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Program Overview
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Students with a B.A. or B.S. in engineering, physics, mathematics, chemistry, or other related subjects are eligible for admission. Normally, an applicant will be expected to have taken a two-year undergraduate (lower-division) mathematics sequence, and a one-year undergraduate sequence in two of the following three: physics, chemistry or biology. The student must also have completed extensive upper-division work in either the physical, mathematical, or life sciences. The mathematical level should include, at a minimum, vector calculus and differential equations. Students who are lacking in some of these requirements may be admitted with the condition that they complete the basic entrance requirements upon admission to the Group. Applicants are required to submit 3 letters of recommendation, certified original transcripts, official GRE scores (general exam only), and TOEFL score reports, if applicable. AST will not acceptGRE scores from exams taken prior to Oct. 1, 2002, and will not accept TOEFL scores from exams taken prior to June 2005.
Students can initiate the admissions process by contacting the College of Engineering Office for Interdisciplinary Studies, 230 Bechtel Engineering Center #1708 (510-642-8790), or by sending email to ast.program@coe.berkeley.edu, where they will obtain appropriate admission forms and procedural guidance. On-line applications to UC Berkeley are now available through Graduate Admission: http://www.grad.berkeley.edu/prospective/
Applications will be reviewed by the AS&T Admissions Committee appointed by the chairman. Final admissions decisions require the approval of the Dean of the Graduate Division. Students are admitted for a specific academic year. Admission cannot be deferred, so students should apply for the year in which they intend to enroll in the Program. Admissions are considered for the fall term only.
All applicants are admitted only for the Fall term of each academic year. Admission cannot be deferred; therefore, you should apply for the Fall term in which you actually intend to enroll in the program. Every applicant must submit all application materials in order to be considered. If you are applying to AS&T and petitioning for Change of Major or Degree goal, or seeking Readmission and want to use academic records or letters of recommendation previously submitted within the last two years, you must arrange for their transfer from the prior program directly to AS&T. If your letters of recommendation are more than 2 years old, please be sure to submit new letters from your recommenders. You must meet all current deadlines and requirements; make sure that your TOEFL or other required tests meet the current test date cutoffs.
Those seeking readmission or Change of Major or Degree Goal will be evaluated and ranked by the Admissions Committee together with new student applications for the Fall 2007 admission cycle.
Please Note: AS&T offers only one admission cycle per academic year. All applicants for Fall 2007, including applicants for readmission or change of major or degree goal, must submit applications by the January 2, 2007 deadline.
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All students who are admitted to the Group will meet regularly with one of the Group's Graduate Advisors, who will assist in developing an appropriate program of study. The Graduate Advisor is a faculty member who is the student's official academic advisor. This is a distinctly different role from the student's Dissertation Research Supervisor. In addition, each student is assigned to a faculty advisor. The advising process is described in the AS&T Student Manual.
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There is no requirement for a foreign language within the Graduate Group.
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(a) Specific fields of emphasis
Within the program in Applied Science and Technology, there are three major fields of study: Applied Physics, Engineering Science, and Mathematical Sciences. A student must choose a program of study falling within one of these three fields. The student, with guidance from his or her graduate advisor and other members of the faculty, is expected to complete a sequence of courses that cumulatively provide a firm foundation in one of these fields, with a significant knowledge in a broader area of emphasis. The student is also expected to participate in research activities relevant to the major field. Several "sample programs" are given later in these notes, along with current research interests of faculty associated with AS&T.
(b) Degree plans
The two degrees to be granted are Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy, both in Applied Science and Technology.
(c) Unit requirements
Master's Plan I requirements:
Completion of a master's thesis. The master's thesis must be read and approved by a committee of three, with at least two being members of the academic senate.
Master's Plan II requirements:
1) Completion of 24 semester units, of which at least 12 units are in graded graduate level courses in the major field of study, not counting seminars. Up to 3 units of individual research may be included in the remaining 12 units. The remaining units may be advanced undergraduate or graduate courses in other fields or in the major.
2) Completion of a masters research project report, in lieu of a comprehensive examination. The masters research project report must be read and approved by at least two faculty members.
Doctor of Philosophy
The Ph.D. program for students entering immediately after receiving a baccalaureate degree provides an academic program that includes preparation in the (Applied Physics or Mathematical Sciences) major field of study and one minor field of study. A minimum of 36 semester units of coursework is required, exclusive of seminars and research. Of these 36 units, at least 24 units must be graduate-level (200 series) courses, and the remaining 12 units must be upper division or graduate level courses. The student's program will be developed in consultation with the research supervisor and graduate advisors to suit his/her individual needs. The interdisciplinary nature of the group makes it particularly important that the student discuss his/her coursework with the research supervisor, as the research supervisor is most familiar with the skills and knowledge necessary to complete the dissertation.
The student is required to complete at least 18 semester units relating to the student's major of research field. In addition, a minor must be established. This is done by taking 12 semester units in the chosen minor emphasis area. Thus, of the 36 required units, 30 are taken in establishing the major area and minor areas, leaving 6 discretionary units.
