phd berkeley fellowships

Fellowships and Grants

Graduate division fellowships and awards.

Most commonly awarded to students in English. Please see the Graduate Division Fellowships page for a complete list and applications.

Doctoral Completion Fellowship (DCF)

The DCF replaces the DNTF for students admitted in fall 2010 and after.  Students who pass the Ph.D. oral qualifying exam and advance to candidacy for the degree by the end of their sixth semester of study automatically qualify for two semesters of the DCF. Students may claim the DCF in any year through the seventh year.  Students who accept the DCF may not receive any U.C. funding (fellowships or teaching) other loans after the seventh year. DCF Acceptance Form (PDF) .

U.C. Dissertation-Year Fellowship

Awarded to eligible graduate students whose doctoral work will be completed by the end of the program and who demonstrate strong potential for university teaching and research. Must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident whose background and life experiences enhance the level of diversity within the department or discipline. The English Department nominates one or two students to the Graduate Division. Fellows will receive a $22,000 stipend, payment of in-state fees, travel allowance and $3,000 bonus for early dissertation filing. Applications will be requested by email in mid-January and due in mid-February.

Mentored Research Award

Must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident whose background and life experiences enhance the diversity within the department or discipline. The English Department nominates one to two students, typically post-orals, who are doing early dissertation research to the Graduate Division. Fellows will receive a $20,000 stipend plus payment of in-state fees. Applications will be requested by email in late January and due in mid-February.

Diversity and Community Fellows Program

Diversity and Community Fellows, individually and collectively, will advance and implement the Diversity and Inclusion goals of the Office for Graduate Diversity and the Graduate Division. Critical components of this work will include but are not limited to, supporting an inclusive graduate community and enhancing the cultural, academic, and professional experience of historically underrepresented students (e.g., students of color, low income and first generation college students, and LGBTQ+ students, undocumented students, etc.). Fellows will work across and within academic units to create healthy communities for graduate students. Fellows will receive a stipend of $7,500 per academic year.

Conference Travel Grants

Academic masters (M.A. & M.S.) and all doctoral students may apply for funding to attend professional conferences; however, students in professional degree programs are not eligible. Grant amounts will depend on the location of the conference (up to $600 within California, $900 elsewhere in North America, including Canada and Mexico, and $1,500 outside of North America). Master’s students are eligible for only one conference travel grant per academic career. Doctoral students are eligible for two grants per academic career, regardless of how many degrees they earn.

Foreign Language and Area Studies Awards (one-year and summer awards)

Enables students who are U.S. citizens and permanent residents to acquire a high level of competence in one or more foreign languages. Fellowships are awarded to students in modern foreign language and area studies, with priority given to students in the humanities, social sciences, and professional fields. Academic year awards provide a $15,000 stipend plus fees and summer awards a $5,000 stipend . Deadline: late January

Graduate Student Parent Grant

For registered graduate student parents (single, married, or registered domestic partners) who live with dependent children and demonstrate financial need. If funding permits, awards of up to $11,000 per year ($5,500 per academic term) will be made to eligible applicants. Deadline: late June.

Tuition Support for External Fellowships

The Graduate Division strongly encourages graduate students to pursue external fellowship funding in support of their research at Berkeley and, through the Tuition Support for External Fellowships program, financially supports many students who win external fellowships. Most external fellowships include only partial payment of tuition, fees, and health insurance, and some fellowships include no such component at all. In many cases, the Graduate Division makes up the difference between the external fellowship’s tuition/fee allowance and a fellow’s actual fee charges. This difference is often substantial.

Other Berkeley Award Programs

Bancroft library study awards.

Awarded to outstanding continuing students enrolled at any University of California campus who plan to conduct advanced research on a subject for which source materials are available in the Bancroft Library. Applications are available at the Administrative Office of the Bancroft Library, (510) 642-3781, or online. Application deadline is the first Monday in February by 5 p.m .

Townsend Dissertation Fellowship

Awarded to graduate students writing Ph.D. dissertations whose research projects significantly involve humanistic material or problems that have a significant bearing on the humanities. The competition is open to graduate students who are advanced to candidacy. More information, including application materials, is available online at the page linked in the header. Application deadline: mid November.

Townsend Center Working Grants

The Townsend Center Working Groups program sponsors research in the humanities and the humanities-related social sciences. Working group awards range from $250-$750 for the academic year.

The Center for British Studies Grants

The Center for British Studies offers two grants:

• Dissertation Research Grant (March 1 deadline): This grant of $2,000 will be awarded to graduate students who have defended their dissertation prospectus to finish research in the UK and aid them in completing their dissertation.
• Graduate Travel (Pre-Dissertation) Grant (March 1 deadline): This grant is specifically intended to fund airfare expenses to Britain for UC Berkeley graduate students in their second or third year who have not yet advanced to candidacy. The winner will receive a round-trip ticket to the UK for the purpose of research, to be booked and paid for by the Center.

Graduate Assembly Grad Student Parent Grant Travel Award

The GSP Travel Award provides funding for graduate student parents or legal guardians who, out of necessity, must bring their child(ren)/minor dependent and/or a caregiver for their child(ren) to conferences outside of the San Francisco Bay Area.

The University of California President's Postdoctoral Fellowship Program

The University of California President’s Postdoctoral Fellowship Program was established in 1984 to encourage outstanding women and minority Ph.D. recipients to pursue academic careers at the University of California. The current program offers postdoctoral research fellowships, professional development and faculty mentoring to outstanding scholars in all fields whose research, teaching, and service will contribute to diversity and equal opportunity at UC.

Berkeley Chancellorʹs Postdoctoral Fellowship Program

The Berkeley Chancellor's Postdoctoral Fellowship Program offers postdoctoral research fellowships, faculty mentoring, and eligibility for a hiring incentive to outstanding scholars in all fields whose research, teaching, and service will contribute to diversity and equal opportunity at the University of California.

American Council of Learned Societies

ACLS is one of the leading private institutions supporting scholars in the humanities and related social sciences at the doctoral and postdoctoral levels. See their page of upcoming deadlines for fellowships and grants.

Extramural Fellowships

Ford foundation fellowships.

Through its program of Fellowships, the Ford Foundation seeks to increase the diversity of the nation’s college and university faculties by increasing their ethnic and racial diversity, to maximize the educational benefits of diversity, and to increase the number of professors who can and will use diversity as a resource for enriching the education of all students.

• Dissertation Fellowships : Dissertation fellowships provide one year of support for individuals working to complete a dissertation leading to a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) or Doctor of Science (Sc.D.) degree. The Ford Foundation Dissertation Fellowship is intended >to support the final year of writing and defense of the dissertation. Provides a $28,000 stipend.
• Postdoctoral Fellowships : These fellowships provide one year of support for individuals engaged in postdoctoral study after the attainment of the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) or Doctor of Science (Sc.D.) degree. Provides a $50,000 stipend.

Mellon International Dissertation Research Fellowship (IDRF)

The program invites proposals for dissertation research conducted, in whole or in part, outside the United States, on non-US topics. It will consider applications for dissertation research grounded in a single site, informed by broader cross-regional and interdisciplinary perspectives, as well as applications for multi-sited, comparative, and transregional research. Fellowship amounts vary depending on the research plan, with a per-fellowship average of $23,000.

Charlotte Newcombe Doctoral Dissertation Fellowships

For 12 months of full-time dissertation research and writing on ethical or religious values.

Mabelle McLeod Lewis Fellowships

Provides grants to advanced doctoral candidates in the humanities for completion of a scholarly dissertation project on which significant progress has already been made. Due date is in mid-January of each year.

Dolores Zohrab Liebmann Fellowship

Liebmann Fellowships are awarded “to attract and support students with outstanding character and ability who hold promise for achievement and distinction in their chosen fields of study.” Candidates must be U.S. citizens with outstanding undergraduate records and demonstrated need for financial assistance. Eligible students include not only those in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences, but also those in professional programs like law, medicine, engineering, and architecture. Fellowships provide fees and a living stipend, and are renewable for up to three years of total support. The sponsor does not have a website, but search or scroll down the Graduate Division Fellowships page for more information, including how to apply.

American Association of University Women (AAUW) Fellowships

Dissertation and career development grants for women in graduate programs who have achieved distinction or show the promise of distinction in their fields. Deadlines vary; applications can be requested online.

Gaius Charles Bolin Dissertation Fellowships

The Bolin Fellowships enable graduate students from underrepresented groups to devote the bulk of their time during the academic year to the completion of dissertation work in residence at Williams College .

Huntington Library Fellowships

The Huntington Library awards over 150 research fellowships annually. Recipients of all fellowships are expected to be in continuous residence at The Huntington and to participate in, and make a contribution to its intellectual life.

The William L. Clements Library Research Fellowships

The William L. Clements Library at the University of Michigan offers both short-term and long-term fellowships, as well as a new digital fellowship to support the digitization of one of our collections. Applications are typically due mid-January for research to be undertaken the following academic year.

Winterthur Dissertation Fellowships

Doctoral candidates conducting research or writing a dissertation receive four- to nine-month fellowships. Stipend: up to $7,000 per semester. The deadline for all research fellowship applications is January 15.

Institute for Humane Studies at George Mason University

Awards of up to $15,000 to graduate students and outstanding undergraduates embarking on liberty-advancing careers in ideas.

Paul and Daidy Soros Fellowship for New Americans

$25,000 stipend that supports new Americans, immigrants, or the children of immigrants, who are pursuing graduate school in the United States.

Mellon/ACLS Dissertation Completion Fellowships

$35,000 fellowship to support advanced graduate students in the humanities and related social sciences in the last year of Ph.D. dissertation writing.

The Woodrow Wilson Dissertation Fellowship in Women's Studies

The Woodrow Wilson Women’s Studies Fellowships support the final year of dissertation writing for Ph.D. candidates in the humanities and social sciences whose work addresses topics of women and gender in an interdisciplinary and original way. Fellows will receive $5,000 to be used for expenses connected with completing their dissertations, such as research-related travel, data work/collection, and supplies.

The Jim Fahey Safe Homes for Women Fellowship

The Jim Fahey Safe Homes Fund for Women endowment was established in 2007 to provide scholarships for graduate students at UC Berkeley with demonstrated financial need and a strong aptitude in relevant subjects as well as a deep commitment to combating domestic violence against women. Preference is given to students who are close to graduation.

Eudora Welty Fellowship

This competitive fellowship of $5,000 from the Mississippi Department of Archives and History will be offered for summer research conducted using the Eudora Welty Collection.

The Stephanie G. Hoffman Scholarship

Major in library science, literature, or a related field. One or more scholarships of $1,000 - $5,000 are expected to be given annually. Provided eligibility requirements are met, past recipients may reapply.

• UC Berkeley
• Sign Up to Volunteer
• I School Slack
• Alumni News
• Alumni Events
• Alumni Accounts
• Career Support
• Academic Mission
• Diversity & Inclusion Resources
• DEIBJ Leadership
• Featured Faculty
• Featured Alumni
• Work at the I School
• Subscribe to Email Announcements
• Logos & Style Guide
• Directions & Parking

The School of Information is UC Berkeley’s newest professional school. Located in the center of campus, the I School is a graduate research and education community committed to expanding access to information and to improving its usability, reliability, and credibility while preserving security and privacy.

• Career Outcomes
• Degree Requirements
• Paths Through the MIMS Degree
• Final Project
• Funding Your Education
• Admissions Events
• Request Information
• Capstone Project
• Jack Larson Data for Good Fellowship
• Tuition & Fees
• Women in MIDS
• MIDS Curriculum News
• MICS Student News
• Dissertations
• Applied Data Science Certificate
• ICTD Certificate
• Citizen Clinic

The School of Information offers four degrees:

The Master of Information Management and Systems (MIMS) program educates information professionals to provide leadership for an information-driven world.

The Master of Information and Data Science (MIDS) is an online degree preparing data science professionals to solve real-world problems. The 5th Year MIDS program is a streamlined path to a MIDS degree for Cal undergraduates.

The Master of Information and Cybersecurity (MICS) is an online degree preparing cybersecurity leaders for complex cybersecurity challenges.

Our Ph.D. in Information Science is a research program for next-generation scholars of the information age.

• Fall 2024 Course Schedule
• Summer 2024 Course Schedule

The School of Information's courses bridge the disciplines of information and computer science, design, social sciences, management, law, and policy. We welcome interest in our graduate-level Information classes from current UC Berkeley graduate and undergraduate students and community members.  More information about signing up for classes.

• Ladder & Adjunct Faculty
• MIMS Students
• MIDS Students
• 5th Year MIDS Students
• MICS Students
• Ph.D. Students

• Publications
• Centers & Labs
• Computer-mediated Communication
• Data Science
• Entrepreneurship
• Human-computer Interaction (HCI)
• Information Economics
• Information Organization
• Information Policy
• Information Retrieval & Search
• Information Visualization
• Social & Cultural Studies
• Technology for Developing Regions
• User Experience Research

Research by faculty members and doctoral students keeps the I School on the vanguard of contemporary information needs and solutions.

