University of California Berkeley

The University of California Berkeley is nestled in the heart of Berkeley - a city located on the East Shore of the iconic San Francisco Bay within Alameda County, California. Founded in 1868, the University of California Berkeley has contributed a number of top-notch research projects and scholars that are constantly evolving and making the world a better place. From earthquake science and deep sea diving expeditions, to lab discoveries to treat Malaria, UC Berkeley has done it all.

With over 170 diverse academic departments and high quality programs, the University of California Berkeley is consistently the number one rated public university in the state of California and the number three preferred university, worldwide. The University of California Berkeley attracts thousands of students each year - bringing together the brightest minds with limitless potential to build character, instill leadership skills, advocate and academically strive to make a sincere difference in the world around us.

They have a long and well established presence within the global community and have been shaped by a timeline dotted with quite a few remarkable events. Home to the Golden Bears, they sport the colors blue and yellow proudly; releasing thousands of the most brilliant minds out into the world each year.

The University of California Berkeley psychology program represents only a small fraction of the University's total offerings, but is truly a unique, one-of-a-kind program aimed at producing top-notch scholars and research enthusiasts that understand the full breadth of psychology and all that it entails. With over six well-defined training units, it prepares students for a life rich in independently conceived research studies.

University of California Berkeley Accreditation Details

The University of California Berkeley is accredited through the WASC - the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. The online program - UC Berkeley extension - is accredited, similarly, to the WASC, as well.

Under the University of California Berkeley Psychology umbrella, the PhD. Clinical Science program is accredited by the American Psychological Association. This association does not accredit any of the other programs in this department.

University of California Berkeley Application Requirements

There are some minimum requirements a prospective student must meet prior to completing an application for admission. Prospective students must:

• Hold a Bachelor's Degree or equivalent from another accredited college or university
• Must have a minimum grade point average of 3.0
• Have a sufficient enough level of undergraduate training as required to meet the demands of the graduate program

Students who are from another country or region where English is not the first language may be required to take an English proficiency test upon admission.
In addition to completing the online application, prospective students are asked to provide:

• Unofficial transcripts - once a student is admitted, they will be asked to provide official transcripts. Unofficial transcripts are adequate for admission review
• Letters of recommendation - 4 are desirable, but 3 are required
• Evidence of English proficiency - this can be proof of undergraduate classes or proficiency test scores

Applications are accepted on an annual basis in the fall. Applications should be completed prior to the deadline, as no late submissions are accepted and changes cannot be made once received.

The University of California Berkeley encourages students who are interested in research, primarily, to apply to the program. Applicants for the PhD. program are required to dictate which track they wish to pursue out of the six target areas. Previous experience or study in psychology is not required for admission into the graduate psychology program. There is no application for a master's degree program, as the department does not offer this. It is PhD. only.

Tuition and Financial Aid

Graduate academic tuition rates - effective 2015-2016- are a combination of student service fees, the general cost of tuition, campus fees, health insurance fees and other assorted charges. The estimated cost, per semester, is $8,678.25 for all California residents that are applying as new candidates to the University. Out of state tuition for new students is $16,229.25. For candidates who are continuing their education, the cost is $8,592.25 and $16,143.25 for residents and non-residents, respectively. All fees are subject to change during the academic year.

The University Of California Berkeley psychology department offers a number of ways to help incoming and returning students reduce costs. One such way is through a graduate student instructor position, or GSI, or through a graduate student researcher, or GSR, position. Both roles are appointed to students for the duration of one semester per academic year, and cover the cost of almost 100 percent of fees, as well as provide a monthly stipend for students to use on materials, books and other academic needs. Students that are subject to non-resident fees can go through the process to become residents of the state of California, but must secure this designation through a rather extensive process with the Residence Deputy in the Office of the Registrar.

Online Degree(s) Available

Doctoral students who are enrolled in the University of California PhD. program have the option of pursuing a master's degree in psychology on route to attaining their PhD. Candidacy for this program is determine during the fifth week of full time instruction.

In order to purse a master's degree while working towards a PhD, one must complete at least twenty semester units of graduate level courses, as well as a thesis. A total of eight of those units must be directly from psychology courses in the 200 levels. The university requires a minimum of two semesters of academic residence for students involved in this program. Academic residence is defined as a single semester in which all fees and nonresident tuition have been paid in full. It also requires that the student be enrolled in at least four units, each of which consists of both 100 and 200 level courses. Overall grade point average must be kept at a minimum of a 3.0 for continued admission and participation in the program.

In addition to this, students are required to conduct a significant research project and a thesis. The thesis must be reviewed by a minimum of three members in the department - each of which who must approve the thesis prior to submission to the graduate division for determination of completion and success.

The University of California Berkeley requires students to involve themselves in classroom work on site; therefore, they do not offer online classes for this particular program. The psychology department emphasizes the need for students to fully immerse themselves in real-world, global, hands-on experiences that will teach them all they need to know to be successful out in the field upon graduation.

The University of California Berkeley is the hallmark of psychology; delivering an excellent reputation, service and program that caters to the liking of thousands of scholars all over the world each and every year.