Berkeley scholars invent technologies for faster computer chips, engineer medicine for global diseases and discover planetary systems across the galaxies. New generations of Berkeley students and scholars cross disciplines to explore questions of culture and history, business and politics, global poverty and environmental change.
Berkeley graduate students become part of a prestigious community that boasts 110 Nobel laureates, 103 MacArthur Fellows, and 30 Pulitzer Prize winners among our alumni and faculty. You’ll learn from pioneers and innovators, be inspired by your peers, and make a difference through your research, teaching and social activism.
The National Research Council gives more of UC Berkeley’s graduate programs top ranks than it does any other U.S. university. Over the last decade, more Berkeley students have won National Science Foundation graduate research fellowships than students at any other school.
New students join an active, engaged graduate community of peers from 106 countries and all 50 U.S. states in a vibrant setting featuring historic architecture, redwood groves and sunny meadows. Recreational opportunities abound. Performances range from Yo-Yo Ma to the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, while recent lectures have featured such influential thinkers and leaders as U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Michael Pollan and Isabel Allende. Fans cheer on the Golden Bears football and basketball teams or join in club sports and activities, from rock climbing to windsurfing. San Francisco and Silicon Valley’s attractions are near and accessible via Bay Area Rapid Transit.
The core values of equity and inclusion underpin UC Berkeley’s academic excellence. Resources such as the Office for Graduate Diversity and the Disabled Students Program help offer equitable access and support for all students.
Graduate students can find a wealth of support programs through the Graduate Division, from the moment you consider graduate studies through the day you receive your degree and prepare to enter the job market. Support services include the Office for Graduate Diversity, Graduate Professional Development, Graduate Student Instructor Teaching and Resource Center, Graduate Student Life and many more.
UC Berkeley is a catalyst of social innovation, economic growth and data science breakthroughs. UC Berkeley scholars invent technologies for faster computer chips, engineer medicine for global diseases and discover planetary systems across the galaxies. New generations of UC Berkeley students and scholars cross disciplines to explore questions of culture and history, business and politics, global poverty and environmental change. UC Berkeley consistently ranks among the top schools globally.
Each year, Berkeley awards close to 800 doctoral degrees. Prominent doctoral and master’s alumni include Ghanaian university founder Patrick Awuah Jr., former Secretary of Energy Steven Chu, Congresswoman Barbara Lee, Google leader Eric Schmidt and Indiegogo founder Danae Ringelmann. In 2020, UC Berkeley celebrated the 150th anniversary of the UC Regents’ unanimous decision to admit women “on equal terms in all respects with young men.” Fiat Lux!
OGD (Office for Graduate Diversity) serves as a resource for the admissions process, academic support, financial advice, and professional development. It also provides a forum for ideas and programs designed to enhance the educational experience of underrepresented students, including those who are undocumented, first -generation college students, and those who are educationally and financially challenged.
For over 45 years, UC Berkeley has been committed to encouraging and supporting underrepresented students on the Berkeley campus. The Office for Graduate Diversity was established to provide outreach, confidential advising, and mentoring support to students who seek to obtain graduate degrees at UC Berkeley.
In July 2020, Vice Provost Lisa García Bedolla and fellow Graduate Division staff convened a working group to meet with graduate students and hear their concerns and suggestions about increasing diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging at Cal. Using what we heard in that forum, together with what other students and departments have shared with us in the past and the recommendations of the Graduate Diversity Task Force, we worked to co-create a set of concrete initiatives, focused on areas within our purview, that would begin to address needs of graduate students from underrepresented backgrounds.
We’ve met all the goals outlined in 2020, and have addressed some of the structural pipeline challenges to recruiting and supporting a diverse student body. But there is still much work to be done, and our division looks forward to continuing to partner with students and the rest of our campus community to make Cal a leader in diversity, equity and inclusion for graduate students.
Completing a research project before you apply to graduate school can help you become a competitive applicant. You don't have to be a UC Berkeley student to take advantage of the campus's programs. Learn more about research at the Office of Undergraduate Research and Scholarships.
UC Berkeley Graduate Divsion Office
Graduate diversity contact
grad.diversity@berkeley.edu
(510) 643-6010