The I School is also home to several active centers and labs, including the Center for Long-Term Cybersecurity (CLTC) , the Center for Technology, Society & Policy , and the BioSENSE Lab .

• Why Hire I School?
• Request a Resume Book
• For Nonprofit and Government Employers
• Leadership Development Program
• Mailing List
• Jobscan & Applicant Tracking Systems
• Resume & LinkedIn Review

I School graduate students and alumni have expertise in data science, user experience design & research, product management, engineering, information policy, cybersecurity, and more — learn more about hiring I School students and alumni .

• Press Coverage
• I School Voices

• Distinguished Lecture Series
• I School Lectures
• Information Access Seminars
• CLTC Events
• Women in MIDS Events

Funding Your Ph.D. Education

At the I School, all our Ph.D. students receive funding packages with a minimum of six years of financial support through a combination of fellowships, research positions, and academic student employment. Details of individual funding packages may vary; in order to take full advantage of offered funding, students need to remain in good academic standing and advance to doctoral candidacy in normative time to degree, and may need to meet other funding conditions of specific fellowships or positions.

In the first year, I School Ph.D. students receive fellowship support to cover all tuition and fees, including Non-Resident Supplemental Tuition and the Student Health Insurance Fee, and a stipend for living expenses. For the academic year 2023–2024, the minimum first-year I School Ph.D. student 12-month stipend is $40,000.

After the first year, Ph.D. students are typically funded through graduate student academic appointments or research positions for up to four years (eight semesters). In addition to an hourly wage, students receive fee remission that offsets a portion or all of their tuition and fees. For more information, see Graduate Student Academic Appointments and Fee Remission .

Some students continue their research positions during the summer. The I School also offers limited summer grant opportunities for Ph.D. students who have no other summer funding sources secured.

After Ph.D. students pass their qualifying exam and advance to doctoral candidacy, the Berkeley Doctoral Completion Fellowship (DCF) provides eligible students with one year (two semesters) of tuition remission and a stipend for living expenses. Students are expected to make every effort to meet DCF eligibility conditions in order to take advantage of this funding opportunity.

The University also awards through competition a limited number of merit- and need-based fellowships each year. See University Fellowships for further details.

Tuition and fees listed reflect currently approved amounts; these figures may not be final. Actual tuition, fees, and charges are subject to change. Students should expect fees to increase moderately each fall term.

* Students may opt out of the UCGPC fee .

** Students have the option to waive the Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) if they have other major medical health insurance that meet the SHIP waiver criteria and don't wish to have dual coverage. For waiver qualifications, instructions, forms, and FAQs, please see Waiving SHIP .

*** The Document Management Fee is a one-time fee charged in the first term of enrollment.

For additional information on the cost of attendance, please visit: Financial Aid and Scholarships Office Cost of Attendance .

California residents, for purposes of registration, are those who have been legal residents of California for at least one year immediately before the opening day of the semester for which they register. Legal residence is a combination of physical presence and the intention of making the state one’s permanent home, coupled with the relinquishment of legal residence in any other state.

Eligible Ph.D. students are expected to establish California residency for tuition purposes by their second year of the program.

International students with F-1 visas cannot be classified as California residents for tuition purposes.

More Information:

• Residency (for Tuition Purposes)
• How to Apply for Residency (for Tuition Purposes)
• Residency Requirements: Graduate Students
• Immigration
• Exceptions & Exemptions

Financial Aid

Graduate students may apply for need-based loans and work-study through the Financial Aid Office. The programs are based on demonstrated financial need and require a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Only U.S. citizens and eligible non-citizens (those holding permanent resident cards) may apply for funds administered by the Financial Aid Office. Financial aid can include work-study, loans, the Native American Opportunity Plan , and other sources of financial aid.

• More information

If you are employed by a U.S. federal, state, local, or tribal government or not-for-profit organization, you may be eligible for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. Learn more  here .

Additional Fellowships

In addition to the first-year fellowship and academic student employment, Ph.D. students may supplement their funding by applying for additional internal and external fellowships. Some university restrictions on combining funding opportunities apply; students are encouraged to consult our admissions staff with questions about specific conjunctions of funding.

Fellowships for I School Students

All admitted Ph.D. applicants will automatically be considered for the Hal Varian endowment .

The I School awards a variety of fellowships to I School students.

List of I School fellowship opportunities

External Fellowships

Students are encouraged to apply for external fellowship opportunities as relevant. Below are several examples of external fellowships that our I School Ph.D. students have successfully obtained:

• Facebook Fellowship
• Fulbright Study/Research Award
• Hertz Fellowship
• Marcus Foster Fellowship
• NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program
• Peter Lyman Fellowship for New Media
• Soros Fellowships for New Americans
• UC Berkeley Mentored Research Award

Our Ph.D. students have also received grants from the following organizations and centers:

• Graduate Fellowships

In this Page

For canadians.

The fellowships listed below are for U.S. citizens and permanent residents unless otherwise noted. In addition, the Graduate Division also maintains its own  fellowship website.

Apple scholarships and fellowships for Berkeley EECS students:

• Apple PhD Fellowship in Integrated Systems
• Apple Masters Scholarship in Integrated Systems

National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program

GRF Operations Center Suite 600 1818 N Street NW Washington, DC 20036

Eligible Degree Programs: M.S. and Ph.D.  

Fastlane Application Phone:   866-673-4737   E-mail:   [email protected]   Homepage:   https://www.fastlane.nsf.gov/grfp

National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate (NDSEG) Fellowships

American Society for Engineering Education   1818 N Street NW, Suite 600   Washington, DC 20036  

Eligible Degree Programs: all graduate engineering programs  

Phone:   (202) 331-3516   Fax:   (202) 265-8504   E-mail:   [email protected]   Homepage:   http://www.asee.org/ndseg   ASEE Graduate Fellowships:   http://www.asee.org/fellowship-programs/graduate

Semiconductor Research Corporation (SRC) Fellowship

Semiconductor Research Corporation   Graduate Fellowship Program   P.O. Box 12053   Research Triangle Park, NC 27709-2053  

Eligible Degree Program: M.S. and Ph.D.  

Phone:   (919) 941-9400   E-mail:   [email protected]   Homepage:   http://www.src.org/student-center/fellowship

Department of Energy Computational Science Graduate Fellowships

DOE CSGF Program Coordinator   1609 Golden Aspen Drive, Suite 101   Ames, IA 50010  

Eligible Degree Program: PhD. only  

Phone:   (515) 956-3696   E-mail:   [email protected]   Fax:   (515) 956-3699   Homepage:   http://www.krellinst.org/csgf/

Fannie and John Hertz Foundation Fellowships

2456 Research Drive   Livermore CA 94550-3850  

Phone:   (925) 373-1642 (8am-3pm Pacific Standard Time)   E-mail:   [email protected]   Fax:   (925) 373-6329   Homepage:   http://www.hertzfoundation.org/

The Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans

400 West 59th Street, 4th Floor   New York, NY 10019  

Phone:   212-547-6926   E-mail:   [email protected]   Homepage:   http://www.pdsoros.org

Symantec Graduate Fellowship Program

The application is online only. The focus of the program is on information security, availability, and integrity. It is open to international students.  

E-mail:   [email protected]  

Homepage:   https://www.symantec.com/about/careers/graduate-fellowship

Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) Postgraduate Scholarships (PGS D or M)

Scholarships and Fellowships Division   350 Albert St.   Ottawa ON CANADA K1A 1H5

Eligible Degree Programs: Master’s or Ph.D.  

Phone:   (613) 995-4273   E-mail:   [email protected]   Homepage:   http://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/Students-Etudiants/PG-CS/BellandPostgrad-BelletSuperieures_eng.asp

• Approved CS Graduate and Special Topics Courses
• Technical Electives for the Computer Science Major
• Course-Numbering Convention
• Robotics Projects for EE 106/206B
• EECS Courses Through The Lens of EECS 16AB
• Industry-Oriented Graduate Programs
• Research-Oriented Graduate Programs
• Graduate Admissions Frequently Asked Questions
• Adding the EECS/CS M.S. From Another Department
• Recommended Coursework for Applying to the Graduate Degree Programs
• EECS Bachelor of Science
• Computer Science Bachelor of Arts
• EECS/CS Program Comparison Chart
• Can You See Yourself Doing Research This Summer?
• Prospective Student Visitors
• Second Bachelor’s Degree Candidates
• Prospective Women Students

Graduate Fellowships

Below, you can find a list of popular fellowships currently accepting applications from graduate students in mathematics and closely related areas.  The list will be updated as these fellowships stop accepting applications and other funding opportunities become available.

Note:  deadlines and even eligibility requirements may change without notice. Please go to the fellowships' websites (linked below) for current deadlines and other pertinent information.

Additional Fellowship Info and Resources

• The Graduate Division at UC Berkeley maintains a  list of fellowships and awards  coordinated by those with existing ties to the campus. Students looking for fellowships should explore their  fellowships databases resource .
• Graduate & Postdoctoral Educational Support (GRAPES)  is a database organized by UCLA and contains information on over 625 awards for graduate study, dissertation research, study and research abroad, postdoctoral research and more.
• The University of Southern California  also maintains an extensive list of fellowship and award opportunities.

Molecular and Cell Biology

Fellowships

MCB students are competitive for a variety of extramural fellowships through federal or private agencies as well as University fellowships. Many students are awarded with National Science Foundation (NSF) fellowships, Berkeley Fellowships, and fellowships from other agencies such as the DOD, DOE, and American Heart Associatiation.

Students are encouraged to seek out fellowships in support of their graduate research. The Graduate Division maintain a list of current fellowship opportunities and general advice in their Fellowship Guide available here . Please find a list of the most common fellowships our students apply for below:

Other good resources for fellowships to check are the campus' Sponsored Projects Office (SPO) http://www.spo.berkeley.edu/  and Science Magazine's GrantsNet http://www.grantsnet.org .

Fellowships & Awards

Click here for Fellowships by Field . 

Campus Fellowships

Conference Travel Grant

The History Department does not offer funding for conference travel, however students seeking this financial support are encouraged to consider the conference travel grant that is offered by the campus. The eligibility requirements and the application link can be viewed on  the university webpage.  Once the campus travel grant has been expended, additional conference travel support may be provided at the discretion of a sponsoring faculty advisor. 

Fellowships Administered by Graduate Division

Global International and Area Studies

Each constituent unit in GIAS oversees its own fellowship and grant opportunities.  Includes Center for African Studies, Center for Latin American Studies, Center for Middle Eastern Studies, Institute of European Studies, Institute of International Studies, Institute of Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies, Institute for South Asia Studies, Canadian Studies Program, and Institute for East Asian Studies.

Graduate Fellowships in International Studies

Currently includes Pre-dissertation research grant in international studies as well as the Simpson research grant in international studies for ABDs More details regarding eligibility and how to apply can be found on the IIS website.  The application deadline for both grants is in March.

Bancroft Library Fellowships & Awards  (includes the  Gunther Barth Fellowship , which supports undergraduate or graduate students researching the 19th-century history of the North American West, among others.)

External Fellowships

UCSB Department of History List

ASEEES Dissertation Research Grant Program

Thanks to the generosity of donors and members, the Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies is offering research grants with a stipend of maximum $6,000, for the purposes of conducting doctoral dissertation research in Eastern Europe and Eurasia in any aspect of Slavic, East European, and Eurasian studies in any discipline.

Blakemore Fellowships

The Blakemore Foundation was founded in 1990 by Tom and Frances Blakemore for the purpose of providing fellowships for the advanced study of Asian languages and grants to facilitate the introduction of Asian art to communities in the United States.

CAORC Multi-Country Research Fellowships

The Multi-Country Research Fellowship enables US scholars to carry out trans-regional and comparative research in countries across the network of Overseas Research Centers as well as other countries. 

The fellowship supports advanced research in the humanities, social sciences, and allied natural sciences for US doctoral candidates, who are ‘all but dissertation,’ and scholars who have earned their PhD or a terminal degree. Preference will be given to candidates examining comparative and/or cross-regional research. Applicants are eligible to apply as individuals or as teams. Twelve awards of $12,600 each will be granted.

Cohen-Tucker Dissertation Fellowships

The Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies invites applications for the Stephen F. Cohen- Robert C. Tucker Dissertation Fellowship Program in Russian Historical Studies, funded by the KAT Charitable Foundation. The application deadline is in January. 

Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation Dissertation Fellowship

Each year IGCC provides funding for graduate students from all ten UC campuses, including one specially designated Herb York IGCC Fellowship. IGCC seeks to support dissertations around research topics that closely track current global security priorities. The proposed dissertation research must have one of the following themes as an integral part of the project: Food Security, Human Security, Global Health, Nontraditional and Emerging Threats; Terrorism and Political Violence; Cybersecurity; Regional and Major Power Relations; Energy and Environmental Security; Global Environmental and Health Cooperation; Nuclear Nonproliferation; Defense and Military Issues; Geo-economics and the Political Economy of Security.

