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MEMO: Bologna Process Degrees as Basic Degrees for Graduate Admission

Office of the Dean
Graduate Division
University of California, Berkeley

October 17, 2007

To: Deans, Chairs of Department, Head Graduate Advisers
From: Joseph J. Duggan, Associate Dean

At its meeting of October 1, 2007, the Graduate Council passed a policy on three-year degrees granted by European universities pursuant to the reforms known as the "Bologna Process."

As a result of this action, the Graduate Division will accept three-year Bologna Process bachelor-level degrees as a legitimate basis for admission to graduate status at Berkeley. This policy pertains to applicants to Berkeley academic and professional master's programs, doctoral programs, and combined master's and doctoral programs. Some European institutions may continue to offer bachelor-level degrees requiring more than three years of study, which we will, of course, continue to accept.

The Graduate Division requires a bachelor-level honors degree from applicants from universities in Australia and New Zealand who have completed three-year degrees. The policy on degrees issued by universities in India remains unchanged.

We will rely on European governmental ministerial authorization as proof of a European institution's official recognition or accreditation. In the calculation of grade-point averages, however, the Graduate Division will, as in the past, take into account only the applicants' academic records, provided to us in the original languages, rather than relying on the equivalents provided by the European Credit Transfer Scheme.

This policy relates to minimum requirements. Programs may wish to develop more restrictive standards.

cc:
Graduate Council Chair Ilan Adler
Graduate Advisers
Graduate Assistants
Graduate Student Affairs Officers