The University of California, Berkeley College of Engineering (Berkeley Engineering) is the
engineering school of the
University of California, Berkeley (a public research university in
Berkeley,
California). The college occupies fourteen buildings on the northeast side of the main campus and also operates the 150-acre (61-hectare)
Richmond Field Station. Established in 1931, the college is considered to be one of the most prestigious and selective engineering schools in both the nation and the world.[2][3]
It has become a top university incubator in the
United States and worldwide;[7][8] according to PitchBook, from 2006 to 2017, Berkeley produced 1,089
venture capital-backed entrepreneurs (second only to
Stanford University) and created 961
start-up companies (more than any other university in the world).[9][10] According to a 2023 report, Berkeley has produced the most company founders amongst all American
public universities in the following categories:
undergraduate, graduate,
MBA, and female-specific.[11][12]
There are approximately 4,100 undergraduates in the College of Engineering, which for the 2021—22 application cycle had an acceptance rate of 7.6%,[5] while Berkeley as a whole had a 14% acceptance rate. The Management, Entrepreneurship & Technology (MET) program, a dual-degree track offered in collaboration with the
Haas School of Business, is even more selective, with an acceptance rate of less than 3%.[15][16][17] Applicants to the college may apply directly to one of the departments and enter with a declared major or may apply as an undeclared matriculant; major declaration is required at the end of sophomore year.[18] Once within the college, it is possible to change majors with the approval of Engineering Student Services but it is difficult for undergraduates in other colleges at Berkeley to transfer into Engineering.[19] The college accepts transfer applications, although only 9% of the over 2,300 junior transfer applicants were admitted for the 2015—16 academic year.[20][21]
Over 81% of undergraduates receive a bachelor's degree in four years, with over 90% doing so within six years. 85% of undergraduates admitted to the college graduate from the college, and 91% graduate from some college at Berkeley.[22][23] The college has a 4-year graduation policy, with extra semesters approved only in certain cases. Engineering Student Services provides academic advising, peer tutoring, and career services to engineering students. Various student organizations are run in conjunction with the college and many students belong to the student chapters of their corresponding professional organizations.[24] Graduate admissions in the College of Engineering is administered by department. During the 2021—22 academic year, the college had 2,513 graduate students and awarded 228 masters and 244 doctorate degrees as well as 889 professional master's degrees.[1][25]
The college's enrollment is approximately 32% women. Berkeley has one of the oldest, most active and award-winning sections of the
Society of Women Engineers (SWE); established in 1975, it has been recognized with the "Outstanding Collegiate Section Gold Mission Award" at the annual SWE national conference, which is the largest gathering for women in engineering and technology. Among Berkeley engineering alumnae are a
2018 Nobel laureate, a
2008 Turing Award winner, a
2012 Turing Award winner, the first woman to receive a bachelor's degree in engineering from an American university, and the co-founders of
Marvell Technology,
Atheros Communications, and many other technology companies.[1][22][26][27]
All research facilities are managed by one of five Organized Research Units (ORUs):
Earthquake Engineering Research Center (EERC) — research and public safety programs against the destructive effects of earthquakes
Electronics Research Laboratory (ERL) — the largest ORU; advanced research in novel areas within seven different university departments, organized into five main divisions:
Berkeley Sensor & Actuator Center
Berkeley Wireless Research Center
Berkeley Northside Research Group
Micro Systems Group
Engineering Systems Research Center (ESRC) — focuses on
manufacturing,
mechatronics, and microelectro mechanical systems (
MEMS)
Institute for Environmental Science and Engineering (IESE) — focuses on applying
basic research to current and future environmental problems
Institute of Transportation Studies (ITS) — sponsors research in transportation planning, policy analysis, environmental concerns and transportation system performance