(d) Sample programs
The appropriate curriculum for a graduate student in AS&T depends on the individual student's career goals. Curricula will usually bridge the traditional disciplines, with courses taken from several departments within mathematics, physics, chemistry and engineering. Typically, students will take two or three courses per semester the first two years, and one course per semester the remaining years, when the student concentrates on his or her research project. In addition, students must enroll in one seminar each semester.
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All students who enter the Ph.D. program must take a one hour oral preliminary examination based upon basic courses in their field of expertise. The exam must be taken no later than the second semester of the first academic year within the program. Students who fail to pass the exam are allowed one more attempt, to be taken no later than the end of their third semester. A selection of courses to be covered in each of the examination areas will be established, and an oral examination will be arranged. Recommendations for academic program and course work will be forwarded to the Graduate Advisor for inclusion in the student's "Blue Card," which tracks student progress throughout the degree program. The Preliminary Examination Committee will include four members of the AS&T Group with research interests similar to that of the student. Typically, this will include members from more than one department, and the student's Research Advisor if available. The committee chair will be selected from the List of Approved AS&T Preliminary Examination Committee Chairs. A detailed description of the Preliminary Examination and a Sample Examination Proposal are given in the Student Manual. An sample examination proposal can be downloaded as a PDF.
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As a part of the University requirements, students enrolled in the Ph.D. program must pass an oral Qualifying Examination in subjects appropriate to their approved areas of study. The examination will test the student's broad knowledge of areas related to his or her chosen areas of emphasis, as well as the depth of understanding in the areas in which the student anticipates undertaking research. The oral qualifying examination can be scheduled at any time mutually agreeable to the student and his or her graduate advisor, but in no case later than one year after passing the AS&T Preliminary Examination. Students are urged to check the general University requirements for this examination. A detailed description is given in Section VI.
The examination will be conducted by a committee of four members of the faculty approved by the Graduate Dean. The student should work with his or her graduate advisor and research adviser to nominate faculty to serve on this committee. The chairman and at least two other members of the examination committee shall be members of the AS&T Graduate Group. One member of the Qualifying Committee shall not be an AS&T Group member. The chair and outside members must belong to the Academic Senate. One member of the committee may be non-Senate, with the approval of the Graduate Dean. The committee should include at least one member from the student's major area of emphasis, and one must be from the student's minor area of emphasis.
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The dissertation, the product of independent investigation under faculty supervision, is the most important requirement for the doctoral program. The research will be conducted in close collaboration with members of the AS&T faculty who agree to supervise the student's research. In consultation with the dissertation research supervisor, and after passing the Qualifying Examination, each student will nominate a Dissertation Committee to consist of the supervisor and two other faculty members (who may or may not have been part of the qualifying examination committee and one of whom is from outside the AS&T Group) for the graduate advisor's approval. The composition of the committee is subject to the approval of the Graduate Dean. The chair and outside member must belong to the Academic Senate. One member of the committee may be non-Senate, with approval of the Graduate Dean.
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No formal final dissertation examination is required; however, before graduation, each student will be expected to present a formal seminar on the results of his or her research. This seminar will be announced to all AS&T faculty members and students and will be open to all other members of the University community.
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The Group will assist students in securing financial support. Student support comes from several sources, with varying requirements and restrictions. To the degree to which the AS&T program has direct control over financial aid to its students, support is administered in accordance with the following policies: (I) All incoming students to the Ph.D. program are automatically considered for financial assistance as part of the admissions process and should check the appropriate boxes on the application indicating their interest in receiving financial aid. (2) Unless there is a specific exception made, all support commitments are made on a year-to-year basis. (3) It is the responsibility of continuing students to apply for those forms of financial assistance they deem appropriate. The Group will do its best to keep students informed of available opportunities and to provide necessary supporting documentation. (4) Priority for fellowship and teaching-assistantship support goes to incoming Ph.D. students. (5) Students performing research under the guidance of a faculty member are usually supported by research grants. The specific arrangements of this support are to be worked out between the individual student and the research supervisor, subject to University regulations.
The following sources of support are available to students in the AS&T Program:
There are University Fellowships administered by the University. Incoming students receive fellowship application materials in their application packets. Berkeley continuing students need to pick up fellowship application materials at the Graduate Division Fellowship Office, Sproul Hall. For details regarding application deadlines (which are usually around the beginning of the calendar year), please contact the fellowship office. These fellowships, which pay tuition and fees, as well as a monthly stipend, are awarded on the basis of a campus-wide competition. The AS&T Admissions Committee will nominate appropriate incoming students for these fellowships on behalf of the Group, following the policy guidelines listed above.
Out-of-state students may apply for non-resident tuition scholarships. These scholarships pay a student's non-resident tuition, but do not provide a stipend to cover living expenses. The AS&T Admissions Committee will also select incoming students to be nominated for non-resident tuition scholarships. Students who are not residents of California should act to establish residency as soon as they arrive, in order to avoid paying non-resident tuition in their second year.