Fellowships consist of a nine-month stipend of $25,000 to defray living expenses. It is not intended for UC student fees, tuition or health insurance. Doctoral students enrolled in the University of California, including JD/Ph.D., MD/Ph.D., and MD with thesis, are eligible to apply.

Kibbey Fellowship

The Mead B. Kibbey California State Library Fellowship, established in honor of Mead B. Kibbey, supports projects at the California State Library by currently enrolled college and university students, regardless of academic degree sought, as well as members of Faculty. 

Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation

Are you ready to embark on a leadership development journey rooted in Brave Spaces? To apply to the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Scholarship, you must meet the following eligibility criteria:

1) You must be already accepted into or in year one, two, or three of a full-time doctoral program in the humanities or social sciences (broadly defined; please see the FAQ for more details on this)

2) Your doctoral work must relate to at least one of the Foundation’s Four Themes: Human Rights and Dignity, Responsible Citizenship, Canada and the World, People and their Natural Environment

3) Be a Canadian citizen studying at a Canadian or foreign institution, or a non-Canadian (permanent resident or foreign national) enrolled in a doctoral program at a Canadian institution.

Summer Fellowships

Human Rights Center Fellowships

The Human Rights Center Fellowship provides $6,000 awards and professional support to UC Berkeley undergraduate, graduate, or graduating students to conduct social justice-related projects with an international or domestic partner organization over the summer and participate in the year-long fellowship. Additional aid may be available for students with exceptional need. Since 1994, we’ve enabled more than 364 fellows to work with human rights defenders in 80 countries. Applications are due February.

Tinker Field Research Grants

Tinker Field Research Grants are available to graduate students for travel and field-related expenses for brief periods of pre-dissertation field research in Latin America, defined here as the Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking countries of the region. Awards are open to students across all academic disciplines and graduate degree programs.

Postdoctoral Fellowships

Chancellor's Postdoctoral Fellowship

The Berkeley Chancellorʹs Postdoctoral Fellowship Program offers postdoctoral research fellowships and faculty mentoring to outstanding scholars in all fields whose research, teaching, and service will contribute to diversity and equal opportunity at the University of California. The contributions to diversity may include public service towards increasing equitable access in fields where women and minorities are underrepresented. In some fields, the contributions may include research focusing on underserved populations or understanding inequalities related to race, gender, disability or LGBT issues. The program is seeking applicants with the potential to bring to their academic and research careers the perspective that comes from their non‐traditional educational background or understanding of the experiences of members of groups historically underrepresented in higher education.

Fulbright Post-Doctoral Fellowships in Israel

Fulbright Israel plans to award up to eight fellowships to U.S. postdoctoral scholars who seek to pursue research in one of Israel’s academic institutions. Grants are open to researchers in all academic disciplines and support programs of research in Israel for up to 20 months (two academic years).

The program grants a $95,000 scholarship ($47,500 per academic year). The Fellowship Program is open to candidates in all academic disciplines.

Govern for America Fellowship

The GFA Fellowship is a two-year paid opportunity for recent graduates to serve in high-impact roles in governments across the country as a part of a diverse community of engaged leaders.

Hou Family Fellowships in Taiwan Studies

The Hou Family Fellowships in Taiwan Studies sponsors one postdoctoral fellow and one predoctoral fellow to join the Fairbank Center to pursue Taiwan-related research for six to twelve months. Affiliation for the full academic year is encouraged. Fellows are expected to reside in the Greater Boston area for the duration of the fellowship.

Postdoctoral Fellowships in the Social Sciences

This page provides information on some fellowships for postdoctoral researchers in the social sciences.  Deadlines refer to sponsor receipt deadlines. In most cases a portion of the application must be completed by the faculty sponsor, and the entire application must then be processed first by the administering unit and then by SPO. Please allow time for these activities.  Agencies may change their programs, requirements, deadlines, location, and other information at any time. Please verify information from agency websites.

President’s Postdoctoral Fellowship

The University of California President’s Postdoctoral Fellowship Program was established in 1984 to encourage outstanding women and minority Ph.D. recipients to pursue academic careers at the University of California. The current program offers postdoctoral research fellowships, professional development and faculty mentoring to outstanding scholars in all fields whose research, teaching, and service will contribute to diversity and equal opportunity at UC.

Princeton Society of Fellows Fellowship 

The Princeton Society of Fellows, an interdisciplinary group of scholars in the humanities and humanities-related social sciences, calls for fellowship applications annually. Three to five postdoctoral fellows are appointed each year for three-year terms in residence to pursue research and teach half-time in their academic host department, the Program in Humanistic Studies, or other university programs. The fellowships carry with them an appointment as lecturer in a fellow's academic host department. Fellows receive a competitive salary and benefits, a $5,000 research account, access to university grants, a shared office, a computer and other resources. Fellows are expected to reside in or near Princeton during the academic year in order to attend weekly seminars and participate fully in the intellectual life of the Society.

Postdoctoral Fellowship in Technology and International Security

The University of California announces a new collaborative initiative between the systemwide Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation (IGCC) and the UC-managed National Laboratories: the Center for Global Security Research at the Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and the National Security and International Studies Office at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL).

As a part of the joint-initiative, the institutions invite applications for up to six (6) one-year postdoctoral fellowship positions in Technology and International Security.

Jump to navigation

• Alumni and Friends
• For Postdocs
• For the Department
• For the Faculty
• Parking Permits
• Room Reservations
• Equipment Check-Out
• Graduate Students
• Research Staff
• Department Staff
• Research Focus
• Research Services
• Graduate Group in Microbiology
• Cooperative Extension
• Undergraduate Majors
• Graduate Programs
• Student Services & Advising
• Department Resources
• Graduate Division

Funding and Fellowships

• Student Life
• Equity in Action
• Campus Resources
• CLEAR: Science Communications
• Resources for the Scientific Community
• Endowed Lectures

Search form

Graduate Student Funding

Full funding.

The Department provides support for graduate students for five years, paying fees and a yearly stipend ($49,701 for 2024-2025). Out-of-state tuition is paid for the first year only; students are expected to become California residents after the first year. During the second year, the Department supports students as Graduate Student Researchers (who carry out specific projects in faculty laboratories) or as Graduate Student Instructors. Faculty thesis research advisors provide financial support (stipend and fees) for the final three years.

International students who hold neither dual citizenship in the United States nor Permanent Resident status cannot become residents of California. Accordingly, the students' research advisors must pay out-of-state tuition for the third through the final year.

Receiving Pay

All incoming graduate students are guaranteed 5 years of full support as long as students make satisfactory academic progress. Compensation matters are coordinated through the Graduate Student Affairs Office in conjunction with the BRS Human Resources. You will be paid either via payroll, student awards and fellowship or a combination of both. Consult with the Graduate Student Affairs Office in regards to how you are specifically paid. You must be enrolled in 12 units before your payroll or student award/fellowship can be processed.

Graduate Student Researcher (GSR)

GSRs perform research broadly related to their degree programs under the direction of a faculty member or authorized Principal Investigator. Research project(s) constitutes the dissertation work done by the student to obtain a Ph.D. degree. The wages for a GSR generally comes from contract or grant funds; hence, it is necessary that a student supported as a GSR pick a research topic that carries such funds. For PMB & GGM students, GSR appointments are the common means of support for graduate students for those terms in which they do not hold a GSI appointment. It is also often the GSR that supplements income for fellowships or appointments.

Teaching Assistant (formerly Graduate Student Instructor)

The general duties of a teaching assistant (TA) are to aid in the instruction, conduct, and grading of a course. Normally this will involve attending the lectures for the course, setting aside 2 or 3 hours per week for consultation with students in the course, leading discussions sections or lab instruction, and assisting in the development and grading of homework problems and quizzes. The department regards experience as a TA to be highly valuable to a student whether or not a teaching career is chosen. Because of this, we require that all Ph.D. candidates serve as a TA for a total of 2 semesters during their graduate studies (usually in their 2nd and 3rd years).

Reader Positions

Reader positions are often available each semester. As a reader you will assist Faculty instructors in course correcting exams, grading homework, and other non-teaching tasks. Current rates are on the Human Resources website ( https://hr.berkeley.edu/labor/contracts/BX/current-rates ). Positions will be advertised via email at the beginning of each semester. Earnings from Reader positions are in addition to your annual salary rate. 

GSR, TA, Reader wages are disbursed through the payroll system. If appointed as a GSR, TA, or Reader, you will be paid on the first of the following month. For example, your paycheck for August will be available on September 1 (or the last workday before September 1). On occasion, the payroll system can have problems. Therefore, be sure to respond promptly to any requests from the Grad Office, Payroll, or HR and promptly report any paycheck you perceive to be late or wrong. Sign up for Direct Deposit by logging onto UCPath.

Student Awards

Many student awards are disbursed through the Campus Award System in CalCentral. This system includes payments for University fellowships, block grants, special stipends, travel awards, and outside awards and fellowships. Pay dates can be sporadic but you will notice a pattern once payments begin.

To view your awards, log-in to CalCentral, then My Finances, and View Awards.  Any active awards and disbursement dates will appear under Gift Aid. 

Important: Unless you are an international student, taxes are not withheld from these payments even though the federal government expects you to pay taxes on this income. You will not receive a W-2 form for this compensation as these awards are not wages. You must keep track of your compensation. Instead, you will access the IRS Form 1098-T available via your CalCentral account.

Sign up for Direct Deposit here (this is different than direct deposit for payroll): Direct Deposit

Your total value funding package for the 2024-2025 Academic Year is $49,701.  Unless you have a fellowship that pays in lump sums or on a different disbursement schedule students should expect to be receiving about $3933 per month starting in August (paid September 1). This may increase to a higher monthly amount depending on the assigned rate by UC. A funding summary letter sent to you will include details of funding sources and how this annual rate is met.

Fellowship Supplementation for External, Competitive Fellowships

A student who applies for and is awarded a self-initiated external, competitive fellowship has the potential to receive income greater than the standard PMB stipend. Opportunities for grants and fellowships will be communicated to you throughout the year and are found on the PMB and Graduate Division websites.

PMB: https://plantandmicrobiology.berkeley.edu/graduate-programs/funding-fellowships Graduate Division: http://grad.berkeley.edu/financial/deadlines.shtml

The supplementation policy is subject to change and the department must comply with the terms and conditions set by UC and/or the fellowship granting agency before being able to determine any supplement. It is the student's responsibility to budget accordingly if income fluctuates between semesters.

Training Grants

Students who receive a training stipend through a UC Berkeley departmental training grant will have the income count towards the annual stipend limit for the academic year. If the grant is below the standard PMB stipend level, the department or PI will supplement the grant to bring it up to the PMB stipend level and will pay registration or health insurance fees not covered by the grant. 

Important: Some funding combinations might earn higher income during a given semester. It is the student’s responsibility to budget for changes in income during the year. For instance, you might be a TA + receiving training grants in a fall semester. This will inevitably provide you with higher monthly payments during that term. But when the TA is done, and you only receive training grant income in the following semesters, you must have saved extra income earned in fall to ensure you have enough carryover funds for spring and summer.

Frequently Asked Questions

When will I get paid?

• GSR/TA and eligible Fellowships/Training Grant appointments are paid via UCPath and typically disburse after the previous month (ie. August pays out in early September). It is best to check UCPath for the actual pay dates since they do vary depending on the calendar month, holidays, and if the pay period ends on a weekend. You can log-in here to UCPath.
• Fellowships/Awards and other stipends that are not wages are paid via CalCentral. Go to My Finances, View Awards, then Gift Aid. It will show the amount you will be paid for the term. These are often set up to disburse at the beginning of the month, but do also vary depending on the award source and fund availability. 

Where does my payment come from?

• GSRs for 2nd years and beyond are funded by your faculty advisor. TA wages are paid by PMB. Both payout via UCPath. Fellowships/stipend awards are funded by varying sources. You may receive a combination of funding from both GSRs/TA and stipend awards as a way to ensure you receive the minimum payment amount set by PMB. (ie. Chancellor's Fellowship in CalCentral + GSR in UCPath). It's important to have direct deposit set up in both systems. 

I'm getting emails about overdue tuition/fees - do I need to worry?

• No, GSRs/TA and certain fellowships take a while to get processed by HR, but the fees will get paid. The department is responsible for covering all your tuition/fees unless you are told otherwise. No one will be cancelled for non-payment , so while the emails from the Registrar seem daunting - you will not lose access or be dropped from the semester. 

The paycheck I received is lower than the amount on the sheet, why? Are my paychecks getting taxed?    

