Students are admitted to the University of California, Berkeley by the Graduate Division on the recommendation of the Geography Department. To aid the department in making its recommendation, prospective graduate students are asked to submit the following:
Prospective graduate students can start the Graduate Admissions Online Application in mid-September. In the pertinent section of the application, please list the faculty with whom you have contacted or expect to contact concerning your application, as well as the faculty in the department whose research is of particular interest. The application is due by December 1, 2026 at 8:59 p.m. PST.
Applicants must submit their unofficial transcripts from all post-secondary educational institutions attended via the Graduate Admissions Online Application. Official transcripts will be required once admitted by the Graduate Division. In addition to transcripts, please submit your undergraduate GPA for all coursework taken after your first two years.
Applicants are asked to provide a Statement of Purpose that describes their intellectual objectives for their graduate career. Please refer to the Graduate Division Statement of Purpose Guide to learn more about what to include, how to structure, and key tips for writing effective statements for your graduate application.
Applicants must submit a Personal History Statement describing how their background and life experiences have influenced their decision to pursue a graduate degree at this time. This may include formative experiences, values, or motivations that have influenced their academic and/or professional path. You may also include any relevant information on the following:
Please refer to the Graduate Division Personal Statement Guide to learn what to include, how to structure, and key tips for writing effective statements for your graduate application.
Applicants must submit three (3) letters of academic appraisal, preferably from former instructors. The best letter writers are those who know you well and can provide an evaluation of your ability to perform and succeed at the graduate level. Please request that your letter writers complete and submit your letters of recommendation via the online Graduate Application system.
TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or IELTS (International English Language Testing System) scores are required for applicants who received their degrees in countries other than the U.S., U.K., Australia, or English-speaking Canada. Please see the Graduate Division website for more information on English language proficiency requirements.
Each year, the Geography Department evaluates its capacity to offer fee waivers and may grant between 0–2 waivers per application cycle.
Priority is given to international applicants, as domestic applicants who demonstrate financial need or have participated in qualifying programs may be eligible for a fee waiver through the university. More information can be found here: https://grad.berkeley.edu/admissions/apply/fee-waiver.
Applicants who are granted a departmental fee waiver but are not admitted will not be eligible for another departmental waiver in future application cycles.
If you would like to be considered for a departmental waiver, please complete the form by October 31, 2026. Notifications regarding waiver decisions will be sent on November 7, 2026.
Note: The Geography Department does not offer admission in the Spring (January) and does not admit students for a Master’s degree. If applicants are admitted without an M.A., they proceed straight to the Ph.D. program.
Please send all questions about the application process to the Graduate Student Affairs Officer.
Geography is a broad academic discipline and attracts students with a variety of professional and academic backgrounds. Students in the department have undergraduate degrees in fields as diverse as anthropology, physics, art history, and economics. Don’t worry if you’re asking yourself, “What is Geography anyway?” The field has changed a lot over the last few decades, and continues to evolve. Many students were attracted to Berkeley Geography for the flexible, interdisciplinary approach and intellectual rigor this ongoing redefinition of the field encourages. The faculty in our department are in the forefront of this transformation. To learn more about their research interests, please read the faculty profiles found on this website.
One way to understand more about a field is to look at the kinds of questions asked within it. In Geography, these include:
– What is the significance of “place” in an era of globalization?
– What are the dynamic processes of climate change?
– How can race and gender be situated geographically as well as historically?
– How can we understand the evolution and role of cities through film and literature?
– How can pollen data help us understand the origins of agriculture?
– How have human beings shaped, and been shaped by, their environments?
These and other questions are explored in classes offered within the department. The course schedule for the current academic year is on the main Geography web site, and should give you a good idea of available resources.
While many graduate students take the bulk of their courses within the department, almost everyone has taken at least one class outside it. The Berkeley campus has incredible academic resources, and our faculty and students have strong ties to other departments. Many Geography students are also involved in centers for area studies and special working groups on campus, including the Center for African Studies, the Center for Latin American Studies, the Center for South Asian Studies, and the Berkeley Food Institute, several of which are run by Geography faculty.
The department is located on the 5th floor of McCone Hall. Our famous balcony overlooking the Bay and Golden Gate Bridge provides a nice rest and study spot between classes. In addition, all graduate students are given office space in the department. We have the friendliest, most competent administrative staff on campus, so Geography students are blessedly free of bureaucratic difficulties. Every Wednesday the department gathers for the Department Colloquium, a lecture by a Berkeley or visiting scholar, preceded by tea, cookies and conversation.
If you have any graduate admission questions, please feel free to contact our staff. We also encourage you to look through the student directory and contact a student with similar interests. If you would like to meet with faculty whose research interests you, please contact them directly to ask for an appointment. All e-mail addresses are available on the Geography website.
| Year | Term | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| First Year | First Semester | Coursework, including 200A |
| First Year | Second Semester | Coursework, including 200B (for human geographers). Identify the main advisor and theme for the analytical field. |
| Second Year | First Semester | Coursework, including 200C (for human geographers). Meet w/advisors systematically. Identify the qualifying exam committee. |
| Second Year | Second Semester | Coursework. Finalize qualifying exam/ dissertation committee. Identify three fields for oral exams and prepare qualifying exam lists. Start work on the prospectus. Start work on analytic field statement (human geographers) or analytic paper (physical geographers). |
| Third Year | First Semester | Coursework, if appropriate. Continue preparing for the qualifying exam. Apply for dissertation research grants. |
| Third Year | Second Semester | Finalize analytic field statement (or analytic paper) and prospectus. Take the qualifying exam. Finalize dissertation committee Hold dissertation prospectus meeting. File application to advance to candidacy. |
| Fourth Year | First Semester | Begin dissertation research. |
| Fourth Year | Second Semester | Continue dissertation research. |
| Fifth Year | First Semester | Continue dissertation research if needed. Begin dissertation writing. |
| Fifth Semester | Second Semester | Dissertation writing. |
| Sixth Year | First Semester | Dissertation writing. |
| Sixth Year | Second Semester | Finish dissertation and file. Exit talk. |