The Normative Time Program, established by the Regents in 1978, provides a grant to doctoral students who have been advanced to candidacy (passed the Qualifying Examination) and whose progress toward their degrees falls within the normative time of 5.5 years established for the doctoral-degree program. The grant is equivalent to the amount of the educational fee. Appropriate forms will be sent to students by the Graduate Division at the time they are eligible to be advanced to candidacy.
Once a student has started working on a research project, his or her research supervisor may be able to provide a research assistantship. In addition, some students secure research assistantships before beginning their dissertation research, either as a way of obtaining experience or simply as a form of gainful employment. The specific arrangements are left to the individual student and faculty members involved, but the usual arrangement is for the student to work approximately half-time during the academic year (the maximum time permitted by University rules). In many cases, the student may work 100% time during the summer. In many cases, the faculty member's research grant may also pay the student's fees, in addition to providing the research assistantship salary. Students holding research assistantships may apply for non-resident tuition scholarships. The Admission Committee tries to locate research assistantships for incoming students who do not have other support available, but research assistantships tend to go to students who are well into or finished with their course work.
Students may also apply for jobs as graduate-student instructors (GSIs) for courses offered by the departments participating in the Group. A student may hold a teaching and research assistantship at the same time, as long as the total employment does not exceed a nominal half-time appointment during the academic year. Apply directly to the professor or department offering the course in question.
Students should also contact the Financial Aid Office to collect information on many different kinds of specialized fellowships, scholarships, loans, and other opportunities. All of the sources of support available through the Financial Aid Office are based upon financial need, except for the Regents Scholarship.
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The graduate advisors are the official deputies of the Dean of the Graduate Division in matters affecting graduate students in the Group. Thus, the relationship between the Graduate Division and the advisor is a very close one, involving cooperation on both sides. The objectives of both are the same: To ensure the best possible education of students and to guide them in an orderly fashion through the various steps necessary for the attainment of the pursued degree.
The three graduate advisors will constitute an AS&T Committee of Curriculum Advisors. These graduate advisors (Head Graduate Advisor, Graduate Affirmative Action Advisor, and Faculty Advisor for GSI Affairs) are nominated by the Chair of the Graduate Group and are appointed by the Dean of the Graduate Division. According to Graduate Division policy, the signature of the designated Chair of Graduate Advisors (or principal advisor) is required on documents or requests pertaining to the following: admission, readmission, change or addition of major, graduate standing, degrees, examinations, normative time, and appointment of qualifying examination and dissertation committees (i.e., matters concerning graduate enrollment, degrees, progress, and financial aid). Other graduate advisers may only sign petitions to add/drop courses. As a Committee of Curriculum Advisors, the three will provide an independent mechanism for tracking each student's progress throughout his or her period of study and research (see section 14, "Tracking Student Progress") in AS&T. This will be accomplished through the maintenance of "Blue Cards," which formally track each student's progress in course work and research, preliminary and qualifying exam results, recommendations from the respective committees, receipt of annual statements of research progress beyond the Qualifying Examination, and faculty response thereto.
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Each student is assigned a member of the AS&T faculty to serve as the student's faculty advisor. While students are encouraged to seek advice on academic matters from the wide variety of faculty as well as from their student peers, the faculty advisor is the student's guide in matters pertaining to curriculum, preliminary and qualifying exams, and career options. (This is a distinctly different role from the student's dissertation research advisor.)
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Before embarking on a specific field of research leading to a thesis, the student will obtain agreement, from one or more members of the AS&T faculty to supervise his or her research activities in an area of mutual interest. This is an especially important choice, as the team will work very closely for several years. The research supervisor will become the student's major faculty contact for both research and academic programs during the years of educational pursuit.
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The Committee of Curriculum Advisors annually tracks all students' course, research and examination progress. This will be done through the maintenance of "Blue Cards," which track student progress. The cards will include information on all course work recommended as part of the individual student's program of study, including courses recommended by his or her Preliminary and Qualifying Examination Committees. The card will also note timely progress in both of these examinations, and acknowledge receipt of a satisfactory annual written statement of research progress by each student. In turn, each student will receive a written annual statement of progress and deficiencies. This will continue until the student's thesis has been accepted. To the degree possible and appropriate, an effort will be made to provide continuity of membership to each student's Preliminary and Qualifying Committees so as to provide an additional mechanism for extended faculty oversight of each individual student.
An Annual Meeting is held each Fall to provide a mechanism for exchange of views and reporting of research throughout the period of study and research. The Annual Meeting will include a poster and presentation by each student beyond his or her first year in the program. All AS&T students are required to attend as a significant component of their participation in the group.
To encourage interaction between faculty and students throughout the degree program, students are required to register for one seminar in their area of interest each semester until their thesis is accepted.
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