Ph.D. Program in Earth and Planetary Science
The online application process is the method of applying to our department.
Our application deadline for the 2025-2026 academic year is December 3, 2024.
GRE scores are optional.
International applicants from countries where English is not the official language are required to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Please see the Graduate Division website regarding required minimum scores. The department code to use is 71 (Geology).
Uploaded transcripts are required from every college or university you have attended if the course was used toward a degree. A summary of credit transferred from an institution previously attended that is recorded on the transcript issued by the university granting the degree is not sufficient. Transcripts not in English should be accompanied by translations from the university that issued them. Translations alone are not enough; we need an upload of both the translation and the original.
Students are simultaneously admitted to the EPS Ph.D. program and to the research group of a faculty advisor, so the online application requires you to select at least one advisor. We encourage you to view our faculty directory and to contact potential advisors, but bear in mind that some faculty may be unable to respond to all inquiries due to the volume of requests. Our Frequently Asked Questions page contains more details, together with tips and perspectives from current students in our graduate program.
You can check the status of your application by logging back into it. Do not inquire before January as to whether or not your application is complete. A delay in receiving some materials such as letters of recommendation will not affect your application.
We highly recommend viewing the website for prospective graduate students at:
http://www.grad.berkeley.edu/prospective/
The application fee is $135 for US Citizens and Permanent Residents and $155 for International applicants. Graduate Admission has a Fee Waiver Form for eligible applicants (e.g., those who can demonstrate financial need) who are US Citizens or Permanent Residents. If you are an international applicant and cannot afford to pay the application fee, prospective faculty advisors might, in some cases, be able to pay your application fee from their own funds; please contact your prospective faculty advisor to inquire about this well in advance of the application deadline.
Fifth Year Master's Degree - restricted to UCB EPS undergraduates only.
The Master of Arts degree requires 24 semester units of upper division and graduate courses with at least 12 units of graduate coursework, followed by a comprehensive oral examination. The M.A. program is open only to students who have completed their undergraduate degree in our department. Applicants must fill out this program planning form and upload it to their application.
After reading the FAQs, if you have additional questions, please contact:
University of California
Department of Earth and Planetary Science
307 McCone Hall Berkeley, CA 94720-4767