Applicants must be UC Berkeley undergraduates who have majored in Mechanical Engineering, the Mechanical Engineering/Nuclear Engineering Joint Program, or the Mechanical Engineering/Materials Science & Engineering Joint Program.
Strong preference is given to applicants with a 3.5 cumulative GPA or higher. Junior transfers who are applying should combine their transfer school GPA (the courses that are being used towards their MechE requirements) with their UC Berkeley GPA to calculate this number.
Application Eligibility for 5th Year MS Program
Applications are only reviewed during the fall admission cycle.
If graduating in spring of a given year: you must apply in the preceding fall for admission in the following fall. For example, if graduating in spring 2025, then you must apply in fall 2024 for fall 2025 admission.
If graduating in fall of a given year: you must apply in fall of the previous academic year for admission in fall of your graduating year. We would then defer your admission to the spring immediately following your graduation term. For example, if graduating in fall 2024, then you must apply in fall 2023 for fall 2024 admission, and we would defer your start by one semester. You would officially join the program in spring 2025.
Other deferrals are rarely, if ever, granted.
| Estimated Graduation | Estimated Start | Apply |
| Fall 2024 | Spring 2025 | Fall 2023 |
| Spring 2025 | Fall 2025 | Fall 2024 |
| Fall 2025 | Spring 2026 | Fall 2024 |
| Spring 2026 | Fall 2026 | Fall 2025 |