Academics

Program of Study

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 in one of four major fields of study: Applied Physics,Engineering Science,Mathematical Sciences, and Life Sciences.

Students who have been admitted to the graduate group may also apply for a “Designated Emphasis” in one or more popular topics, such as Nanoscale Science & Engineering (NSE), or Computational Science and Engineering (CSE). Students usually apply for the Designated Emphasis during their first or second year.
A student must choose a program of study falling within one of the above fields. Each student, with guidance from his or her Faculty Academic Advisor and Faculty Research Advisor (and approved by the Head Graduate Advisor) 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 related disciplines.

The definition of a full-time program of study depends upon whether you are an international student and your employment status during the course of your studies. It is strongly recommended that all students enroll in twelve (12) units of upper division and/or graduate work per semester. International students and students on fellowships may have different definitions of “full-time” to contend with, and should consult with appropriate advisors.

International students need to check with the Graduate Division for the latest information on the minimum number of required units. Entering students should be aware, however, that most faculty research advisors will expect their students to make progress at a rate that will preclude your continuing to work full-time in industry while pursuing your graduate degree, and particularly at the beginning while you are taking most of your graduate courses, preparing for the preliminary examination, and doing research. You should plan to commit the largest portion of your time to your studies and research at least until you are well established in the program.

Blue Cards

New students will receive the AS&T Blue Card (tentative program of study for the doctoral degree) at the first Orientation meeting held in early fall semester. You will design a tentative program of study for your doctoral degree on your Blue Card (with the assistance of your Research Advisor and your Faculty Academic Advisor), listing the courses needed to fulfill the major and minor courses required for the doctoral degree. The Blue Card must be signed by the AS&T Head Graduate Advisor after you have successfully passed the Preliminary Examination and the Qualifying Examination, and have been Advanced to Candidacy. Later you will also include your Dissertation Committee on the Blue Card.

You are free to make changes to your plan after filing this card, but once it has been signed by your Research Advisor and the Head Graduate Advisor, you are assured that the courses you intend to take will be accepted as satisfying all requirements. This eliminates the possibility of finding out too late, (after you have begun preparations for the Qualifying Examination) that you still have to take another course.

Please submit the Blue Card to the AS&T Student Services Advisor each time you have completed one of the above “milestones” and have obtained the appropriate signatures.

Annual Student Reviews

Student Reviews are held annually each spring semester, and are used to measure the student’s progress toward completion of the doctoral degree. Students are required to complete the Progress Review form, and to meet with his/her Faculty Research Advisor to discuss the progress made by the student since the previous year’s review. The form must be signed by both the student and the Research Advisor, and submitted to the Student Services Advisor upon completion of the review. Students will thereafter receive a memo from the Head Graduate Advisor, with possible recommendations for future progress.

Grades

AS&T students are required to maintain a minimum GPA of 3.5 (effective with Fall 2016 entering class) while at Berkeley, but are mandated by the Graduate Division to maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0.

All courses, except for 299s, must be taken for a letter grade. Courses numbered as 299 are taken with the S/U grade option. Your overall GPA must be at least 3.0 (computed for all 100- and 200-level courses taken up to the time the M.S. is awarded). Grades of “I” (Incomplete), “NR” (No Report), or “F” must be cleared or explained before you are allowed to advance to candidacy or allowed to receive your degree.

Transfer of Credit

Students may discuss the possible transfer of credits from previous institutions with the Head Graduate Advisor, who will determine if the work completed elsewhere satisfies the University standards for the master’s and doctoral degrees. Each student’s case is handled individually based on the student’s academic course of study, grade received, and institution attended. For all circumstances, the maximum number of transfer units is 8 and these units must be used to offset the student’s minor unit requirement. You should contact the Head Graduate Advisor for an appointment to review your transcripts. Please take copies from all institutions attended when you meet with the Head Graduate Advisor.

AS&T Degree Requirements

The two degrees that are granted under the Graduate Program in Applied Science & Technology are the Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy. All AS&T students must follow Plan II (without thesis) for the Master of Science degree. Also, Plan B is the designated plan for AS&T students pursuing the Doctor of Philosophy degree.

Master of Science Degree
Students interested in pursuing a Master of Science Degree while continuing to pursue the Ph.D. may plan a Master’s project with their Research Advisor (and with the approval of the Head Graduate Advisor). The student and Research Advisor should discuss a timeline for completing the project. The Graduate Division offers two plans for the Master’s of Science degree; however, AS&T students need to follow Plan II requirements for the degree. Students must inform the SSA that they would like to be placed on the Ad-vancement to Candidacy list under Plan II before Graduate Division’s deadline. Dead-lines are posted on the Graduate Division website. Thereafter, upon approval by the Graduate Division Dean, the student receives a Certificate of Candidacy from the Graduate Degrees office. Normal candidacy for a Master’s degree is 3 years; most students complete the degree within one year of filing.

