How to Apply to Mathematics at UC Berkeley: Math Sits in the College of Letters and Science with Mathematics and Applied Mathematics Majors, You Enter the University First and Then Declare After Calculus, Multivariable Calculus, Linear Algebra and Discrete Math, with Admission Routes and Prerequisites for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

Mathematics at UC Berkeley is taught by the Department of Mathematics, in the College of Letters and Science: the admissions office’s majors list places Mathematics (with a Teaching entry) and Mathematics, Applied under Mathematical and Physical Sciences in that college. The admissions page on transfer requirements by college states that the College of Letters and Science awards a B.A. You choose Berkeley and your intended major on the UC application, but the department adds a second step: you enter the university first, complete prerequisites on campus and then declare the major with the department. Here is what the official pages say for fall 2027 entry, for US domestic applicants, international applicants (including those from China) and transfer applicants.

1. Majors offered and how you get into them

• Two majors: the department offers Mathematics (called “Major in Mathematics” on its website) and Applied Mathematics, plus a page for a “Major with a Teaching Concentration” that I did not read; the admissions majors list shows Teaching under Mathematics. Both majors use the same Declaring the Major page. Statistics appears in the admissions list under the College of Computing, Data Science, and Society, and the College of Engineering has Engineering Mathematics and Statistics; those are separate majors and are not covered here, nor is computer science.
• Choosing a major on the application: the admissions office says applicants may list a primary and an alternate major, but only the primary major is guaranteed review and the alternate is not reviewed. The College of Letters and Science’s high-demand majors page (marked last updated August 1, 2024) lists Art Practice, Operations Research & Management Science (Analytics), Political Economy, Public Health and Social Welfare as high-demand; mathematics is not on that list, and the page says most Letters and Science majors are “open”: complete the prerequisites, meet the college’s academic standards and file a declaration form. Check the latest version of that page.
• Eligibility to declare (the department’s Declaring the Major page): all of the following. (1) One regular semester (fall or spring) of coursework at Berkeley. (2) Math 51 (formerly 1A) and Math 52 (formerly 1B) or equivalents, with an average of at least C. (3) Math 53, Math 54 or Math 56, and Math 55 or equivalents with at least a C in each, or two of the three completed (each at least C) and the third in progress; the third must finish with at least a C. (4) If you have taken upper-division math courses, a GPA of at least 2.0 in them, but you do not need to have taken any upper-division math course to declare. Any change to these requirements must be approved in writing by the Head Major Advisor.
• Declaration deadline: the department’s FAQ says the Math Department has no deadline for declaring the major (the pages I read state no cap on places either), but you must follow the College of Letters and Science rules: an undeclared student with 75 or more units (in-progress units included, high school exam credit excluded) gets a registration block, and a double major must be declared at least one semester before the graduation term.
• A C- in a prerequisite: the FAQ says you meet with a staff advisor first and the Head Major Advisor decides. A P in a prerequisite: courses used for the major must be taken for a letter grade (the page makes exceptions for the COVID terms of spring 2020 to summer 2021).
• How to declare: fill in the application form and email it, with supporting documents such as equivalency evaluations for outside courses, to the department’s declaration address (declare@math.berkeley.edu). Declared majors join the undergraduate mailing list; intended majors may ask to join a community mailing list.
• Switching in from another Berkeley major: the pages I read do not describe a separate procedure; the declaration criteria above apply to current students. The admissions FAQ notes that changing majors within the same college is easier than changing colleges.

