Applying for Graduate Admission

You are required to submit transcripts and academic records from every institution you have attended after high school. Unofficial transcripts are sufficient for the initial application.

• Degree and Date of Granting: If your transcript does not clearly list the degree granted and the date it was granted, you must submit a copy of your official degree certificate or diploma.

• Current Students: If you are in your final term of study and will complete your degree while applying for the MDevEng program, a degree certificate is not required at the time of application submission.

Once you have received an offer of admission from the Development Engineering Program and UC Berkeley’s Graduate Division, you will be required to submit official copies of your transcript to UC Berkeley. For full details about submitting your academic records, please refer to the MDevEng Admissions Guide. 

Three letters of recommendation are required. You will enter your recommenders’ names and contact information in the online application. They will then receive an email prompting them to submit an evaluation form and upload their letter of recommendation. Letters are only accepted electronically. Please allow ample time for your recommenders to submit their letters before the deadline.

To help your recommenders write strong, detailed letters, we recommend sharing with them in advance your application materials such as your resume, statement of purpose, and relevant background information.

The MDevEng program does not require the GRE. 

Some students who have completed their undergraduate degree outside of the US may need to take the TOEFL or IELTS exam to demonstrate English proficiency. View full details here.

Please describe your aptitude and motivation for joining the Master of Development Engineering Program. Please be specific about why the Master of Development Engineering at UC Berkeley would be a good intellectual fit for you, including a discussion of your preparation for this field, your academic plans or research interests, and your future career goals. 

Maximum length: 500 words (approximately 1 page, single-spaced).

 View more information on the statement of purpose. 

Please describe how your background and life experiences have influenced your decision to pursue the Master of Development Engineering degree at this time. This may include formative experiences, values, or motivations that have influenced your academic and/or professional path. Please include any personal or leadership experiences related to advancing social impact, diversity, and equity, including efforts to support under-resourced communities. The Admissions Committee will look for concrete evidence of your potential to contribute to the MDevEng academic community, so be clear and specific in describing your experiences.

Maximum length: 500 words (approximately 1 page, single-spaced).

View more information on the personal history statement. 

We’d love to hear directly from you— In the Audio/Visual Uploads section of the application, upload a 1 – 2 minute video responding to the following prompt:

What is a local or global societal or development problem you care deeply about? What knowledge and skills would you seek to gain through the MDevEng program to help address this problem?

Feel free to record in whatever style or format feels natural to you, provided you are visible on camera. We will assess your response based on the content of what you say, rather than on the video quality. Please upload your video with the following title: [Your Full Name] – Personal Video  

A portfolio is a required part of your application to the Master of Development Engineering program. It’s your opportunity to showcase your capacity for complex problem-solving, critical thinking, and creative innovation.

Your portfolio should include 3–5 of your most compelling projects, prioritizing depth over breadth. These projects can stem from various experiences, including:

• Community development initiatives
• Design projects
• Product or service development
• Entrepreneurial ventures
• Coursework
• Research outputs
• Field-deployed technologies
• Other technical and creative efforts that have significantly impacted users or communities.

What to Include

Your portfolio will be reviewed by a diverse group of faculty and practitioners, so ensure it’s accessible to a broad audience. Each project should feature visuals (e.g., images, diagrams) alongside accompanying text that clearly communicates:

• The context and goals of the project.
• Its intended audience or users.
• The outcomes or impact.
• Your specific role, especially in collaborative work (with proper credit to all contributors).

We welcome work from academic (e.g., class assignments), professional (e.g., job-related projects), and personal (e.g., volunteer or meaningful travel experiences) endeavors. Please clearly distinguish between these categories.

Submission Requirements

Your portfolio must:

• Include your name and contact information.
• Be submitted as a stand-alone PDF document. Max size 20MB
• Maximum 10 pages

The primary goal of your portfolio is to convey your unique skills, experiences, and perspective through clear and thoughtful visual presentation.

For examples of strong portfolios, please see: Sample 1, Sample 2, Sample 3

Word Limit: Maximum 300 words

This essay of maximum 300 words is optional, and is for anyone who wishes to expand on hardships or unusual life circumstances that may have impacted their opportunities, achievements, and impact.

It can be helpful to use this essay to provide context for things such as a low GPA, a lack of related experience, or any other part of the application that you feel might need some additional context.

This essay should not be used to request need-based funding. View the optional Departmental Grant Application section of the application for this purpose.

All applicants must submit a concise and impactful resume or curriculum vitae in PDF format. This document should effectively showcase your professional journey and accomplishments while adhering to the following guidelines:

1. Maximum length: Two pages
2. Font size: 12 point
3. Includes relevant experience from your undergraduate and any work experience or volunteering.
4. Excludes photographs and sensitive information (e.g., home address).

You may use this template for your reference to structure your document effectively. Your resume should go beyond merely listing job responsibilities. Instead, we encourage you to:

1. Highlight significant contributions that have added value to your team, organization, or community
2. Emphasize improvements you’ve initiated or been part of in your school, work, or volunteer team
3. Showcase instances where you’ve exceeded standard expectations

For those with leadership experience, please pay particular attention to:

1. Demonstrating your career progression, including advancements and promotions
2. Detailing key achievements in each leadership position

Following these guidelines will create a compelling narrative of your professional experience that aligns with our evaluation criteria. We look forward to learning about your unique skills and accomplishments.

You may submit a sample of a published or unpublished written work for the admissions committee to review as part of your application. Written work that is co-authored can be included as long as you directly contributed to them.