Important Announcement Regarding Demography Admissions
Please note that the Demography Admissions Committee has made the decision to return to an annual admissions cycle. Please submit your applications for fall 2013 by the December 14, 2012 deadline. Likewise, the Graduate Group in Sociology and Demography is accepting applications for its PhD program, with the same deadline of December 14, 2012.
Graduate Admissions
The Department of Demography offers MA and Ph.D. degrees in Demography, a Ph.D. degree in Sociology and Demography, training with no degree goal under “coursework only" status, as well as training for postdoctoral students and professionals (before completing an application please review the details of our Demography MA/PhD and Sociology and Demography PhD academic programs).
All applicants must submit the following:
- application form [online], which includes Domestic, International and FLAS fellowship applications, and the FAFSA application for federal student aid (for US citizens and permanent residents only).
- statement of purpose and the personal history statement [online].
- transcripts and diplomas: The University is no longer accepting hard copy transcripts at the time that the application is submitted. When you submit your application, please provide a complete set of official transcripts for all post-high school education (whether or not you received a degree). You will need to obtain an official transcript from your institution(s), create an electronic copy (please black out your Social Security Number) and upload it as a .pdf file. Please ensure that your electronic transcript is less than 2.5 mb in size.Offical, sealed copies of your transcripts will be requested by Graduate Division only after you have been admitted; please do not send them until requested.
- official report of the general (not subject) portion of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) [hard copy or electronic copy sent by ETS].
- three letters of recommendation (preferably from faculty familiar with the applicant's academic work and intellectual abilities) [online or hard copy].
- an application fee of $80 ($100 for non-US citizens). (Note: application fees are due for review by the UC Regents; changes might occur).
- International students must also submit the official record of their Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) [hard copy or official scores sent directly by ETS].
Hard copy applications are no longer accepted by UC Berkeley for applicants who are not returning UCB graduate students. Any supplimentary materials that cannot be scanned and attached to your on-line application (which is strongly preferred) may be sent to the Department of Demography, 2232 Piedmont Ave., U.C. Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720-2120.
If you are a returning UC Berkeley graduate (ie, a student who has graduated from a degree program beyond the BA from UC Berkeley), you must fill out the Application for Readmission and the Statement of Legal Residence that can be found at http://registrar.berkeley.edu/?PageID=elecforms.html. If you are currently enrolled in another graduate program on campus you must fill out the Graduate Petition for Change of Major or Degree Goal form on that same page.
The deadline for Fall 2013 admissions to both the Demography program and the Graduate Group in Sociology and Demography is December 14, 2012. It is the applicant's responsibility to ascertain that all the materials for application to the program and for any fellowships have been received by the department by this date
If you need further information, please contact us by e-mail at applications@demog.berkeley.edu; by phone at (510) 642-9800; or by mail at Department of Demography, UC Berkeley, 2232 Piedmont Ave., Berkeley, CA 94720-2120.
Concurrent Enrollment
We do not offer spring admissions, night courses or online classes. It is possible for people who live nearby to take individual Demography courses, offered at the times given in our course descriptions in our web page, by taking them as "Concurrent Enrollment" courses through the U.C. Extension program (opens in new page). You will receive an official Extension transcript, which can be used while applying to all graduate programs, but you cannot retroactively receive credit for these courses if you are subsequently accepted to our graduate program. You would not have to repeat the courses, however, but could use other courses to fulfill unit requirements for the degree.
Plan Ahead and be Organized
Admission to the Demography and Sociology/Demography programs at UC Berkeley is highly competitive. The following suggestions may strengthen your application. Following these guidelines should help your application not only to UC Berkeley but to any graduate program. Detailed submission requirements pertaining to the current admissions cycle are also included.
Research the colleges and universities where you would like to apply. Find out if any faculty members are doing research in areas that interest you. Call, email, write, or check the web sites of these universities and ask for application materials and information. Check the deadlines!
Investigate Potential Sources of Support
A good place to start when looking for outside financial support for graduate school is UC Berkeley Graduate Division's Fellowship Resources on the Web. Applications who qualify for "underrepresented" status should also investigate Underrepresented Student Financial Assistance Resources. In addition, the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation also sends us fliers regarding merit-based Mellon Fellowships for students beginning graduate studies.
Letters of Recommendation
The Department of Demography looks seriously at letters of recommendation. The admissions committee usually considers letters from faculty most desirable, since it is thought that faculty can best ascertain your intellectual and graduate student potential. You need three letters of recommendation. Try to get these letters from faculty who know you well through courses or other work. Recommenders are encouraged to use the online recommendation system that is a part of the application process.
Exercise caution while asking for evaluations. Approach faculty members and ask if they would be comfortable writing a positive recommendation for you. If they decline or can only write a neutral letter, approach someone else. After deciding on your recommenders, make sure you provide them with the proper forms; stamped, addressed envelopes (unless you will be including sealed letters of recommendation in your application package); and deadlines. Provide them with additional materials about you, such as your transcripts, resumé, statement of purpose, some notes on personal history, in short, anything that might help them form a better, more rounded, opinion about you.
Graduate Record Examination (GRE)
All applicants to the Demography graduate programs must take the general aptitude (Verbal, Quantitative, and Analytical) component of the GRE test, administered by the Educational Testing Service (ETS). The admissions committee for the Department of Demography weighs all three components of the GRE tests. The UC Berkeley institution code is 4833; you do not need to specify a department code as your scores will become available to us once you apply to our department online.