•  Any payments from UCPath are considered wages and will be taxed before your paycheck is issued. Payments from CalCentral are not taxed (unless you are an international student) and should be planned for accordingly. The PMB total value funding package of $49,701 is calculated based on pre-tax income. Resources for tax support and information can be found here: Grad Assembly Tax Support

Graduate Fellowships

Although we guarantee support, students are encouraged to apply for all applicable fellowships to defray fees and stipends. Students automatically compete for UC Berkeley-sponsored fellowships (University Fellowship Competition) when submitting the university application. The National Science Foundation's Graduate Fellowship Program and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Predoctoral Fellowship Program in the Biological Sciences have served as the main sources of extramural support for graduate students in the past.

For an estimated budget of student costs please visit the university Financial Aid office at students.berkeley.edu/finaid.

• UC Berkeley Fellowships and Awards :  On-campus awards, departmental nomination required.
• UCLA Fellowship Database :  An excellent source for fellowship searches.
• Center for Emerging & Neglected Diseases (CEND) Fellowships :  Fellowships provided through CEND support several levels of trainees, including undergraduates, doctoral degree candidates, and postdoctoral fellows, in their pursuit of research related to emerging and neglected infectious diseases.
• UC Berkeley Financial Aid Office

Other excellent extramural fellowship sources:

• Fellows Initiative Natural Sciences (FINS)
• NSF-Graduate Research fellowship program
• EPA-STAR Fellowships
• Ruth Kirschstein NRSA Pre-doctoral Fellowship
• USDA NIFA AFRI Pre-doctoral Fellowship
• NASA Harriett Jenkins Fellowship
• Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grants (DDIG)
• Ford Foundation Fellowship Programs
• California Science and Technology Policy Fellowships
• National Defense Science & Engineering Graduate Fellowship (NDSEG)
• DOE Office of Science Graduate Student Research (SCGSR) Program
• DOE Computational Science Graduate Fellowhip
• STEM Excellence through Equity and Diversity (SEED) Scholars
• Bridges to Baccalaureate
• Biology Scholars Program
• Firebaugh Scholars
• Miller Scholars Program 
• Haas Scholars Program 
• SURF L&S
• SURF Rose Hills Independent 
• Bergeron Women in STEM Program 
• NSF LSAMP Pre-PhD Research Program
• URAP Summer Fellows 
• Underrepresented Researchers of Color (UROC)

Graduate Student Fellowships and Grants

Return to previous page

This list is curated by the Dean’s office to include numerous grants, fellowships, and awards relevant to graduate students in the arts and humanities. We are always adding to it, but it is not comprehensive. We recommend students check regularly with their departments about opportunities and to sign up for departmental newsletters and listservs. You can also visit the Graduate Division's page for Fellowships and Awards . 

American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS)                       

The ACLS is one of the leading private institutions supporting scholars in the humanities and related social sciences at the doctoral and postdoctoral levels.  

American Association of University Women (AAUW) Fellowships Dissertation and career development grants for women who have achieved distinction or show the promise of distinction in their fields. 

BAEF Fellowships

The BAEF awards up to eleven fellowships annually to American graduate students or post-doctoral researchers to study at a Belgian university. 

Bancroft Library Study Awards  Awarded to outstanding continuing students enrolled at any University of California campus who plan to conduct advanced research on a subject for which source materials are available in the Bancroft Library. 

The Berkeley Chancellor's Postdoctoral Fellowship Program

The Berkeley Chancellor's Postdoctoral Fellowship Program offers postdoctoral research fellowships, faculty mentoring, and eligibility for a hiring incentive to outstanding scholars in all fields whose research, teaching, and service will contribute to diversity and equal opportunity at the University of California. The Berkeley Chancellor's Postdoctoral Fellowship awardees are selected from the pool of applicants for the University of California President's Postdoctoral Fellowship Program

Berlin Program for Advanced German and European Studies

Provides up to one year of research support to scholars in humanities and social science disciplines to study at the Freie Universität Berlin. The program offers three different fellowships to scholars from North America and two to scholars from China and Africa. 

The Carol Lee Price Fellowship

Supports non-resident supplemental tuition (NRST) for Ph.D. students who are neither US nor Canadian citizens. 

Center for British Studies Graduate Travel (Pre-Dissertation) Grant Funds a roundtrip ticket to the UK for the purpose of research, to be booked and paid by the center, for second or third year graduate students who have not yet advanced to candidacy. 

Center for British Studies Dissertation Research Grant

$2,000 awards to graduate students who have defended their dissertation prospectus to finish research in the UK and aid them in completing their dissertation.

Charles W. Wendell Research Grant

Annual grants honoring the memory of Dr. Charles W. Wendell covering a period of one week up to six months, part of which may be devoted to residency at the New Netherland Research Center in Albany, New York, and provides a stipend of $1,000 – $ 5,000, depending upon the scope of the project. 

The Charlotte W. Newcombe Doctoral Dissertation Fellowships For 12 months of full-time dissertation research and writing on ethical or religious values. Undocumented students eligible to apply with or without work authorization.

The Subir Chowdhury Fellowship on Quality of Life in Bangladesh and The Malini Chowdhury Fellowship on Bangladesh Studies Two fellowships in the amount of $7500 for students whose program of training and research significantly involves the study of contemporary Bangladesh, or historical work in the regions of India and Pakistan that would later become Bangladesh and/or students who do comparative or transnational work in which Bangladesh and its region form a central component. Undocumented students eligible to apply. No work authorization required. Matched by the University’s Graduate Fellowship Matching Program. 

Conference Travel Grants Academic master’s and all doctoral students may apply for funding to attend professional conferences or to participate in professional development activities. For professional conferences, grant amounts will depend on the location of the conference (up to $600 within California, $900 elsewhere in North America, including Canada and Mexico, and $1,500 outside of North America). The amounts provided for professional development support will vary depending on the actual costs, but in no case will a grant exceed $1,500. 

DAAD for Study and/or for Research in Germany For Berkeley undergraduate seniors, graduate students, and postdoctoral researchers to undertake study and/or research in Germany. Contact the Graduate Fellowships office for campus instructions:  [email protected]

The David N. Keightley Fellowship

Provides support for high-achieving graduate students in the College of Letters and Science whose work focuses on China and/or Chinese subjects, with strong preferences for those whose research emphasis is on the Neolithic to the Han dynasty period. This may include Chinese language, archaeology, art history and/or history. The fellowship may be used for, but not limited to, summer research, travel, conference attendance, and fellowship support.  Undocumented students eligible to apply. No work authorization required.

Diversity and Community Fellows Program

Diversity and Community Fellows, individually and collectively, will advance and implement the Diversity and Inclusion goals of the Office of Graduate Diversity and the Graduate Division. Critical components of this work will include but are not limited to, supporting an inclusive graduate community and enhancing the cultural, academic, and professional experience of historically underrepresented students (e.g., students of color, low income and first generation college students, and LGBTQ+ students, undocumented students, etc.). Fellows will work across and within academic units to create healthy communities for graduate students. Fellows will receive a stipend of $7,500 per academic year. 

Dolores Zohrab Liebmann Fellowship Awarded to US citizens with outstanding undergraduate records and financial need. Eligible students include not only those in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences, but also those in professional programs like law, medicine, engineering, and architecture. Students with the potential to utilize three years of funding will be given priority over students who would only use one year of funding. The amount of each Fellowship will cover the cost of tuition only (no fees) and a stipend to be allocated towards room, board, living expenses, and income taxes. 

Edward E. Hildebrand Research Fellowship

The Canadian Studies Program offers research funding to graduate students of any citizenship enrolled at Berkeley whose research focuses primarily or comparatively on Canada. The applicant should demonstrate the potential for excellent scholarship and describe a project which will contribute to knowledge about Canada and/or the Canadian-U.S. relationship. Several fellowships per year are typically awarded, with an average award of $5,000. Awards are intended to cover direct travel and research costs. Undocumented students eligible to apply.No work authorization required.

Eudora Welty Fellowship

A $5,000 fellowship for summer research conducted using the Eudora Welty Collection at the Mississippi Department of Archives and History. 

Fellowships at the American School of Classical Studies at Athens

Foreign Language and Area Studies Awards The Foreign Language and Area Studies Awards enable students who are U.S. citizens and permanent residents to acquire a high level of competence in one or more foreign languages. Fellowships are awarded to students in modern foreign language and area studies, with priority given to students in the humanities, social sciences, and professional fields. For academic year awards, entering students will apply for the FLAS through the Graduate Application for Admission and Fellowships by the departmental deadline. Academic year awards provide a $15,000 stipend plus fees and summer awards a $5,000 stipend Continuing students apply  here.

Frank E. Ratliff Fellowship in Classical Antiquity Provides approximately $39,600 in stipend plus in-state fees to graduate students who demonstrate a high level of academic distinction within the College of Letters and Science at the University of California, Berkeley. The fellowship will support outstanding Ph.D. candidates whose work focuses on Classical antiquity, in particular Greek literature and archaeology. All applicants are required to have passed their oral exams.  Undocumented students eligible to apply. No work authorization required.

Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad (DDRA) Fellowships   For U.S. citizens and permanent residents conducting overseas dissertation research in modern foreign language and area studies. Funding is for six to 12 months. Fellowships are not awarded for projects focusing on Western Europe or for research in countries with which the U.S. has no diplomatic relations.

Fulbright U.S. Student Program Applicants must be U.S. citizens holding a B.A. degree or equivalent before the beginning date of the grant. Provides round-trip travel, tuition, books, and stipend for one academic year. Approximately 1,300 awards are available for study in over 140 countries. Applies to course work, master’s or dissertation research. There is a UC Berkeley campus deadline that is often earlier than the posted deadline. Visit the  UC Berkeley Fulbright page  for more information.

Gaius Charles Bolin Dissertation and post-MFA Fellowships

The Bolin Fellowships enable graduate students from groups underrepresented in academia or a particular field of scholarship to complete a terminal graduate degree and pursue careers in college teaching. Awards two-year fellowships to finish a dissertation or build a professional artist portfolio while in residence and teaching one course per year at Williams College. 

Fritz O. Fernstr ö m Fellowship

Provides support for short-term or year-long research or study that requires travel to any of the Nordic countries for UC Berkeley graduate students who are US citizens or permanent residents.

Georges Lurcy Fellowship for Study in France One fellowship per year for a UC Berkeley advanced graduate student (U.S. citizen or permanent resident) to study and/or conduct research in France. The research topic should pertain to France and be one that can only be pursued in that country. A stipend of approximately $25,000 will be provided for one academic year to cover the cost of travel, educational fees, and living expenses in France. Students must be enrolled at UC Berkeley or at an educational institution in France during the tenure of the fellowship. 

Global, International, and Area Studies (GIAS) Fellowships and Grants

GIAS provides several fellowships to support graduate students conducting research in international and area studies. Additional fellowships are available from individual units within GIAS: 

Center for African Studies 

Center for Latin American & Caribbean Studies

Center for Middle Eastern Studies

Institute of European Studies

Institute of International Studies

Institute of Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies

Institute for South Asia Studies

Canadian Studies Program

Graduate Assembly Grad Student Parent Grant Travel Award

Provides funding for graduate student parents or legal guardians who, out of necessity, must bring their child(ren)/minor dependent and/or a caregiver for their child(ren) to conferences outside of the San Francisco Bay Area.

Graduate Division Caregiver Grant

Designed to provide assistance to graduate students who are the primary live-in caregiver for an adult individual. Examples of those eligible for this grant include graduate students who live with and serve as the primary caregiver for an elderly parent or  other individual that may qualify as a dependent adult. These grants may be applied toward housing and living expenses, dependent health insurance, and/or tuition. If funding permits, awards of up to $12,000 per year ($6,000 per academic term) will be made to eligible applicants. 

Graduate Division Student Parent Grant

Registered graduate student parents who live with dependent children and demonstrate financial need are eligible for a grant that may be applied toward housing/living expenses, dependent health insurance, child care, and/or tuition. 

Graduate Division Conference Travel Grant

Academic masters (M.A. & M.S.) and all doctoral students may apply for funding to attend professional conferences; however, students in professional degree programs are not eligible. Grant amounts will depend on the location of the conference (up to $600 within California, $900 elsewhere in North America, including Canada and Mexico, and $1,500 outside of North America). Master’s students are eligible for only one conference travel grant per academic career. Doctoral students are eligible for two grants per academic career, regardless of how many degrees they earn.

Guru Gobind Singh Fellowship  | qualifying map This fellowship is intended for graduates of universities in specific areas of India and Pakistan (see qualifying map) who are currently pursuing a graduate degree at the University of California. To be eligible, a student must also be committed to returning to his or her country of origin after receiving the graduate degree and must not have engaged previously in graduate study at any other institution of higher learning in the United States. Students at any stage of graduate study may be nominated, but preference is given to those holding a master’s degree, and particularly those who have reached the dissertation stage and have exhausted the normal sources of financial support.

Heller Fund

The UC Berkeley Classics Department annually awards a number of small travel grants to help cover the costs of overseas travel to pursue an academically justified and practical program of self-enrichment and education either through the travel itself, through a study project, or both.

Hispanic Scholarship Fund

Humane Studies Fellowships

The Institute for Humane Studies offers various grants for graduate students including funding for major research projects and graduate sabbatical grants of up to $15,000. 