Plan II (Graduate Division) Regulations

A written report of a project must be approved by the Research Advisor and by a second reader, also a member of the Berkeley Division of the Academic Senate. Exceptions for non-Berkeley faculty must be approved by petition. You must submit the (1) original copy of the report, with the original signed title page, to the AS&T Office. A cover page with signatures of all readers must be included in the report. Photographs and drawings in the original copy of your thesis or report must be originals, not photocopies. Your work will be filed in the AS&T office.

AS&T Master of Science 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 technical fields or in the major.

2. Completion of a master’s research project report, in lieu of a comprehensive examination. The master’s research project report must be read and approved by at least two (2) faculty members.

AS&T Doctor of Philosophy Requirements (Plan B)

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 32 semester units of letter-graded coursework is required, exclusive of seminars and research. Of these 32 units, at least 24 units must be graduate level (200 series) courses, and the remaining 8 units may be upper division or graduate level courses. The student’s program is developed in consultation with the faculty research advisor and faculty academic advisor to suit his/her individual needs. The interdisciplinary nature of the group makes it particularly important that the student discuss all coursework with the faculty research advisor, who 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 research field. In addition, a minor must be established by taking 8 semester units in the chosen minor emphasis area with appropriate technical content to prepare the student for the Qualifying examination and the dissertation. Of the 32 required units, 26 are taken in establishing the major area and minor areas, leaving 6 discretionary units.

Preliminary Examination

All students who enter the Ph.D. program must take a one and a half hour oral AS&T Preliminary Examination (or “Prelim”) based upon basic courses in a chosen field of expertise. The exam must be taken by the second semester of the first academic year in the program (typically in late spring semester). Students who fail to pass the exam are allowed one more attempt, to be taken by the end of their third semester. A selection of courses to be covered in each of the examination areas is established, and the oral examination is arranged in consultation with the faculty academic advisor. Recommendations for academic program and course work will be forwarded to the Head Graduate Advisor for inclusion in the student’s “Blue Card,” which tracks student progress throughout the degree program. The Preliminary Examination Committee includes three members of the AS&T Graduate Group with research interests similar to that of the student. Typically, this includes members from more than one academic department, and a committee chair selected from the List of Approved AS&T Preliminary Examination Committee Chairs.

Preliminary Exam Proposal

Students must submit a Preliminary Exam Proposal, which should be prepared with the guidance and approval of the Research Advisor (and signed by both the Research Advisor and the Head Graduate Advisor).

Scheduling the Preliminary Examination

Scheduling the Prelim involves some long-range planning. Both your faculty research advisor and your faculty academic advisor can assist you in choosing the members of your examination committee. It is best to first choose the chair of your committee from the List of Approved AS&T Preliminary Examination Committee Chairs, and to make your request of him or her in person, rather than by email. Working with your examination chair, you can narrow the choices for the other 2 members of your committee and an appropriate window of time during which the exam might be scheduled. If you need guidance on how to contact the faculty candidates for your exam, please see your Student Services Advisor. You will also need to schedule a room for the exam, which could be the faculty office of the examination chair, or another room requiring booking. Don’t delay in reserving a room, since many classrooms or conference rooms are booked months in advance. Try to book the same room for practice exams, if possible.

Practicing for the Preliminary Examination

It is prudent to hold one or two “mock” prelim exams staffed by fellow students who have already passed the Prelim, and to do so in the same room that you reserved for your actual exam. Many students feel more at ease on the day of the exam if they have already practiced in the same room.

Examination Protocol

Students are advised not to bring food or drink to the exam for the benefit of the examiners. You can be assured that the examiners are well fed already and the lack of food or drink will not affect the outcome of your exam. However, you are welcome to bring food or drink for yourself. If you need to take a drink or a break, do not hesitate to let the examiners know. In particular, if you feel weary let the examiners know so that you can take a break.

Qualifying Examination

In keeping with 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 qualifying examination is mandated by the Graduate Division to test the student’s broad knowledge of areas related to his or her chosen areas of emphasis, and not just the singular narrow topic in which the dissertation lies. The examination can be scheduled at any time mutually agreeable to the student and his or her graduate academic advisor, but in no case later than the third year of study. Students are urged to check the general requirements for Qualifying Examination specified by the Graduate Division.

The Qualifying Examination is an important checkpoint meant to demonstrate that you are on a promising track toward the Ph.D. degree. It is a University examination, administered by the Graduate Council, with the specific purpose of demonstrating that “the student is clearly an expert in those areas of the discipline that have been specified for the examination, and that he or she can, in all likelihood, design and produce an acceptable dissertation.” Despite such rigid criteria, faculty examiners recognize that the level expected is that appropriate for a third year graduate student who has only just begun a re-search project. It is one of the rare times that you will be able to get four professors together to listen attentively to your research ideas and to offer constructive criticism at a time when such criticism can potentially help your research.

Most graduate students take the Qualifying Exam before they even begin their dissertation research, as reflected in the Graduate Division’s policy. It is most important to note that having research data is not a requirement for passing the Qualifying Examination.

The examination is generally scheduled in a three (3) hour block. It is conducted by a committee of four (4) members of the faculty approved by the Head Graduate Advisor. The student should work with his or her faculty academic advisor and research advisor to nominate the committee members. The chair of the Qualifying Exam Committee shall be a member of the AS&T Graduate Group. The rest of the committee must be members of the Academic Senate. There are no other requirements regarding the percentage of members from AS&T, or from outside AS&T (e.g., a committee can come entirely from within AS&T. The Faculty Research Advisor may not serve as the chair of the Qualifying Examination Committee. 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.