It is recommended that you take the test in October-November in order to get the scores to the admissions committee on time. It can take several weeks for tests to be scored and results sent out. At the very latest, you should plan to take the December computer-based test. The test may be taken more than once, but you should try not to take it more than twice since all grades are reported to the admissions committee. You can buy GRE study guides, old exams in book form, or testing software at any bookstore or from ETS directly. It is recommended that you study for the test and take practice tests ahead of time. Your scores should improve if you take the practice examinations in a timed format that mimics real testing conditions. For more information regarding GRE or TOEFL testing, please go to the ETS website.
College GPA
The college GPA, as well as the rigor and variety of courses undertaken, is an important component of the admission process. The Graduate Division requires a minimum overall GPA of 3.0. Upward trends in grades are looked upon positively by the admissions committee.
Research/Work Experience
If you have time during the academic year or summer vacation, try to gain research experience with professors or in summer research programs. This helps you in the admission process, provides you with some insight about your own research interests, and augments your skills. Professors regard applicants who have undergraduate research experience as highly motivated students.
Statement of Purpose
The statement of purpose is a crucial component of your application package. It is from this statement that the admissions committee comes to know you as an individual.
Some things to keep in mind while writing the statement of purpose: (a) think about what is read between the lines: motivation, competence, potential, creativity; (b) write in an active, not passive, and positive voice; (c) demonstrate things by example; (d) do not make excuses, but rather talk about mistakes as learning experiences; (e) if there is an important factor, such as illness, poverty, excessive work, etc., that affected your grades, mention this in an affirmative way that shows your perseverance; (f) make sure everything is coherent and linked with continuity and focus; (g) the statement should be typed, 500-600 words (approximately 1 to 1 1/2 pages single-spaced). If this is different than the online application instructions, please abide by the online applications guidelines.
Personal History Statement
In addition to the Statement of Purpose it is required that you complete a Personal History Statement. In an essay, you will 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. The Demography Department does not impose length restrictions for the Personal History Statement; however, if the online application instructions impose a word limit, please abide by the online application guidelines.
Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)
International applicants from non-English speaking countries are required to pass the TOEFL with a minimum score of 570 on the paper-based test, or 230 on the computer-based test, or at least 68 for the Internet-based test (iBT). For applicants applying for the fall 2013 year, tests taken before June 2011 will not be accepted even if your score was reported to Berkeley.
General Suggestions
Although calculus is not required for admission to the Demography programs, the Department recommends that all prospective graduate students take calculus during their undergraduate studies or the summer before matriculation. Firm quantitative and verbal skills will greatly facilitate your future success in the programs.
Apply to more than one school to improve your chances of acceptance to a graduate program, keeping in mind that some programs are more competitive than others.
Pay close attention to deadlines - they are crucial - and make sure your application is well organized, well prepared, and thorough. No application will be processed and considered unless it contains all required materials. Keep in mind that each component of the application package (application form, statement of purpose, GRE scores, TOEFL score, GPA, letters of recommendation) is very important and will be taken into full consideration.
Further Advice
You may find many of your questions answered by our new Demography-specific Admissions Frequently Asked Questions page.
Additional advice on the admissions process at the university level can be found at the Graduate Admissions Prospective Student Webpage.
Application submission instructions for entering class, fall 2013:
Your letters of recommendation may be submitted electronically by your recommenders (preferred), or they may be mailed directly to the Demography department by the recommenders. Though it is important that you indicate your most recent GRE and TOEFL scores on the application form, it is also essential that you request that official scores be sent to Berkeley by ETS. If we do not have the official scores on file by mid-January you may miss the opportunity to be nominated for multi-year university fellowships. If you have taken one of these exams subsequent to applying, please e-mail the Demography Department the unofficial results so we can better evaluate your file before the official scores arrive.
It is essential that you provide scanned copies of unofficial transcripts from all of the institutions that you have attended where your grades counted toward your BA or basic college level degrees, and towards any higher degrees that contribute toward your application to our program. International applicants must scan all transcripts and degree certificates, accompanied by official English translations, as detailed in the application package. If we do not have scanned copies of all transcripts on file by mid-January you may miss the opportunity to be nominated for multi-year university fellowships.
We do require that you compute your grade point average on the main application. Please be sure to indicate the grading scale for courses undertaken outside of the United States. When you submit your application online, be sure to send your official transcripts, letters of recommendation and other supporting documentation directly to the Department of Demography. Please do not send your application fees to the department; pay them online at the time you submit your application or send them to the address indicated in the main application.
Fellowship support
All admitted students who have completed the sections for Domestic Fellowships or International Student Fellowships in the graduate application will then automatically considered for fellowship support, though we regret that we do not have the resources to fully support all admitted students.
Notification of completeness and the review process
If you indicate an e-mail address on your application we will direct our correspondence to this address. Within a few weeks after the December 14 deadline we will notify applicants that we have received their applications and we will list any materials that are not yet in your file. Our faculty committee will meet in early January for an initial review of the files. We will make some admissions decisions at this point but may need additional time to make all admissions decisions. Further information regarding support packages will become available throughout the admissions process; we will inform you of developments at the earliest possible time.
Departmental visits for admitted students
We encourage all admitted students to visit us during the spring if at all possible. Shortly after we announce admissions decisions we will be sending out invitations to a specific time when we will have activities arranged for visitors, though if your schedule does not permit a visit during that time frame we can also arrange less formal, individual visits. In addition, we will provide a listing of e-mail addresses and phone numbers for some of our continuing students who have expressed a willingness to have potential students contact them. Students who have questions about graduate student diversity on the UC Berkeley campus should also visit the website for the Social Sciences Graduate Diversity Office.