Huntington Library Fellowships

The Huntington Library awards over 150 research fellowships annually. Recipients of all fellowships are expected to be in continuous residence at The Huntington and to participate in, and make a contribution to, its intellectual life. 

IEAS Fellowships

The Institute of East Asian Studies (IEAS) fellowship competition is open to UC Berkeley continuing graduate students in East Asian and Southeast Asian Studies. Subject to availability of funding, a small number of competitive awards of up to $6,000 (maximum) are available. We expect most awards, however, to be in the $1,500-$3,500 range. Successful applicants should propose a coherent plan of research/study that will result in tangible progress towards their graduate degree. IEAS fellowships are intended to facilitate special research proposals and study plans and are not intended for general support.

Institute for the Study of Societal Issues Graduate Fellows Program   For UC Berkeley doctoral students who have completed at least three years of graduate study and who are writing their dissertation on social change in the United States. Provides up to two years of training and funding, with a $14,000/year stipend. Undocumented students eligible to apply. No work authorization required.

International Need-Based Tuition Awards and Graduate Student Family Grants The Berkeley International Office offers grants for international graduate students and graduate student families. To be eligible for financial support, international students must: 1) demonstrate financial need; 2) have completed two semesters at UC Berkeley; and 3) be registered full-time each semester. For additional requirements, please see the BIO web site.

International Research and Exchanges Board (IREX) Awards U.S. citizens who are affiliated full time with a North American college or university are eligible for academic exchange programs in the Middle East and North Africa, Europe, Eurasia, and Asia.  View  current opportunities  for fellowships, international exchanges, grants, mentorship, and more.

Jewish Community Federation and Endowment Fund

This fund offers a number of fellowships to Jewish graduate students studying English, literature, and the fine arts and those involved in Jewish life and in Israel. An additional scholarship for Jewish and non-Jewish students offers scholarships for children of gay or lesbian parent(s). 

Jim Fahey Safe Homes for Women Fellowship Established in 2007 to provide scholarships for graduate students at UC Berkeley with demonstrated financial need and a deep commitment to combating domestic violence against women. Preference is given to students who are close to graduation, and who have completed coursework on feminist, gender, or women’s studies, families, domestic violence, and the like. Undocumented students eligible to apply. No work authorization required.

John L. Simpson ABD Graduate Students Research Fellowship in International & Area Studies

UC Berkeley graduate students in all fields who have obtained ABD status or will formally advance to candidacy by the fall of the fellowship term and plan to do research in international & area studies, in the broadest sense, both from a historical and a contemporary perspective are eligible. Fellowships are intended to support research on campus, within the United States, or abroad. Award amount: up to $11,000. Grant amounts are at the discretion of the jury.

John L. Simpson Pre-dissertation Research Fellowship in International & Area Studies

UC Berkeley graduate students in all fields who have not yet advanced to candidacy and plan to do research in international & area studies, in the broadest sense, both from a contemporary and a historical perspective. Fellowships are intended to support travel, lodging, and/or research-related expenditures. Award amount: up to $5,000. Grant amounts are at the discretion of the jury.

Luce Indigenous Knowledge Fellowship    

Launched to honor and support a select cohort of fellows as they work to further Indigenous knowledge creation, dissemination and perpetuation in Indigenous communities. 10 fellowships of $50,000 each (over 12 months) will be awarded each cycle. 

The  American Indian Graduate Program (AIGP)  is available to provide students with assistance in funding, mentorship, and development.

Luce Scholars Program Provides an intensive experience in Asia for young Americans who show evidence of potential leadership and accomplishment. Applicants should have a strong, mature, and clearly defined interest in a field other than Asian affairs. 

Mabelle McLeod Lewis Fellowship

Provides awards directly to advanced doctoral candidates in the humanistic disciplines pursuing a PhD degree from one of the following institutions: UC-Berkeley, UC-Davis, UC-Santa Cruz or Stanford University. These grants are awarded to bring about the completion of a scholarly dissertation project at the end of the grant period. The award amount is approximately $33,500 disbursed in 2 installments and some support for registration fees and individual health insurance. A principal purpose of the award is to permit the grantee to devote themselves full-time to the completion of the dissertation. Grantees may not hold any other award or fellowship simultaneously with the Mabelle McLeod Lewis grant except in the form of direct grants from their university for tuition or other benefits which do not require the performance of services.

Catherine and William L. Magistretti Fellowship 

Catherine and William L. Magistretti Graduate Fellowship. For study of language, cultures, history, and societies of all the Asian Continent and its diasporas, construed broadly. Between $20k-40k. College of Letters & Science Graduate Fellowship. Must be nominated by the department. Preference given to incoming or pre-doctoral students. Due around late January.

Mellon/ACLS Dissertation Completion Fellowships Supports a year of research and writing for advanced graduate students in the humanities and related social sciences in their last year of dissertation writing. The program encourages timely completion of the Ph.D. Applicants must be prepared to complete their dissertations within the period of their fellowship tenure. A grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation supports this program. Undocumented students eligible to apply with or without work authorization.

Mellon International Dissertation Research Fellowship (IDRF)

The program invites proposals for dissertation research conducted, in whole or in part, outside the United States, on non-US topics. It will consider applications for dissertation research grounded in a single site, informed by broader cross-regional and interdisciplinary perspectives, as well as applications for multi-sited, comparative, and transregional research.  Fellowship amounts vary depending on the research plan, with a per-fellowship average of $23,000.  

Mentored Research Award Gives academically promising graduate students in academic Ph.D. programs an opportunity to conduct pre-doctoral research while developing and strengthening relationships with faculty advisers. Students must be nominated by their academic department. Recipients may be undocumented (AB540, Non-AB540 with DACA). Non-AB540 with work authorization eligible.

Mildred E. Mathias Graduate Student Research Grants Research grants are available to graduate students enrolled at any University of California campus other than San Francisco who are using one or more of the 37 sites in the UC Natural Reserve System. A total of $38,000 is available for grants, with a maximum award of $3,000 per applicant. Students from any academic discipline are eligible.  Undocumented students eligible to apply. No work authorization required.

NNRC Student Scholar in Residence Research Grant

The New Netherland Research Center (NNRC), a joint endeavor of the New Netherland Institute (NNI) and the Office of Cultural Education, New York State Education Department (NYSED/OCE), with financial support from the Government of the Netherlands, announces the NNRC Student Scholar in Residence Research Grant. The grant covers a period of up to three months in residence and provides a stipend of $5,000.  

Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans An up to $90,000 grant for graduate students who are immigrants or children of immigrants. Fellows can be studying in any field in graduate school, but they must be enrolled full-time and the program can’t be online or an executive/part time program. Applicants can apply the same year they are applying to graduate school or in the first two years of the graduate program they are seeking funding for. Applicants must be New Americans (child of two immigrants or an immigrant: green card holder, naturalized as a U.S. citizen, have asylee or refugee status,  OR  have graduated from both high school and college in the US); and they must be 30 or younger as of the application deadline. Full requirements are at  www.pdsoros.org Undocumented students  eligible  to apply. Non-AB540 eligible and must have a work authorization.

Paul J. Alexander Memorial Fellowship Provides funding support for advanced Berkeley graduate students who are studying Byzantine, ancient, or medieval history. Students of Byzantine history are given first preference unless an applicant in ancient or medieval history is markedly superior, in which case the award will be given to the most qualified applicant. A student can receive this award only once during his or her academic career.

Partner University Grants for Study in Western Europe

Competitive IES-administered grants for dissertation and pre-dissertation research in several countries in Western Europe, (including Austria, Belgium, France, Greece, Germany, Luxembourg, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK), are available to Berkeley students across all disciplines. Applications are due November 1 each academic year. Please visit the link for detailed information and application forms.

Phi Beta Kappa Graduate Fellowships for Academic Distinction Thanks to the generous support of past Berkeley members of Phi Beta Kappa, each year the chapter is able to award a number of fellowships to members of Phi Beta Kappa currently enrolled as doctoral students at UCB. The award is usually given to those in the final stages of writing a dissertation. In addition, the Northern California Association of alumni members of Phi Beta Kappa supports our program by awarding additional fellowships. Students who are in the UCB/UCSF Joint Medical Program should apply through UCSF. Please contact  [email protected]  with questions. Undocumented students who are members of Phi Beta Kappa are eligible to apply. No work authorization required.

Philip Brett LGBT Studies Fellowship Open to all UC Berkeley graduate students, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, who are conducting research related to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and/or queer studies in any field or discipline. Recipients will receive $4,000.  Undocumented students eligible to apply. No work authorization required.

Ratliff Fellowship in Classical Antiquities

Provides approximately $39,600 in stipend plus in-state fees to Ph.D. candidates who demonstrate a high level of academic distinction within the College of Letters and Science whose work focuses on Classical antiquity, in particular Greek literature and archaeology. All applicants are required to have passed their oral exams.

Reinhard Bendix and Allan Sharlin Fellowships

UC Berkeley graduate students in all fields who have obtained ABD status or will formally advance to candidacy by the fall of the fellowship term and plan to do research in the fields of historical sociology, historical demography, social history, political and social theory, or historical studies of society and politics are eligible. Fellowships are intended to support research on campus, within the United States, or abroad. Award amount: up to $7,500. Grant amounts are at the discretion of the jury.

Renaissance and Early Modern Studies Research Grant Program

Provides research grants for students currently enrolled in REMS doing either initial work on their dissertation topic or who are further along in the writing of their dissertation, but who will not defend by the end of the current academic year.  

R. Kirk Underhill Graduate Fellowships in Anglo-American Studies

The Anglo-American Studies Program supports three R. Kirk Underhill Graduate Fellowships of $10,000 each to Berkeley graduate students whose research focuses on Anglo-American affairs, including but not limited to issues involving international relations, politics, history, law, economics, art, language, literature, and culture. Priority will be given to students whose work is centrally concerned with US-UK relations, the Commonwealth of Nations and British colonial history. Students from a broad range of disciplines are urged to apply.

For over a century, the American Academy in Rome has awarded the Rome Prize to support innovative and cross-disciplinary work in the arts and humanities. Each year, the Rome Prize is awarded to about thirty artists and scholars who represent the highest standard of excellence. Supported disciplines include ancient studies, architecture, design, historic preservation and conservation, landscape architecture, literature, medieval studies, modern Italian studies, musical composition, Renaissance and early modern studies, and visual arts. 

The Sara B. Aleshire Center for the Study of Greek Epigraphy

The Center offers travel grants to support research in Greek epigraphy, fellowships for students who have advanced to candidacy and are working on research projects with a significant epigraphic component that requires residency in Greece, and dissertation fellowships for students completing dissertations on any subject in Greek epigraphy. 

The Smith Richardson Foundation Grant  An annual grant competition to support Ph.D. dissertation research on American foreign policy, international relations, international security, strategic studies, area studies, and diplomatic and military history.

Tinker Field Summer Research Grant 

Primarily covers travel and field-related expenses for brief periods of pre-dissertation field research in Latin America. 

Townsend Center for the Humanities Dissertation Fellowships

These fellowships are for graduate students at UC Berkeley who have advanced to candidacy for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) by the time of application, and whose dissertation projects involve humanistic material or problems that have a significant bearing on the humanities. Once selected, Dissertation Fellows are eligible to apply for the Jacobson Memorial Teaching Award. Undocumented students eligible to apply. No work authorization required.

Townsend Center Working Grants

This program sponsors research in the humanities and the humanities-related social sciences. Working group awards range from $250-$750 for the academic year.   

Tsao Family Rome Prize

To be awarded to a humanities scholar whose project explores the relationship between Chinese and Mediterranean philosophical traditions. This full-term fellowship will introduce philosophy into the mix of artists and scholars in the American Academy in Rome community and emphasize the importance of this discipline in establishing a moral framework that may provide ways of moving forward as individuals and as a culture. Both predoctoral candidates and postdoctoral scholars are eligible for this fellowship, which supports research on the intersection of philosophy with Chinese and Western traditions and draws on Rome as a crossroads between East and West.

Tuition Support for External Fellowships

The Graduate Division strongly encourages graduate students to pursue external fellowship funding in support of their research at Berkeley and, through the Tuition Support for External Fellowships program, financially supports many students who win external fellowships.  Most external fellowships include only partial payment of tuition, fees, and health insurance, and some fellowships include no such component at all.  In many cases, the Graduate Division makes up the difference between the external fellowship’s tuition/fee allowance and a fellow’s actual fee charges. This difference is often substantial. 

UC Berkeley Institute of European Studies – Foreign Language and Area Studies Awards

(FLAS) Fellowships provide funding to students to encourage the study of critical and less commonly taught foreign languages in combination with area studies, international studies or international aspects of professional studies. These fellowships are funded by grants from the U.S. Department of Education under Title VI of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, and the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008. The purpose of the FLAS program is to promote the training of students who intend to make their careers in college or university teaching, government service, or other employment where knowledge of foreign languages and cultures is essential. Academic Year  and  Summer  awards are available for graduate and undergraduate students.