2. Prerequisites and first- and second-year courses

• High school: the UC baseline is the A-G subject pattern. The department and admissions pages I read state no extra high school math requirement (precalculus, calculus) for mathematics; this is not published there, so ask the department’s undergraduate office (970 Evans Hall, (510) 642-6550).
• Lower-division requirements (five courses): Math 51 Calculus (formerly 1A), Math 52 Calculus (formerly 1B), Math 53 Multivariable Calculus, Math 54 Linear Algebra and Differential Equations (or Math 56 Linear Algebra) and Math 55 Discrete Mathematics. The department says double majors in Physics, Computer Science or EECS may in some cases substitute Physics 89, EECS 16A plus 16B, or CS 70 for Math 54 or Math 55, provided mathematics is added after the other major has been declared.
• Mathematics major, upper division (eight courses): required Math 104 Introduction to Analysis, 110 Linear Algebra, 113 Introduction to Abstract Algebra and 185 Introduction to Complex Analysis; two “semi-electives” chosen from two of three areas, computing (Math 124, 128A, 156), geometry (130, 140, 141, 142, 143) and logic and foundations (125A, 135, 136); and two more upper-division or graduate math courses. The department recommends Math 110 as the first upper-division course, calls Math 104 particularly demanding and best taken later, and says top students spend 12 to 15 hours per class beyond lectures and sections. It strongly recommends applying only if you earned B- or better in Math 53, Math 54 or 56 and Math 55.
• Applied Mathematics major, upper division (eight courses): required Math 104, 110, 113, 128A Numerical Analysis (Math 124 may not replace it) and 185, plus three electives forming a coherent “cluster” in an applied area with a faculty advisor’s signed approval. Sample clusters listed include actuarial science, data science, economics, mathematical biology, probability theory, statistics, operations research and quantum mechanics.
• Grades and outside courses: courses for the major must be taken for a letter grade (a course taken P/NP must be repeated; four units of Math 199 with advisor approval are the exception). Up to four courses taken elsewhere can count toward the eight upper-division requirements, subject to unit and advisor-approval conditions; any number of lower-division requirements may be satisfied elsewhere.
• AP / IB / A-Level credit (department’s High School Exam Credits page; other colleges may use their own scales):
  • AP Calculus AB 3, 4 or 5 equals Math 51; AP Calculus BC 3 or 4 equals Math 51, and a 5 equals Math 51 and 52. A different part of the department’s FAQ lists only AB 3, 4, 5 for Math 51 and BC 5 for Math 51 and 52, without BC 3 or 4; the two pages differ, so confirm with the department;
  • IB mathematics (2021 onward): Analysis and Approaches Standard Level earns no credit; Higher Level 5, 6 or 7 satisfies Math 51 or 16A and a 7 satisfies Math 51 and 52; Applications and Interpretations Standard Level earns no credit and Higher Level 5, 6 or 7 satisfies Math 16A;
  • A-Level Mathematics grade B or better equals Math 51; A-Level Further Mathematics grade B or better equals Math 51 and 52; Singapore A-Level: H1 Math equals 16A, H2 Math equals 51, H2 Further Math equals 51 and 52;
  • The department says an AP score of 3 or 4 shows readiness for college calculus but is not an accurate predictor of success, and a student with a weaker background may still take Math 51; units are not granted twice.
• Credit by examination after enrolling: the department says outstanding lower-division students may satisfy lower-division prerequisites by examination (graded P/NP only), with an instructor willing to administer it, after at least one term at Berkeley and a UC GPA of at least 2.0.
• Honors: on top of the major, a GPA of at least 3.5 in upper-division and graduate courses in the major and at least 3.3 overall, plus either a Math 196 senior honors thesis or at least two graduate courses with A- or higher in each; the Head Major Advisor’s recommendation is needed only in ambiguous cases.
• Putnam competition: the department describes the Putnam exam (first Saturday of December) and says a Math 191 seminar in Advanced Problem Solving is offered every fall for credit. The pages I read do not say how competition results are viewed in admission; this is not published there, so ask Berkeley admissions.

