Thank you for your interest in the graduate program in Comparative Literature at the University of California, Berkeley. Following is a description of our application process.

Program information is available online at http://ls.berkeley.edu/dept/complit/. Application packets for admission and fellowship may be obtained by contacting the Comparative Literature Graduate Office. The paper application will be available after September 1. The electronic version of the application will be available, on the internet, after September 7. Students may complete the entire application online, and submit it electronically. The application may be found by navigating from the Graduate Division’s website: http://www.grad.berkeley.edu/admissions/grad_app.shtml. Complete instructions are included with the application. Please note that you may apply to only one graduate program at UC Berkeley for any given term.

The criteria for admission to our program include not only competitive undergraduate/graduate GPAs and GRE scores, but also a strong statement of purpose, writing sample, and letters of recommendation. Preparation in at least one language other than English is required, with additional language preparation strongly preferred.

The Department of Comparative Literature at Berkeley admits for the fall term only. All applications must be electronically submitted or postmarked no later than December 12, 2005, or hand-delivered by 5 p.m. on that date. It is important that an applicant begin the process­soliciting supporting documents such as transcripts and letters of recommendation, and taking the required Graduate Record Examination­well in advance of the deadline. The Department cannot guarantee that materials received after the deadline will reach the applicant’s file in time for review by the Committee on Admissions and Fellowships.

A minimum of three letters of recommendation, two copies of official transcripts—in their original, sealed envelopes—from each institution previously attended, and a writing sample of no more than ten pages are required. In addition, along with the application forms provided by the Graduate Division, the Department of Comparative Literature requires that applicants to the graduate program provide us with the information requested on the Statement of Background in Languages and Literatures. This form is available on the internet at http://ls.berkeley.edu/dept/complit/grad_background.html. Please complete the form and return it along with the rest of your application materials by the application deadline. All applicants, both domestic and international, must take the general test of the GRE. Subject tests are not required. We strongly recommend that applicants take the GRE no later than October to ensure the timely reporting of scores. Please remember that the GRE requires pre-registration, and be certain to designate UC Berkeley (institution code 4833) and Comparative Language and Literature (department code 2902) as a score recipient. Students from countries where the principal language is not English and who have not attended university in an English-speaking country are also required to take the TOEFL.

Forms to apply for University fellowships are included in the graduate application. As competition for University fellowship support is highly competitive and funds are extremely limited, applicants are encouraged to explore other sources of financial support. We encourage all applicants to consider applying for The Andrew W. Mellon Fellowship in Humanistic Studies. This fellowship provides generous support to first-year students in humanities graduate programs, and must be applied for in advance of the first year of enrollment. For more information please visit The Andrew W. Mellon Fellowships in Humanistic Studies Another outstanding source of support for students beginning graduate studies is the Jacob K. Javits Fellowship Program (http://www.ed.gov/programs/jacobjavits/applicant.html), which provides up to four years of support for graduate study at the doctoral or Master of Fine Arts level in a selected field of the arts, humanities, or social sciences. Application for need-based financial aid may be made by submitting a Free Application For Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), available at all colleges and high schools in the U.S. Support in the form of teaching assistantships in Comparative Literature or related departments on campus may be available on a limited basis in the student's first year in the program.

If you have further questions, please do not hesitate to contact Erica Roberts in the Graduate Office, Department of Comparative Literature, 4125 Dwinelle Hall # 2510, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-2510, telephone 510/642-2629, email complit@ls.berkeley.edu.

Application Instructions

APPLICATION DEADLINE: All applications must be electronically submitted or postmarked no later than December 12, 2005,. or hand-delivered by 5 p.m. on that date. The following is a list of materials needed to complete a graduate application:

• Graduate Division Application Parts A and B
• Graduate Division Application Part C (domestic fellowship applicants)
• Graduate Division Application Part D (FLAS fellowship application--if applying)
• Graduate Division Application Form E (international fellowship applicants)
• Graduate Division Statement of Purpose (Form F)
• Statement of Background in Languages and Literatures (Comparative Literature form, found at http://ls.berkeley.edu/dept/complit/grad_background.html)
• Writing sample (maximum 10 pages in length)
• GRE scores (all applicants)—general test only; institution code 4833, department code 2902
• TOEFL scores (international applicants)
• THREE letters of recommendation
• TWO sets of official transcripts, in original sealed envelopes, from each institution attended
• Application fee, sent directly to department only if submitting a paper application

If submitting application forms A-F electronically, send additional application materials (i.e., transcripts, recommendations, writing sample, and statement of background) to Department (see address below). These items may arrive after the December 12th deadline. The application fee for all electronically submitted applications must be sent to the Graduate Division.

If not submitting electronically, send all materials, including the application fee, to: Department of Comparative Literature, 4125 Dwinelle Hall #2510, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-2510.

TO ALL APPLICANTS:
You are responsible for obtaining three letters of recommendation to support your application. If your institution has a placement office providing a centralized letter service, please have that office send the letters to us directly. Otherwise, please give the recommendation forms, along with self-addressed stamped envelopes, to your recommenders with the request to enclose the completed letters in the envelopes, seal them, sign them across the seal, and return them to you. Include the three sealed letters with your completed application materials. If it is not possible to include the letters with the application, the recommenders may forward their letters (signed across the seals) directly to our department.

Two sets of sealed official transcripts from each institution attended must also be included with each application. International applicants are requested to follow the instructions in the Graduate Division application booklet.

PLEASE NOTE: We prefer that all your supporting documents be submitted together with your completed application forms. The time between the application deadline and review period is extremely short, and we cannot guarantee that documents sent separately will reach us in time for review.