UC-HBCU Fellowship

A critical goal of the UC-HBCU Initiative  is to have more HBCU alumni complete UC Ph.D. programs and to encourage UC-HBCU alumni application and enrollment. Students who complete a UC-HBCU summer internship are eligible for the following benefits: Application fee waiver, Fellowship funding, Living supplement/transition award, Professional development, Success and well-being support. For funding eligibility, students must apply and be admitted to a UC PhD program within 10 years of completing their UC-HBCU summer internship. For questions, contact:  [email protected]

UC MEXUS-CONACYT Doctoral Fellowships for Mexican Students Provides up to five years of funding for Mexican students doing their doctoral studies at one of the ten University of California campuses. Students may pursue doctoral studies in most of the academic disciplines, with the exception of the arts. Provides full non-resident tuition, fees, a stipend, and support towards health insurance. Mexican citizens, Mexican residents, and/o r undocumented students with work authorization eligible to apply.

UC President’s Pre-Professoriate Fellowship

The UC President’s Pre-Professoriate Fellowship is part of the UC-Hispanic Serving Institutions Doctoral Diversity Initiative (UC-HSI DDI), which aims to enhance faculty diversity and pathways to the professoriate for historically underrepresented students from California Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs), particularly Chicanx/Latinx, African Americans, American Indians/Native Americans, Filipinx, and Pacific Islanders in all disciplines; women in STEM; and Asian Americans in the humanities and social sciences. Fellows receive a $37,000 stipend and California resident tuition and fees and $10,000 professional development grant that will expose, prepare, and inspire the fellow to pursue the professoriate.  

The University of California President's Postdoctoral Fellowship Program

This Program was established in 1984 to encourage outstanding women and minority Ph.D. recipients to pursue academic careers at the University of California. The current program offers postdoctoral research fellowships, professional development and faculty mentoring to outstanding scholars in all fields whose research, teaching, and service will contribute to diversity and equal opportunity at UC.

Walter J. Jensen Fellowship for French Language, Literature, and Culture This fellowship provides a stipend for a minimum of six months of study in France. Phi Beta Kappa will also cover a single round-trip, economy-class ticket for the recipient to travel to France; some additional support may be available to those with dependents. The purpose of the award is to enrich, promote, and improve education in the standard French language in the US through an award to educators and researchers to be used for education and study of French language, literature, and culture. 

The William L. Clements Library Research Fellowships

The William L. Clements Library at the University of Michigan offers both short-term and long-term fellowships to help scholars access the Library’s rich primary source collections for research. 

Winterthur Dissertation Fellowships

Doctoral candidates conducting research or writing a dissertation using the Winterthur Museum, Garden, and Library’s collections can receive four- to nine-month fellowships with stipends of up to $7,000 per semester. The deadline for all research fellowship applications is January 15.   

The WW Women's Studies Fellowship

This fellowship provides support during the fellow’s final year of dissertation writing for dissertations with a central focus on the study of women and/or gender. 

PhD Financial Support

While funding packages vary by student, all admitted Ph.D. students receive up to five years of financial support through a combination of fellowships, Graduate Student Instructor (GSI) appointments, also known as teaching assistantships, and Graduate Student Researcher (GSR) appointments, also known as research assistantships. Funding consist of full payment of tuition and fees which include Student Health Insurance Program (SHIP) fees, Student Services fee, Campus fees, Class Pass fee, and Non-Resident Supplemental Tuition (NRST), and a living stipend. All funding packages are contingent on making satisfactory progress throughout the tenure of support.

As part of the funding package, U.S. citizens and Permanent Residents are expected to establish California residency at the end of their first year in California and to maintain residency throughout their studies. The NRST will not be paid for students beyond the first year (except for international students who are not eligible for California residency).

We encourage applicants to apply for fellowships from sources other than U.C. Berkeley. U.S. citizens and permanent residents are particularly encouraged to apply fellowships such as the National Science Foundation (NSF), Graduate Fellowships for STEM Diversity (GFSD), and the National Defense Science Engineering (NDSEG) fellowships.

Tuition/Fees/Cost of Attendance

Tuition and fees.

Current tuition and fees for Ph.D. students can be found on the Office of the Registrar's website (under "Graduate Academic" fee schedule). All tuition & fees are subject to change.

As a condition of enrollment all registered students at the University of California are required to meet the university’s health insurance mandate. Registered UC Berkeley graduate students are automatically enrolled in the Berkeley Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) as a way to meet this mandate but you may be eligible to waive enrollment in SHIP if you already have comparable insurance coverage that satisfies the University's requirement. Visit the Student Health Insurance Plan for more information.

Living Expenses

The UC Berkeley Financial Aid and Scholarships Office provides an annual estimate of the Cost of Attendance also known as the Graduate Student Budget which include living expenses for graduate students. This includes housing, utilities, food, books, supplies, personal, and transportation costs. Your expenses may be lower or higher depending on your lifestyle. The Graduate Student Budget is used to help determine the amount of financial aid you may be eligible to receive.

Residency for Tuition Purposes

Admitted PhD students who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents are expected to establish California residency by the end of their first year in California and maintain residency throughout their studies. Nonresident Supplemental Tuition (NRST) for out-of-state students will only be covered for the first year. International students with F-1 or J-1 visas/nonimmigrant status are not eligible to establish residency.

You must start the process of fulfilling the residency requirements as soon as you arrive. In order to meet the University of California residency requirements, graduate students must be in an eligible immigration status and satisfy the "Physical Presence" and "Intent to Remain in California" requirements by the residence determination date, which is the first day of instruction.

The residency classification process is not automatic. Visit the Registrar's Office to learn more about Applying for Residency (for Tuition Purposes) .

Financial Aid

Federal Student Loan Programs provide the major source of need-based financial aid funding for graduate students. Berkeley participates in the Federal Direct Student Loan and Work-Study Programs, which are administered by the Financial Aid and Scholarships Office .

Financial Aid for International Students

All F-1 and J-1 international students are required to show proof of funding for a minimum of one year with the expectation that they will continue to have access to that funding throughout their education. In some cases, there are unexpected changes in a student's financial situation that require them to seek external support to continue their studies. Visit the Financial Aid for International Students page.

Department Funding

Statistics ph.d. graduate student funding policy, ph.d. funding policy .

The PhD Graduate Student Funding Policy can only be viewed by current Statistics PhD students and faculty by clicking the following link (you must be logged in to your @berkeley.edu account): Current Ph.D. Funding Policy

Fellowships and Awards

Entering (newly admitted) students.

All admitted students are automatically considered fellowships and awards during the admissions review process. Fellowship offers are generally made to applicants in their department admissions offer.

Continuing Students

Continuing students are automatically considered for departmental awards which are distributed throughout the year.

Graduate Student Academic Employment

Most financial support will be a combination of Academic Student Employment (ASE) positions such as a Graduate Student Instructor (GSI) and Graduate Student Researcher (GSR).

Students must meet certain academic requirements and other eligibility criteria to qualify for graduate student academic employment. Graduate students are also subject to Graduate Council and Graduate Division policies regarding appointments including minimum enrollment requirements and limitations on percentage of appointment.

See our Student Positions hiring page for more information.

Travel Grants

The kag graduate student travel fund.

In 2002 Dr. Kamil A. Grajski (Berkeley Ph.D. ’87), acting upon the suggestion of his mentor and friend Dr. Leo Breiman, established this fund to support travel for graduate students in the Department of Statistics.

Eligibility and Criteria

• Must be a PhD student in Statistics
• Normally a student would receive a travel grant once during the course of their studies.
• Grant amounts will depend on the location of the proposed travel, but will generally be no more than $750 for travel within California, up to $1,000 for travel elsewhere in North America, and up to $1,500 for international travel.
• There are a limited number of awards given each year
• Priority will be given to students conducting or presenting research

Application

To apply, please complete the  KAG Graduate Student Travel Grant Application  which will be reviewed by the PhD Program Coordinator

• purpose of the trip and approximate budget
• written endorsement of a faculty advisor (via email)

The request can be made to cover travel, lodging and conference/registration fees.

Reimbursement and Report

A short report on the experience and how the trip benefited your studies must be submitted to the PhD Program Coordinator . All original receipts for which reimbursement is being requested or for which direct payment was made by the University must be turned in within 45 days after completion of travel.

Past Recipients & Reports:

• 2019 Lihua Lei
• 2018 Geno Guerra, Kellie Ottoboni
• 2015 Arturo Fernandez-Zuniga, Soeren Kuenzel, Miklos Racz
• 2014 Yuting Wei
• 2013 Hye Soo Choi, Wenpin Tang
• 2012 Yuval Benjamini
• 2009 Garvesh Raskutti, Chinghway Lim, Yueqing Wang, Ying Xu
• 2008 Choongsoon Bae, Jing Lei, Shankar Bhamidi, Vince Vu
• 2007 Ron Peled
• 2006 Na Xu, Peng Zhao, Donghui Yan
• 2005 Bo Li, Guilherme Rocha
• 2003 Chao Chen, Apratim Guha
• 2002 Alan Hammond, Serban Nacu, Gabor Pete, Lea Popovic

Industry Fellowships

There are industry fellowships PhD students are eligible to apply for directly through the department thanks to the generous support of our industry partners. You can find more information on our Industrial Relations page.

Additional Financial Resources

Graduate division.

An extensive list of campus and extramural fellowships and awards along with their corresponding deadlines and application materials can be found on Graduate Division's Graduate Fellowships and Awards page.

Campus Travel Grants

Graduate assembly travel award.

The Graduate Assembly (GA) offers up to $300 in travel reimbursement for registered graduate students presenting at a conference outside of the San Francisco Bay Area. Visit the GA Funding Information and Application for more information.

Graduate Division Conference Travel Grant

PhD students may apply for Graduate Division funding to attend professional conferences if they are presenting a poster or paper. Grant amounts depend on location of conference (up to $600 within California; $900 elsewhere in North America, including Canada or Mexico; $1,500 outside of North America). Doctoral students are eligible for two grants per academic career. Students must be in good academic standing, and must be registered for the term in which they are planning to attend the conference, which also includes payment of fees/tuitions. Students on filing fee are not eligible. Applications are due at least three weeks before date of travel. Visit the Doctoral Conference Travel Grant Application (CalNet login required) for more information.

Extramural Fellowships

Extramural fellowships are those awarded by governmental agencies, private foundations, and corporations. Many extramural fellowships are open to international students. Others, such as the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship and some government-sponsored fellowships, are awarded only to U.S. citizens.

The following are a few fellowships that might of interests to Statistics PhD students:

DOE Office of Science Graduate Student Research (SCGSR) program The SCGSR program supports supplemental awards to outstanding U.S. graduate students to conduct part of their graduate thesis research at a DOE national laboratory in collaboration with a DOE laboratory scientist for a period of 3 to 12 consecutive months—with the goal of preparing graduate students for scientific and technical careers critically important to the DOE Office of Science mission.

Fannie and John Hertz Foundation Graduate Fellowships Open to U.S. citizens in the applied and physical sciences who have a record of high scholastic performance. Provides a stipend, tuition, and fees.

Ford Foundation Predoctoral Diversity Fellowships Three year fellowships for U.S. citizens or nationals who have demonstrated superior academic achievement, are committed to a career in teaching and research at the college or university level, show promise of future achievement as scholars and teachers, and are well prepared to use diversity as a resource for enriching the education of all students.

Ford Foundation Dissertation Diversity Fellowships One year dissertation fellowships for U.S. citizens or nationals who have demonstrated superior academic achievement, are committed to a career in teaching and research at the college or university level, show promise of future achievement as scholars and teachers, and are well prepared to use diversity as a resource for enriching the education of all students. Provides a $28,000 stipend.

NSF Graduate Research Fellowships Awarded for study in mathematical, physical, biological, and social sciences; engineering; science education; and in the history and philosophy of science. For U.S. citizens, nationals, and permanent residents at or near the beginning of graduate study. Three years of support.

National Physical Science Consortium Fellowship The NPSC offers Ph.D.-track fellowships in the physical sciences and related engineering fields. It is open to all qualified U.S. citizens, with an emphasis on recruiting applications from historically underrepresented minorities. NPSC Fellows will receive one or two paid summer internships, as well as tuition, fees, and stipends for up to six years.

You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience.

Fellowships & Research

[Insert Research / Healy05-C-cloned.jpg 6.02MB. Permission requested. Still pending.] [image caption] Fellowships and research are excellent experiential learning opportunities that help students develop as professionals and as scholars.

What Is A Fellowship?

Fellowships are short-term, paid, opportunities that are sponsored by a specific organization and obtained through a competitive application process. Organizations sponsor Fellowships for multiple reasons. Most often they are seeking to expand their field by funding research, curating talent for the future workforce, and developing leaders. To satisfy that purpose, host organizations engage Fellows in challenging work and invest in their professional development.