3. Rounds, deadlines and materials

• Berkeley has no early admission or early decision. The admissions “Dates and Deadlines” page says the UC application opens August 1 and is submitted October 1 to November 30, with a November 30 deadline. The page carries no year, so check it applies to fall 2027 entry.
• First-year decisions are posted at the end of March (exact dates come in your confirmation email and portal); the admissions FAQ says a small number of Regents’ and Chancellor’s scholarship nominees hear in February, which is not early admission, and students cannot apply to be admitted early. The reply deadline is May 1.
• Review: holistic review looks mainly at weighted and unweighted GPA in 10th and 11th grade UC-approved courses, planned 12th-grade courses, grade patterns, rigor (AP, IB, honors) and personal qualities. Berkeley is test-free: SAT/ACT scores are not used in admission; scores you submit are used only for placement or subject credit after admission.
• Essays: personal insight questions; the page I read does not give the number of questions, so follow the UC application. Recommendations: only invited applicants may submit up to two letters, due January 10; the office says at least one should come from a core academic subject teacher, unsolicited letters are not accepted, and declining or not being invited does not hurt review. The pages I read do not require a math teacher’s letter.
• Fee: UC’s international applicants page states $95 per campus, with $80 possibly available to international students enrolled at a US institution. The domestic fee is not on the pages I read; check the UC application site.
• After admission: do not send transcripts unless asked; your conditions of admission list the official documents required.

4. US domestic applicants

• Minimums: complete the A-G courses with at least a 3.0 GPA in A-G courses in 10th and 11th grade, 3.4 for non-residents of California. The office says meeting the minimum is often not enough to be competitive.
• The office notes that a nonresident under 24 whose parents are not California residents will most likely remain a nonresident for the whole undergraduate career.
• Testing: SAT/ACT not used. For aid, the FAFSA or California Dream Act application opens October 1 and its deadline is March 2. The admissions cost page says 38% of students pay nothing out of pocket for tuition because of grants and scholarships and about two-thirds receive some form of aid.
• The pages I read do not describe any priority or guaranteed admission for in-state applicants to mathematics; this is not published there.

5. International applicants (including those from China)

• Academic record: finish secondary school with a certificate that admits you to a university in your home country. UC’s requirement for international first-year applicants is 15 year-long academic courses with a 3.4 GPA: 2 years of history, 4 of composition and literature, 3 of college-preparatory mathematics, 2 of science, 2 of a second language, 1 of visual and performing arts and 1 more course. Enter grades exactly as on your records and do not convert them; there is no pre-approved course list for schools outside California. The admissions office says students who have completed only IGCSE or O-Level exams have not yet met the requirements and need two years of A-Level (at least three academic exams), the IB Diploma, or a similar curriculum.
• English proficiency (to be met by January 31; the page prints no year, so check it applies to fall 2027 entry; scores valid for two years from the enrollment date):
  • TOEFL 90 (written “90/4.5” on the page), IELTS 6.5 or Duolingo 115;
  • AP English Language or Literature 3, 4 or 5; IB Standard Level English (Language A) 6 or 7, or Higher Level 5, 6 or 7;
  • ACT English Language Arts 24 or higher; SAT Writing and Language 31 or higher;
  • or three or more years of English as the language of instruction; mixed languages of instruction do not count.
  The office also says it offers no alumni or admissions interviews but accepts optional InitialView materials from international applicants (received by November 30); they do not replace a required English exam.
• Financial documentation: handled after admission by the Berkeley International Office, with a Non-immigrant Information Form (NIF) and a sponsor’s guarantee of first-year funds before the visa document is issued. International students on a visa cannot be classified as California residents.
• Aid and scholarships: Financial Aid & Scholarships says international students are not eligible for federal, state or need-based university aid and suggests private scholarships and awards a department may offer incoming students. The pages I read do not name a scholarship specific to new mathematics undergraduates; this is not published there. The department’s research page adds that its SURF summer fellowships and Haas Scholars welcome international students, while NSF REU sites and MSRI-UP are limited to US citizens and permanent residents.

