PhD in Astrophysics

University of California, Berkeley (United States) · University Avenue and, Oxford St, Berkeley, CA 94720, United States

About University:

The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Founded in 1868 and named after Anglo-Irish philosopher George Berkeley, it is the state's first land-grant university and the founding campus of the University of California system. Berkeley is also a founding member of the Association of American Universities. It has been regarded as one of the top universities in the world.Berkeley is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities—Very high research activity" and has three national laboratories for the U.S. Department of Energy (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and Los Alamos National Laboratory).Between 2001 and 2010, it was the No. 1 recipient of National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships with 1,333 awards.In 2021, the funding for research and development exceeded $1 billion.Thirty-two libraries compose the Berkeley library system, which is the sixth largest research library by number of volumes in the United States.Berkeley's athletic teams, the California Golden Bears, compete in the Pac-12 Conference and have won 107 national championships and 223 Olympic medals (121 gold).

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About University:

The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Founded in 1868 and named after Anglo-Irish philosopher George Berkeley, it is the state's first land-grant university and the founding campus of the University of California system. Berkeley is also a founding member of the Association of American Universities. It has been regarded as one of the top universities in the world.Berkeley is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities—Very high research activity" and has three national laboratories for the U.S. Department of Energy (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and Los Alamos National Laboratory).Between 2001 and 2010, it was the No. 1 recipient of National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships with 1,333 awards.In 2021, the funding for research and development exceeded $1 billion.Thirty-two libraries compose the Berkeley library system, which is the sixth largest research library by number of volumes in the United States.Berkeley's athletic teams, the California Golden Bears, compete in the Pac-12 Conference and have won 107 national championships and 223 Olympic medals (121 gold).

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Program Details:

Program Website

Basic Info

Institute

College of Letters & Science

Degree

PhD

Duration

5-6 years

STEM Designated

Yes

Program

Astrophysics

Expense

Living Expenses

USD 30000

Tuition Fee (Domestic)

USD 11400

Tuition Fee (International)

USD 19000

Eligibility

Minimum/ Avg Score

TOEFL

90

IELTS

7

Undergrad GPA

3

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Intake Deadline 1

02 Dec, 2025

(August-2026)

Document Required:

  • Degree Certificate

    Common Document

    A bachelor’s degree or recognized equivalent from an accredited institution.

  • Degree Transcript

    Common Document

    You must hold or expect to hold a bachelor’s degree prior to the start of classes from a U.S. accredited institution by one of the AACRAO regional accrediting agencies* or a recognized equivalent from an accredited institution outside of the U.S.

  • Letter of Recommendation (LOR)

    University Specific

    Please instruct your reference writers to consider including the following points: Details on student’s academic performance in upper-division courses Proficiency in math skills, programming, and other research-related skills Fractional contribution by the applicant to any published/in-preparation papers

  • Personal Statement

    University Specific

    Please describe in a maximum of one page (font 12pts or larger, 1-inch margin on all sides): The factors and experiences that have influenced your decision to pursue a graduate degree in Astronomy in your recent past (i.e., the last few years). How you have overcome barriers to access higher education (if applicable), or how you have overcome challenges in higher education (if any). Your efforts (including research and academic service) to advance equitable access to higher education for racial minorities, gender minorities, and/or individuals from other groups that have been historically underrepresented in higher education. With specific examples, describe what role leadership, grit, perseverance and resilience have had in your academic journey so far.

  • Statement of Purpose (SOP)

    University Specific

    Please describe in a maximum of two pages (font 12pts or larger, 1-inch margin on all sides): Your aptitude and motivation for Astrophysics. Your preparation in Math, Physics, Computing and/or Astronomy. Describe in detail your research experience in Astrophysics (if any), including projects in class settings, mentioning explicitly what new skills/knowledge you acquired in the process. If you worked within a group/team, be specific about what your contribution/role was. Your current research interests, in relation to research done at UC Berkeley. Your academic plans, ambitions, and future career goals. Be specific about why UC Berkeley Astronomy would be a good intellectual fit for you.

  • Test Score Report

    Common Document

    TOEFL/IELTS

  • Credential Evaluation

    Common Document

    Upload a scanned copy of your transcript and degree certificate for each institution after high school. If your academic records are in a language other than English or Spanish and your university does not offer a translation

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