There are a vast number of Fellowships, and programs vary widely. They can be designed to support a range of activities including graduate study in a specific field, research to advance work on a particular issue, developing a new community-based organization or initiative, training and reflection to support the fellow’s growth, and opportunities to further explore a particular field of work. Fellowships can take place domestically or abroad and they can last from a few months to several years.

Finding Fellowships

There are many online resources available to assist you in your search for Fellowship opportunities. We created this Handshake page with a curated list of resources that will get you off to a great start!

FAQs about Fellowships

Experiential Learning

Fellowships are structured to provide significant work experiences, and Fellows are often expected to take on a great deal of responsibility quickly. Generally, Fellows are provided with unique experiences that are not typically available to someone starting out in an entry-level position. This experiential learning component varies depending upon the Fellowship program.

Fellowship programs are known for their commitment to the professional development of individual Fellows and often include intensive training. Key elements of this training might include:

• Academic seminars to develop frameworks and apply theory
• In-depth research and analysis of a particular issue area
• A broad curriculum of skills development which may include leadership, community organizing, public speaking, grant writing, and media relations

Most fellowship programs provide a living allowance or stipend, yet it is not typically comparable to the salary of a full-time job. Financial compensation can vary greatly with stipends ranging from $10,000 to up to $50,000 for a 9-12 month program. Other incentives may be provided to fellows such as healthcare coverage, student loan repayment assistance, and transportation and housing stipends.

Although eligibility requirements vary with the fellowship, most programs look for:

• Motivation, self-direction, and personal integrity
• Highly developed interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills
• Demonstrated leadership and potential for continued leadership
• Proven competency in a certain field or discipline
• High level of academic performance.

Applications can be extensive and often include a resume, transcript, letters of recommendation and writing sample. Depending on the fellowship, there may be additional application materials required as well.

Additionally, the application process for most programs includes an interview which may be a series of individual interviews, a single panel interview, or situational group interviews in which candidates work together to devise responses to a problem or question.

Berkeley Career Engagement UC Berkeley, CA 94720

• Accessibility
• Nondiscrimination

• UC Berkeley
• Sign Up to Volunteer
• I School Slack
• Alumni News
• Alumni Events
• Alumni Accounts
• Career Support
• Academic Mission
• Diversity & Inclusion Resources
• DEIBJ Leadership
• Featured Faculty
• Featured Alumni
• Work at the I School
• Subscribe to Email Announcements
• Logos & Style Guide
• Directions & Parking

The School of Information is UC Berkeley’s newest professional school. Located in the center of campus, the I School is a graduate research and education community committed to expanding access to information and to improving its usability, reliability, and credibility while preserving security and privacy.

• Career Outcomes
• Degree Requirements
• Paths Through the MIMS Degree
• Final Project
• Funding Your Education
• Admissions Events
• Request Information
• Capstone Project
• Jack Larson Data for Good Fellowship
• Tuition & Fees
• Women in MIDS
• MIDS Curriculum News
• MICS Student News
• Dissertations
• Applied Data Science Certificate
• ICTD Certificate
• Citizen Clinic

The School of Information offers four degrees:

The Master of Information Management and Systems (MIMS) program educates information professionals to provide leadership for an information-driven world.

The Master of Information and Data Science (MIDS) is an online degree preparing data science professionals to solve real-world problems. The 5th Year MIDS program is a streamlined path to a MIDS degree for Cal undergraduates.

The Master of Information and Cybersecurity (MICS) is an online degree preparing cybersecurity leaders for complex cybersecurity challenges.

Our Ph.D. in Information Science is a research program for next-generation scholars of the information age.

• Fall 2024 Course Schedule
• Summer 2024 Course Schedule

The School of Information's courses bridge the disciplines of information and computer science, design, social sciences, management, law, and policy. We welcome interest in our graduate-level Information classes from current UC Berkeley graduate and undergraduate students and community members.  More information about signing up for classes.

• Ladder & Adjunct Faculty
• MIMS Students
• MIDS Students
• 5th Year MIDS Students
• MICS Students
• Ph.D. Students

• Publications
• Centers & Labs
• Computer-mediated Communication
• Data Science
• Entrepreneurship
• Human-computer Interaction (HCI)
• Information Economics
• Information Organization
• Information Policy
• Information Retrieval & Search
• Information Visualization
• Social & Cultural Studies
• Technology for Developing Regions
• User Experience Research

Research by faculty members and doctoral students keeps the I School on the vanguard of contemporary information needs and solutions.

The I School is also home to several active centers and labs, including the Center for Long-Term Cybersecurity (CLTC) , the Center for Technology, Society & Policy , and the BioSENSE Lab .

• Why Hire I School?
• Request a Resume Book
• For Nonprofit and Government Employers
• Leadership Development Program
• Mailing List
• Jobscan & Applicant Tracking Systems
• Resume & LinkedIn Review

I School graduate students and alumni have expertise in data science, user experience design & research, product management, engineering, information policy, cybersecurity, and more — learn more about hiring I School students and alumni .

• Press Coverage
• I School Voices

• Distinguished Lecture Series
• I School Lectures
• Information Access Seminars
• CLTC Events
• Women in MIDS Events

Steven Weber Futures Fellowship

The Steven Weber Futures Fellowship supports UC Berkeley School of Information graduate students. Modeling Steven Weber’s pioneering future-focused research identifying actionable insights for a healthier digital information ecosystem, recipients will pursue research that: 1) helps decision-makers act with foresight; and 2) expands who has access to and benefits from digital information technologies.

Award Date and Amount

The Steven Weber Futures Fellowship is awarded annually in the fall semester. A total of $5,000 may be awarded each year: either a single award of up to $5,000 or multiple smaller awards totaling up to $5,000, at the discretion of the fellowship committee.

Eligibility

The Steven Weber Futures Fellowship for is open to all current UC Berkeley School of Information graduate students; students in the MICS, MIDS, 5th Year MIDS, MIMS, and Ph.D. programs are all eligible to apply. In order to be eligible for the award, students must be registered and enrolled in a graduate degree program at the School of Information in both the semester in which they apply and the semester in which the award is disbursed. MIDS & MICS students may apply for the fellowship while on a temporary leave of absence, but must be registered and enrolled in the semester in which the fellowship is disbursed.

Applicants must be in good academic standing and have no past or ongoing misconduct violations. Students who have previously applied for the Steven Weber Futures Fellowship and have not received it are eligible to reapply in a future year if they still meet all other relevant eligibility criteria. Students who have previously received the Steven Weber Futures Fellowship are eligible to reapply, but students who have not previously received the award have priority.

Awardees shall demonstrate high academic distinction and excellence and shall be selected on a competitive basis by a faculty review committee evaluating the merits of the applications. Awardees will demonstrate research interests related to helping decision-makers act with foresight and expanding who has access to and benefits from digital information technologies.

Application Deadline (2023–24 Fellowship)

Application opens: October 1, 2023

Deadline: October 31, 2023

Fellowship awardees will be notified approximately two months after the application deadline.

How to Apply

Applicants will be asked to supply a current resume or C.V. and a statement of purpose clarifying how their research interests address the purpose of the fellowship.

Further Questions About Applying

If you are a current I School student with questions about the Steven Weber Futures Fellowship, please email [email protected] .

To Contribute

If you would like to support the Steven Weber Futures Fellowship, please contact Tia Foss, Director of Philanthropy.

Doctoral Funding Packages

Doctoral funding packages.

UC Berkeley is committed to recruiting doctoral students of outstanding achievement and potential, including those who will enhance the diversity of the graduate student population at Berkeley.

Applicants are considered for funding packages and financial support by the departmental admissions committee; a separate fellowship application is not required. Packages ​may ​be made up of funding from various sources, such as university or departmental fellowships, and Academic Student Employment (Graduate Student Instructor, Reader, Tutor) and/or Graduate Student Researcher appointments​, as determined by your department​.

Newly admitted doctoral students will first receive an Offer of Admission letter, and then Financial Support and Employment Funding Letter outlining the funding package from the department. Our goal is to ensure that all newly admitted doctoral students receive funding that will provide the financial stability to do their best work.

Financial Support and Employment Funding Offers can include:

Prestigious awards for highly qualified entering doctoral students, including: 

• Berkeley Fellowships
• Chancellor’s Fellowships for applicants who will enhance the diversity of the graduate student population at Berkeley

Academic and/or Research Employment

Most funding packages for doctoral students include semesters of academic student employment. Academic Student Employees (ASEs) and Graduate Student Researchers (GSRs) are among the highest paid in public higher education and receive competitive benefit packages.

Read about the benefits of academic employment , including compensation , tuition /fee remission, health care, child care and more. 

Policies and Requirements 

• See your Financial Support and Employment Funding Letter, for your funding details. Slate portal link?. These letters will be distributed after your Offer of Admission. 
• Contact the graduate advisor for any questions about your letter. 
• When needed, nonresident supplemental tuition is typically paid for U.S. citizens, permanent residents, and non AB-540 undocumented students with DACA only in the first year of study.
• For international students, nonresident supplemental tuition is typically covered for additional years.
• Departmental funding packages include expiration rules and standards for when particular forms of funding are expected to be used.
• Non- Employment Student Financial Support” (also referred to as “Student Financial Support”) is funding, including financial aid awards, to pursue a course of study, with no or de minimis service expectation imposed by the University, and whose receipt of these funds does not require the performance of service at the direction and control of the University.
• All funding support is based on continued satisfactory academic progress and good standing.

To be considered, you must submit your Graduate Application for admission by the departmental deadline .

Continuing students may also apply for financial support from the Graduate Division, including:

• Mentored Research Awards
• UC Dissertation-Year Fellowships 
• Conference Travel Grants
• Parent and Caregiver Grants

Scholarships

To help Berkeley Law students pay for their legal education,  a number of awards are available from sources including the law school itself, the University of California, the U.S. government, and private organizations and agencies. Students are encouraged to seek out as much scholarship funding as possible in order to minimize borrowing.  

We refer to all  scholarships, grants, and fellowships administered by Berkeley Law as 'gift aid.'

Entering Student Gift Aid

Eligibility for most gift aid is determined prior to your first year. Awards are typically renewed for up to a total of three years (six semesters) provided that you maintain full-time enrollment. Waiving the need to apply each year allows students to create a financial plan for all three years of the J.D. program.

The Entering Student Scholarships and Gift Aid website provides the application process and timeline for the Berkeley Law scholarships, grants, and fellowships available to entering students. This page will also explain the criteria used to determine award eligibility as well as a few examples of awards offered in the past.

Continuing Student Scholarships

The Berkeley Law Financial Aid Office administers several supplemental scholarships for continuing JD students, called continuing student scholarships . These scholarships are typically donor-funded and have particular eligibility criteria. The application period is announced each spring/summer by e-mail.

UC Scholarships

The UC Berkeley Graduate Fellowships Office administers many scholarships and prizes for graduate students, including the Graduate Student Parent Grant , and many require a FAFSA to be eligible. We recommend you read the descriptions of some of the UC Scholarships specifically available for law students .  

Outside Agency or Private Scholarships

Outside Agency Scholarships are a great source of funding for your legal education. These scholarships have their own applications, procedures, criteria, and deadlines. Information is posted to this website as it is made available to the Berkeley Law Financial Aid Office.

Click here for Outside Agency scholarships for Law students

Where To Send Private Scholarship Checks:

• Private scholarship checks for Berkeley Law students should be made out to ‘UC Regents’ and can be mailed to: Law Office of Financial Aid, 226 Law Building, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720-7220. Please include the student ID (if possible), term/s for which the scholarship is intended, and the student’s full name with any check to prevent significant delays in processing.

Conditional Scholarship Retention Information

The ABA Standard 509 requires all schools with conditional scholarships to post a conditional scholarship retention chart. The ABA’s definition of a conditional scholarship is: “any financial aid award, the retention of which is dependent upon the student maintaining a minimum grade point average or class standing, other than that ordinarily required to remain in good academic standing.” Scholarships are not conditional at Berkeley Law. Renewal of scholarships requires only good academic standing and full-time enrollment at the UC Berkeley School of Law.  

Protected: Berkeley Haas Entrepreneurship Program

Protected: Student Awards & Fellowships

This content is password protected. To view it please enter your password below:

Undergraduate Research in Neuroscience

Getting involved in research .

Doing research in a faculty laboratory is a way to experience the real process of science and the search for new knowledge.  Most Neuroscience labs have undergraduates as part of their research team.  Those students get to apply their classroom knowledge and problem-solving skills to help make discoveries.  Students usually work as part of teams supervised by PhD students and postdoctoral researchers, under the guidance of the faculty member.  Student research may involve hands-on experiments, working with human subjects, analyzing data, developing research tools, or working with computational models.  

How to find a research lab position

There are several ways to find a research position.  To start, talk to classmates, staff undergraduate advisers, and your graduate student instructors (GSIs).  Read about the research focus of faculty members on the Neuroscience Department faculty page , which gives links to individual lab research websites.   Think about what scientific questions or approaches you are interested in.  Then, either apply to a structured research program, or contact individual faculty to express your interest in their research and see if a position is available.

