scores of tests taken before 2004 are not acceptable. Use recipient code 4227 to submit scores to SOPHAS.
   
  
• Submit Official TOEFL or IELTS Scores (for international applicants). Scores of tests taken before June 2007 are not acceptable.
  Use recipient code 4227 to submit scores to SOPHAS, and 4833 for UC Berkeley.
   
  
• UC Berkeley Graduate Division Application Fee
  ($70 domestic, $90 international).
   
  
• When you click “Submit” check your e-mail for 7-digit Doc. ID number needed for STEP TWO.

NOTE: Do NOT send letters of recommendation directly to UC Berkeley.
All letters of recommendation must be submitted through SOPHAS ONLY.
 
 

---

STEP TWO
SOPHAS Application (Schools of Public Health Application Service)
http://www.sophas.org/

• Submit 3 Letters of Recommendation
   
  
• Submit Résumé or Curriculum Vitae
   
  
• Submit One Official Transcript from each institution attended beyond high school. Must be submitted in sealed envelope with the official stamp/signature of the institution.
   
  
• Submit Official GRE Scores. Scores of tests taken before 2004 are not acceptable. Use recipient code 4227 for SOPHAS (note that SOPHAS is headquartered in Watertown, MA).
  Current medical students must submit copies of their MCAT scores in lieu of GRE scores. Applicants with PhDs or MDs need not send GRE scores.
   
  
• Submit Official TOEFL or IELTS Scores (for international applicants). Scores of tests taken before June 2008 are not acceptable.
   
  
• Sumbit 7-digit Doc. ID number (sent to you via e-mail upon submitting your UC Berkeley Grad. Division application).
   
  
• Submit Statement of Purpose.
   
  
• SOPHAS Application Fee
  ($95 for first school, ~$40 for each additional school)
  for exact fees see the SOPHAS Application Fee Schedule .

Please check the status of your application on the SOPHAS portal frequently throughout the admissions cycle.
 
IMPORTANT: If your application appears as "Undelivered" at any time, immediately contact SOPHAS at sophasinfo@sophas.org to rectify the situation.
 
The deadline for electronic submission of materials (letters of recommendation & resume/CV) with the SOPHAS Application is December 1, 2009.
 
Official Transcripts, along with any other mailed materials, must be postmarked by November 24, 2009.
 
Mailed materials required for SOPHAS application should be sent to:
 
     SOPHAS
     P.O. Box 9111
     Watertown, MA 02471-9111

 

---

STEP THREE
Transcripts to UC Berkeley School of Public Health
http://sph.berkeley.edu/admissions/apply.html
 
If admitted into the program, the School of Public Health will send a letter of notification. The Graduate Division undertakes the final official review and will send a letter to admitted applicants as well.
 
After receiving your Letter of Admission...

• for International Applicants: Send One official transcript from each institution attended beyond high school (in addition to official transcripts submitted directly to SOPHAS). The transcripts must be sent DIRECTLY FROM THE INSTITUTIONS in sealed envelopes with the signatures/stamps of the institutions.

The postmark deadline for international students sending the transcripts to the UCB School of Public Health is November 24, 2009 (the same postmark deadline for sending transcripts to SOPHAS).
 
Transcripts Addressed to:
 
     Admissions 2010 (International Applicant)
     School of Public Health
     University of California, Berkeley
     50 University Hall # 7360
     Berkeley CA 94720-7360

 

VERY IMPORTANT INFORMATION CONCERNING SUBMISSION OF ACADEMIC RECORDS TO UCB SPH
 
International applicants are required to submit official documentation of all academic records. Certified photocopies of documents will NOT be accepted.
 
Official records are original documents issued by the institution which

• bear the original stamp or raised, embossed seal of the issuing institution and...
   
  
• the signature stamp of the appropriate official.

These records must be in the original language and accompanied by English translations prepared by the issuing institution. Again, PHOTOCOPIES WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. See Graduate Division website for further information.