Scheduling the Qualifying Examination

The normal time to schedule the examination is in the third year of graduate study. It is better to take the exam early than late; however, you should take the exam only when you and your research advisor are convinced that you are ready. This means that you should have a reasonably clear research plan, be quite familiar with previous and current work in the problem area, and most importantly understand the nuances of the scientific method. The exam is meant to demonstrate ability to do research, not a defense of an all-but-completed dissertation. While it is recognized that some students need to delay the exam (for example, if they switch research areas well into their graduate program), all reasonable effort should be made to take the exam in the third year of study. Significant delays will be brought to the attention of your Faculty Research Advisor and to the Head Graduate Advisor at the time of the Student Review meetings.
As with the Preliminary Examination, you will want to consult early with your research advisor about faculty candidates to serve on your Qualifying Examination Committee. Keep in mind that this exam is schedule in a 3-hour time slot, so it may be difficult to confirm a day and time which all faculty are available. Please be patient and continue to negotiate with your committee members so that you are all satisfied with a day/time. Remember to schedule the room for a minimum of 3 hours to allow sufficient time for the examination process to conclude. You will also want to practice at least once or twice before the exam, so try to reserve the same room for your practices, too. Again, it is always a good idea to invite students from your research group or other AS&T students who have successfully passed the Qualifying Examination to practice at least once with you. More recommendations are available in the Tips and Suggestions for Oral Exams listed below in the Appendix.

Eligibility

To be eligible for the Qualifying Examination, students must be registered during the semester in which the exam is taken. An exam may be taken during the summer or winter breaks only if the student paid fees for the semester immediately preceding the exam or intends to pay fees for the semester immediately following the exam. In addition, students must have completed at least one semester of academic residence at Berkeley, have passed the Preliminary Examination, have a GPA of at least 3.0 (299 units not included) and have not have more than 2 “Incomplete” grades.
Application
Students must apply to take the Qualifying Examination. The application form is available on-line through the Graduate Degrees website, and it specifies 3 suggested topics for examination that you should choose in consultation with your faculty graduate advisor. It must be signed by the Head Graduate Advisor and submitted to Student Services Advisor at least one month before the proposed date of the exam. Students may take the exam after receiving an approval notice from the Graduate Division. One week before the exam date, the Student Services Advisor will email a reminder to each committee member, so be sure to keep your SSA informed of any change of time or location.

If a student wishes to change the membership of the exam committee after the application has been approved by Graduate Division, the committee must be “reconstituted” by petition. This form is also available on-line through the Graduate Degrees website. The petition, signed by the Head Graduate Advisor, must be submitted to the SSA, who will then forward the petition to Graduate Division.

Format & Structure

Since research areas differ, the format of the examination may vary somewhat. It is most important that you meet with all members of the exam committee well in advance of the exam to be sure of a common understanding of the format.

Advancement to Candidacy

Advancement to candidacy requires that doctoral students: pass the AS&T Qualifying Examination; have no more than two (2) courses graded incomplete (“I”); and have a minimum 3.0 grade-point-average.

After satisfying these eligibility requirements, students should complete an Application for Advancement to Candidacy, this application along with a check in the appropriate amount (made payable to the UC Regents), should be submitted to the SSA, who will forward the application to Graduate Division. The application form is available from the Graduate Degrees Office and the Graduate Division website: < http://www.grad.berkeley.edu/policies/forms.shtml >.

The Head Graduate Advisor and the Chair of the Dissertation Committee must sign the form. The application form shall be filed by the end of the semester following the one in which the student passed the Qualifying Examination. Examinations more than five years old are not accepted as representing current knowledge. When doctoral students are advanced to candidacy, the Graduate Division mails a Certificate of Candidacy You should submit a copy of your Certificate of Candidacy to your payroll office; students who have been Advanced to Candidacy are eligible for pay increases. For further information, including information on Normative Time in Candidacy, please refer to the Graduate Division website.

Dissertation

The dissertation, the product of independent investigation under faculty supervision, is the most important requirement for the doctoral program. The research is conducted in close collaboration with members of the AS&T faculty who agree to supervise the student’s research. In consultation with the faculty research advisor, and after passing the Qualifying Examination, each student nominates a Dissertation Committee that consists of three Academic Senate members. The chair or co-chair (a committee with a co-chair will consist of 4 members) of the committee must be an Academic Senate member from the AS&T faculty. There are no other requirements regarding the percentage of members from AS&T, or from outside AS&T (e.g., a committee can come entirely from within the degree granting unit). The dissertation should be approved by the Head Graduate Advisor. The composition of the committee is subject to the approval of the Graduate Dean.

Note: It is imperative that you carefully follow Graduate Division’s requirements and guidelines for filing the dissertation. To avoid future problems, please read this website carefully. Don’t neglect to give a copy of your dissertation to each of your dissertation committee members.