Structured research programs

University Research Apprenticeship Program (URAP)

Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships (SURF)

Biology Scholars Program

Amgen Scholars Program

and more at the research.berkeley.edu website

Apply directly to a neuroscience faculty lab

This is the most common way that students find a research position in a neuroscience lab.  Here are tips on how to proceed:  Check out the Neuroscience Department faculty page , or the broader Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute faculty page , to determine which labs you are interested in.  Before contacting the professor, read the research description on their laboratory website, and review some of their recent publications.  (You are not expected to understand the articles completely, but if you understand the general questions and approach, you will be more convincing when you contact them.).  Then email the professor to express interest in their work and in joining their research team, and request an appointment.  It's a good idea to include your resume and unofficial transcript in the email.  

During your appointment, discuss what you find interesting about their work, tell them about your goals, and ask if they would be willing to accept you into their lab.  Remember, it can be competitive to get into a lab, so you should approach this with focus and professionalism like you would for a job search.

Non-Neuro and Off-Campus Research Opportunities

Neuroscience majors who want research experience don't have to limit themselves to NEU Department labs.  There are many positions available on campus in other departments, and off-campus.  You can apply either through the structured research programs, or by contacting individual faculty.  Other relevant departments at Berkeley include:

Anthropology

Bioengineering

School of Public Health

Off-campus, you can find many opportunities at UCSF , which includes laboratories at the UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland.

Expectations for a lab research position

The specific expectations, including the number of hours per week and duration of commitment, vary from lab to lab.  It is common to spend 10-12 hours per week on your research project.  Many labs will ask for a 1-year commitment.  Student research can be for credit, or can be paid, or can be on a volunteer basis (see below).  This depends on the lab and their resources, and the type of project.  You will have a project supervisor within the lab who will train you on all the needed methods, and will supervise your work. You may also be required to complete training courses or certifications that are needed for your research.

Research credit and honors research

Students can obtain course credit for their independent lab research by enrolling in NEU 99/199 and NEU 191 courses

Outstanding seniors can also undertake the Neuroscience Honors program , in which students perform laboratory research in fall and spring of their final year, culminating in a research presentation and a formal honors thesis.  Honors students enroll in NEU 196A/196B for their honors research.  Students who are interested in pursuing honors are strongly encouraged to look for a research position in a lab during the first semester of their junior year.  Students typically perform a year of research in a lab before undertaking their honors research in that lab.

Gunther Stent Neuroscience Research Scholars Program

The Stent Neuroscience Research Scholars Program recognizes students who have a passion and strong talent for research, and provides financial support for them to conduct targeted research or scholarship in the laboratory of an established Neuroscience Department faculty member for one year.  The goal is to allow students who have shown strong initial success in research to be able to immerse themselves in a research experience with a leading faculty member.  

This research scholars program is named for Professor Gunther S. Stent, who was an early molecular biologist and visionary neuroscientist at UC Berkeley. 

The program provides financial support in the form of a research stipend ($7500 for the 2024-2025 academic year) to support an undergraduate research during their junior or senior year.  Students must have already identified a faculty mentor and demonstrated successful initial research in that faculty laboratory.  The award will recognize both the student and the faculty mentor.

Faculty mentors must apply on behalf of the faculty-student pair.  Students also fill out an information form.  Please see the Stent Neuroscience Research Scholars page  for more information.  The application deadline for AY2024-25 is Aug 23, 2024.  We anticipate funding two scholars for this year.  Interested students should contact their faculty mentor to apply.

Research Experience Pathways (REP) Program

The REP-Neuroscience Program (REP Neuro) is an inclusive undergraduate research program focused on connecting work-study eligible Berkeley undergrads with Berkeley neuroscience laboratories for research experience, career mentorship, and scientific training. 

REP is a year-long program.  Students apply to REP, and each accepted student is matched to a specific project in a faculty lab, and works with their graduate student mentor to learn the ins-and-outs of that research project. In the spring, each REP student participates in the REP spring colloquium to present a poster of their scientific work. During the year, students also join weekly seminars with their REP community -- learning alongside their peers about the field of neuroscience, the path to graduate school, and career opportunities that await them as neuroscientists. REP Neuro provides financial support for student research via payment to students based on work study. REP students must have minimal or no prior research experience, and must be work-study eligible. 

Applications are accepted each summer for the fall cohort.  The deadline for Fall 2024 was June 30, 2024.

For more details, see the  REP Neuro website  or email  [email protected]

• Current Students

UC Berkeley School of Public Health welcomes inaugural cohort of Impact Fellows

• 3 min. read ▪ Published August 16
• Share on LinkedIn
• Share on Facebook
• Share on X (Twitter)

The UC Berkeley School of Public Health is excited to introduce the inaugural cohort of Impact Fellows. This distinguished group of public health practitioners, policymakers, and changemakers will join the Berkeley Public Health community for the 2024–2025 academic year, bringing with them a wealth of experience, passion for improving population health and strong commitment to supporting and guiding the next generation of public health leaders.

The fellowship program is an integral part of Berkeley Public Health’s commitment to social impact and is grounded in our belief that strong collaboration between academic leaders, policymakers and entrepreneurs spurs and accelerates this impact. The Impact Fellows will collaborate with our community to create new projects and initiatives, help shape the Berkeley Public Health social impact strategy, and share their expertise with students.

Join us in welcoming the nine incredible Impact Fellows:

• Nate Favini , chief medical officer for Pair Team, wants to mobilize the next generation of public health and Medicaid entrepreneurs
• Thomas Goetz , co-founder of Building H and former executive editor of Wired, is focused on making businesses a new force of change for health
• Tony Iton , former senior vice president of healthy communities at The California Endowment, is committed to reinvigorating democracy to build the health of all communities
• Kasley Killam , author of The Art and Science of Connection, is focused on strengthening social health and connection.
• Shruti Kothari , head of industry initiatives at Blue Shield of California and founder of Women of Community, wants to help students leverage their own stories as impactful tools for professional development, advocacy, and driving health care transformation
• Marko Mijic , former undersecretary at the California Health and Human Services Agency, envisions a future where health, public health, and social services are seamlessly integrated through data and technology to address social drivers of health and uplift marginalized communities
• Rainbow Rubin , director of science at Breast Cancer Prevention Partners, is committed to building better science and policy translation for environmental health threats
• Lisa Simpson , former CEO of Academy Health, wants to build and scale evidence-based initiatives focused on equity and reproductive health
• Ruth Thomas-Squance , co-executive director at the Build Healthy Places Network, is focused on building multi-sectoral collaborations to address the root causes of health inequities in historically disinvested and marginalized communities

Dean Michael C. Lu expressed his enthusiasm, saying, “We are incredibly excited to welcome this inaugural class of Impact Fellows. They will be an amazing resource to our faculty and students, and in turn will benefit greatly from collaborations with us.”

“We will make progress on the world’s most pressing public health challenges by bringing together all of our skills, experience and expertise,” said Claudia Williams, chief social impact officer. “We are excited to be a purpose home for our nine exceptional Impact Fellows.”

Please join us in welcoming these outstanding leaders to Berkeley Public Health and stay tuned for more updates and opportunities to engage. If you are interested in learning more or connecting with one of the fellows, please send a message to [email protected] .

More in category “School News”:

New alumni association co-presidents are ready to foster engagement and make an impact, meet our new faculty: shelley facente, professor jason corburn sheds light on gun violence as a public health issue, meet our new faculty: sean darling-hammond.

Admissions FAQ

What is the required word count for the statement of purpose, personal statement, and writing sample.

We do not have a maximum word count for the Statement of Purpose or Personal Statement. However, 1,000 words is a common maximum among applicants. At least one writing sample of a maximum of 30 pages is requested (this may be excerpted from a longer paper, but we suggest it not exceed 30 pages).

Do you offer funding packages for the PhD program?

We offer five-years of funding for our graduate students who are admitted, which includes stipend and tuition/fees. The funding packages for each student may differ, but each is made up of fellowships, stipends, and Graduate Student Instructor positions. 

Do I need to provide English Proficiency Tests if I am an applicant from abroad?

To learn more about these language tests and English proficiency requirements for admissions to UC-Berkeley, please see  here .  According to the Graduate Admissions Page for UC Berkeley: “There are two standardized tests you may take: the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), and the International English Language Testing System (IELTS).”

I have questions about Letters of Recommendation and how to have them sent?

Letters of Recommendation can be sent through the dossier service Interfolio. If you would like to learn more about letters of recommendation FAQ, please see  this page.  Also, letters of recommendation are due the same day as the student’s application.

Where can I find out more information about the general admissions requirements for UC Berkeley in general?

The UC-Berkeley Graduate Admissions webpage is a great resource, please see  here  for steps to apply. For more frequently asked questions, you can find information  here .

Who can answer my questions about the application and the admissions process, financial support, etc.?

Please contact [email protected]

Who can answer my questions about academics?

You may contact Professor  Weihong Bao , who is Faculty Head Graduate Student Adviser for the Department of Film & Media, at  [email protected] 

How can I contact Film & Media faculty members?

The profiles, research interests, and contact information of our faculty are available on this website. We invite you to study their biographies and descriptions of current research, and to contact by email those whose interests are closest to yours, should you have specific questions.

Do I need to be admitted by a faculty mentor before I can be admitted to the program?

No. Applications are reviewed by our admissions committee faculty and the admission process is holistic and reviewed by the entire committee, not one single faculty member.

Can I speak with current students in the program?

The profiles and research interests of our current graduate students are posted on our department website, along with their contact information.    

Can I pursue a doctorate while living outside of the San Francisco Bay Area?

Because students take courses on campus for the first three years and teach regularly in the program, it is not possible to pursue our doctoral program on a commuter basis. In the summers and in the fourth or fifth years, students whose research requires national or international travel are certainly allowed to relocate for an appropriate period of time.    

Is a Master’s Degree required for admission?

We do not require the completion of a master’s degree prior to admission.

Celebrating UC Berkeley’s record-breaking fundraising year

"Every gift, regardless of size, supports Berkeley's mission and helps us forge an ever-stronger culture of philanthropy," says Chancellor Rich Lyons, UC Berkeley's new leader.

By Public Affairs

Keegan Houser/UC Berkeley

August 15, 2024

Chancellor Rich Lyons sent the following message to the campus community on Aug. 15:

I am thrilled to share with you, our faculty and staff, the remarkable achievements we reached in fundraising for the 2023–24 fiscal year thanks to the generous support of Berkeley’s community of alumni, parents, and friends. Together, we raised an impressive $1.31 billion in philanthropic support, marking the highest annual fundraising total in Berkeley’s history.

Contributions from donors make a significant impact on our students, faculty, and programs. Thanks to this year’s success, students will benefit from scholarship and fellowship support, faculty positions will be strengthened and sustained, and Berkeley’s extraordinary research enterprise will be enhanced with new resources for work in many areas. Our donors recognize the positive impact their philanthropy has on our campus and beyond. Their shared values with Berkeley’s mission drives them to partner with us on realizing a united vision of a better world.

Notable achievements enabled by the generosity of the Berkeley community include the opening of Helen Diller Anchor House for transfer students, the forthcoming Bakar ClimatEnginuity Hub , and significant programmatic investments that will enhance the student experience and further our research excellence. Last year, the Graduate School of Journalism received a transformative $10 million pledge , enabling the school to substantially increase its support for students, including doubling the financial aid offered to incoming students in the fall of 2024. While undergraduates benefitted from scholarships and programmatic support, including an $11 million bequest providing flexible student support and new resources for the Department of Music and the Center for African Studies. Investments in health and environmental research, such as the Innovative Genomics Institute’s Audacious Project and the Molecular Therapeutics Initiative , reveal the impact of our donors on cutting-edge research.  

We are also grateful for the contributions of other donors, including the Charter Hill Society (CHS) members and Big Give donors. CHS members provided more than $750 million in gifts last year to a range of departments and programs, while Big Give has raised more than $115 million in gifts over its 10 years, and brought 25,000 new donors to campus. These efforts underscore the importance of every gift, regardless of size, in supporting Berkeley’s mission and help us forge an ever-stronger culture of philanthropy.

While a small portion of gifts are directed to be used at the discretion of campus leaders, the vast majority of donations are designated for specific purposes per the donors’ intentions, such as endowed chairs or capital projects. This means that, despite this year’s record-breaking fundraising total, we still face budget challenges insofar as philanthropy—as critical as it is—cannot address our rising costs nor fully make up for reductions in other sources of support. All this being said, the generous partnership of our donors remains one of Berkeley’s most important resources.

Every donation to Berkeley tells a story of our strong and vibrant community, one that continues to respond to the challenges of a changing world. Thank you for your dedication and hard work in making these achievements possible. Let us continue to build on this momentum, ensuring Berkeley’s continued excellence for generations to come.