If you are interested in applying for 2008-2009, you may do so either on-line at http://www.grad.berkeley.edu/grad/admissions/grad_app.shtml after September 1 or with a paper application (available mid-September). Please call (510) 642-4219 or e-mail Lee Amazonas if you would like a paper application sent to you. Please include your mailing address.

We admit students for Fall semester only.

All applications must be postmarked or submitted on-line by Monday, December 3, 2007

Links to our graduate program and information about our faculty are on this web site. This material should answer most of your questions about the program's prerequisites and requirements.

As a language and literature department, strong language preparation—in one of the languages we offer on the graduate level—is essential. These languages are Hindi, Urdu, Indonesian, Tamil, Khmer and Sanskrit.

The web site of our Graduate Division—http://www.grad.berkeley.edu/grad/prospective/index.shtml—will give you a detailed picture of the university's requirements.

South and Southeast Asian Studies is NOT accepting online letters of recommendation. All letters of recommendation must be sent by post.

We request that you include a writing sample with your application. The writing sample is intended to gauge an applicant's ability to write on a graduate level. While it is ideal that this writing sample be 10 - 15 pages on some topic related to South or Southeast Asian studies (as an indicator of knowledge of the area), a paper on another topic or of a different length can be acceptable.

The sample may be a paper written for a class (or for the purpose of the application), an honors thesis, an article written for an academic journal—whatever you think best reflects your knowledge, interest, writing ability.

Domestic applicants: The Graduate Record Exam is required.
International applicants who must take TOEFL: The Graduate Record Exam is not required.
International applicants who are exempt from TOEFL: The GRE is required.

Consult the Graduate Division web site to determine whether you are exempt from the TOEFL:
http://www.grad.berkeley.edu/admissions/admis_require.shtml#4_3

While we can accept letters of recommendation (three are required) and GRE and TOEFL scores after the deadline for applications, please keep in mind that letters and scores arriving after January 7 may not be part of the application consideration process.

As a humanities department at a public university, our funding capacity is quite modest. A few full fellowships are available for top-ranked PhD candidates. Both PhD and M.A. applicants (domestic) are eligible for FLAS. Most of our students support themselves combining Graduate Student Instructorship positions (which include income plus fee waivers), some grants and financial aid.