New Arrivals

WELCOME TO THE UC BERKELEY DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMICS!

Admission to the Berkeley Ph.D. program is highly competitive. Congratulations on this impressive achievement, which reflects both your outstanding academic record and our assessment of your potential for success in scholarly research.

This website will be regularly updated with deadlines and other pertinent information to help guide you through the transition to Berkeley and the beginning of your first semester.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

  • Plan Your Visit: Don't miss the Prospective, PhD-Student Visit-Days planned for April 1st and 2nd. This is your opportunity to explore UC Berkeley and the Economics Department, meet with faculty and current PhD students, and attend classes. An agenda for both days will be posted shortly, but please know the essential activities will be on April 2nd, with mostly tours and class visits on April 1st. Please see the following Econ website and the Visitor Services website for helpful information on traveling to and staying overnight in Berkeley.
  • Accept the Offer: You should soon receive an official letter from the Dean of the Graduate Division confirming your admission. This offer of admission will include details on how to accept the admission online. April 15, 2008 is the deadline to accept the offer of admission.
  • Faculty and Student Contacts: Please know that you will be contacted by faculty and current students over the course of the next couple of weeks!
  • Questions?:  See the bottom of this webpage for contact information.  

GETTING TO KNOW BERKELEY

The following links answer many frequently asked questions about life as a graduate student at UC Berkeley.

Main Websites:

Websites for Newly Admitted Students:

Quick Links:


WHEN TO ARRIVE

Orientations and Receptions: The Department of Economics orientation will be held Friday July, 25, 2008. There will be additional orientations and receptions for new students hosted by UC Berkeley which take place the week before fall instruction begins (August 18th – August 22nd).

Beginning July 28th, all new students will be in ECON 204 (see below) up to four hours a day Monday through Friday and studying a significant amount of time outside of class. Consider arriving a month to at least a few weeks earlier than July 25th as it will take you time to find housing and to settle in. Housing resources can be found within the links above.

Fall Classes Start August 27th! The 2008-2009 Calendar will be available at a later date - please use the 2007-2008 calendar as a guideline: 2007-2008 Student Calendar.

ACADEMICS

ECON 204: Mathematical Tools for Economists This mandatory course begins prior to the official start of the Fall semester on Monday July 28th, 2008 and ends Tuesday, August 19, 2008. Please see the following PDF file for further information on course content, as well as the possibility of receiving a waiver: Math Requirements for Fall 2008 (PDF). The Econ 204 course web-page (note the dates are from last year!) is also helpful.

  • Important Note to International Students: Once international students apply for their I-20 or DS-2019, they are ineligible for the waiver. If international students apply for the waiver, they are encouraged to do so as soon as possible. If you are not enrolled in Econ 204 because you've been given a waiver, this means your earliest entry-date will be 30 days prior to August 27th, as compared to 30 days prior to July 28th.
  • How to Enroll for Econ 204 - see link for important details.

Year 1 Course Requirements: During the first two semesters of study, students must take a set of eight core courses to satisfy requirements in mathematics, economic history, economic theory, and econometrics. Details can be found here: Year 1 Requirements.

PhD Handbook: Please see the following link for program timelines and requirements.

REGISTRATION AND FEES

Registration: Tele-BEARS registration for classes will take place the first week of August. You will receive an email from the Registrar's office providing your registration date and time near the end of July.

Tuition and Fees: Fees for the 2008-2009 Academic Year have not yet been set. As a point of reference, please see the fees for the current academic year. Students registering in Fall 2008 should expect fee increases.

Payment: Payment of fees will be due in mid-August (in full or first installment). Your statement will be available on-line in early August. Statements will reflect all Department of Economics fellowships.

DEPARTMENT INFORMATION

Navigating the Department: The Department of Economics takes up the entire 6th floor of Evans Hall and part of the 5th floor, with the main office located in 508-1 Evans Hall. You will find faculty and staff in the outer offices along the main hallways and student offices, as well as a few meeting spaces, along the central hallway. The two main Econ classrooms located in the department are 608-7 Evans and 639 Evans with 608-7 being the larger of the two. 611 Evans Hall is the student lounge which is open to students 24hrs per day; students use this area to meet and study. Graduate student mailboxes and some lockers are located in 612 Evans Hall where you will also find a microwave and couch. Last but not least, the Graduate Office is located in 539 Evans Hall.

Graduate Economics Association (GEA): The GEA is a student association that organizes social activities for Economics graduate students. The main events are the skit party and the "Little Big Game" versus Stanford, which is a series of competitions (soccer, touch football, frisbee, and volleyball). The GEA also organizes a faculty/student softball game, an Oakland A's baseball game in the summer, and a picnic for new students. All Economics Graduate students are by default, members of the GEA.

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS PLEASE CONTACT:

Professor Enrico Moretti, Graduate Chair,
email: or phone at 510-642-6649

Professor Botond Koszegi, Admissions Chair,
email: or phone at 510-643-0714

Patrick G. Allen, Graduate Advisor,
email: or phone at 510-642-0824

Phil Walz, Student Services Manager,
email: or phone at 510-642-2390