Application deadline: December 1st, 2024
We welcome applications from students interested in pursuing the Ph.D. degree. To apply, use the On-line application form.
We provide full financial support to all successful applicants. Funding packages include tuition, fees, health insurance, and a salary or stipend. Funding packages normally involve a combination of fellowship money (i.e. a stipend) and teaching assistantships, for a period of five years.
Materials you will need to upload:
- Letters of recommendation from people who know you
- Academic transcripts from all university/college level institutions attended. Upload unofficial transcripts with your application. Official transcripts or academic records for all university/college-level studies you have completed, at U.S. institutions and abroad, will be required if you are admitted and decide to attend. Academic records issued in a language other than English should be included in the original language and accompanied by English translations.
- Writing sample (preferably relevant to your aims in our program)
- Admissions essays, i.e. the statement of purpose and the personal statement
The GRE is not required. Please do *not* submit GRE scores.
What we look for in your application
Our main questions are: What are your professional goals? How do you see getting a PhD in Linguistics here at Berkeley fitting into your goals? What academic and other experiences prepare you for these goals?
The statement of purpose
In your statement of purpose, focus on your professional interests and your immediate and long-range goals. Autobiographical information can be useful where it is clearly relevant to your goals. Admissions decisions are made by a committee composed of department faculty. It is helpful if you include the names of particular faculty members whose work seems to match your own interests and briefly discuss the connections you see.
The personal statement
With your personal statement, you can help us understand the context of your achievements so far. For example, tell us what opportunities have or have not been available to you, and what experiences and perspectives you bring to the department and to the field of linguistics. Whether you intend to pursue an academic career, i.e. research and teaching at a college or university, or other career opportunities, highlight your motivation and potential contributions.
The graduate division provides additional helpful advice about writing the statement of purpose and the personal statement. We recommend that you consider their advice carefully, as the two statements are important parts of the application.
English proficiency
If you completed your basic degree (i.e. the equivalent of a U.S. bachelor’s degree) in a country or region in which the official language is a language other than English, you will need to submit official evidence of English language proficiency. If this applies to you, take the TOEFL or IELTS English Proficiency test by November 2024. See the admissions requirements web page for further details.
Berkeley Linguistics Application Review Program
The Application Review Program (ARP) is a project that aims to increase the range of students represented in linguistics by providing feedback on applications to linguistics graduate programs. The program is directed toward students who come from communities that are underrepresented in the field.
If you meet the eligibility criteria below, please submit this form, which asks some brief questions and for you to submit your Statement of Purpose, resume/CV, and Diversity/Personal Statement (if you wish). We will pair you with a Berkeley Ph.D. student who most closely matches your interests in linguistics and will return your application materials with feedback approximately two weeks after you fill out the form. Note that you do not need to be applying to UC Berkeley in order to apply for this program. We welcome submissions from those applying to any graduate program in linguistics in North America.
Note, however, that there is a limited number of applications we can review. If we cannot review your materials, we will reach out as soon as possible to let you know. Additionally, there are many factors that feed into graduate school applications, and participating in ARP does not guarantee admission to UC Berkeley or any other graduate school. (Of course, nonetheless, we really hope to help!)
Eligibility
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Applying to a graduate (Ph.D. or Masters) linguistics program in North America
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Member of a community that is underrepresented in the field of linguistics. This includes, but is not limited to, backgrounds such as being BIPOC, queer, first-generation and/or low-income, disabled, or a parent.