6. Applicants from China

• UC’s country page says that if you follow the Chinese national curriculum, you list all courses and marks from grade 9 through grade 12 exactly as on your official records, and if admitted you submit your upper middle school graduation certificate and official lower and upper middle school records (grades 9–12).
• If you follow IGCSE/GCSE/GCE you must complete at least five IGCSE/GCSE/GCE O-Levels and at least three academic A-Level exams; IB students have separate instructions.
• Whether the Gaokao is used: neither UC’s country page nor Berkeley’s international page mentions Gaokao scores; this is not published there, so ask Berkeley Undergraduate Admissions.
• English, funds and aid are covered above. The pages I read do not say whether Chinese senior-high proficiency-test (huikao) records are needed; this is not published there. I found no separate page for applicants from China on the Berkeley admissions site.

7. Transfer applicants

• Fall entry only, applied for October 1 to November 30 on the UC application; the January 31 Transfer Academic Update is the priority deadline for updated grades; decisions come by the end of April and the reply deadline is June 1.
• University level (College of Letters and Science): at least 60 semester UC-transferable units (completed by the end of the spring term before fall entry), a 3.0 GPA in transferable coursework, the major preparation courses on ASSIST.org and the UC 7-course pattern. IGETC or Cal-GETC is no longer required. Up to 70 semester units of lower-division credit are granted; more than 80 semester units makes an applicant ineligible.
• Preparation for mathematics: neither the admissions pages nor the department pages I read list the transfer preparation courses course by course; they point to the articulation agreements on assist.org. For declaring the major the department expects equivalents of Math 51, 52, 53, 54 (or 56) and 55; California community college courses are checked on assist.org, and courses from four-year or out-of-state institutions are evaluated individually by the department’s course equivalency advisor.
• Direct admission to the major: the admissions office’s direct-admission page says that since fall 2023, transfer students offered admission to Letters and Science who selected one of 30 participating majors are admitted directly into the major, with no later application or declaration; Mathematics and Applied Mathematics are both on the list. The transfer-by-college page adds that effective fall 2027 all transfer students admitted to Letters and Science are directly admitted to the major they selected. Missing preparation courses can be finished in the first semester, within the unit ceiling.
• International transfer applicants meet the same requirements; completing the 7-course pattern satisfies English, so TOEFL or IELTS is not required. The admissions office notes that few non-US institutions will meet the 7-course pattern and describes how to check transferability of international coursework.

8. Costs, research and career information

• 2026-27 fee schedule (Registrar, per semester, 2026-27 cohort):
  • tuition $7,101, student services fee $693, campus fee $936, transit fee $236, instructional resilience and enhancement fee $141, health insurance fee $2,533;
  • continuing-student totals are $11,640 for California residents and, with $19,635 nonresident supplemental tuition, $31,275 for nonresidents; new students add a $250 document management fee ($11,890 and $31,525).
• Admissions cost page (2026-27 estimate; it does not say which residency it reflects): tuition and fees $18,214, living expenses in a residence hall $23,640, student health insurance $5,066, direct costs $46,920, and a total cost of attendance including personal expenses of $54,674. Amounts may change. The pages I read show no college surcharge for mathematics.
• Research: the department lists the Directed Reading Program (independent reading projects with math graduate students), SURF summer research fellowships (five paid programs), Haas Scholars (twenty students a year with financial need, up to $13,800 each), URAP and NSF REU sites.
• Careers: the department’s career page says studying mathematics opens the doors to a wide range of professional opportunities and links to Berkeley Career Engagement’s First Destination survey, which can be broken down by major. It prints no employment rate or salary figures; this is not published there.

Checklist

US domestic applicants:

• Submit the UC application October 1–November 30 (no early admission); 3.0 GPA in A-G courses (3.4 for nonresidents); SAT/ACT not used
• After enrolling, complete Math 51, 52, 53, 54 (or 56) and 55 with C or better and, after at least one semester, declare Mathematics or Applied Mathematics; the department states no declaration deadline

International applicants (including those from China):

• Enter grades exactly as on your records, with all of grades 9–12 for the Chinese national curriculum; show English proficiency by January 31 (TOEFL 90, IELTS 6.5, Duolingo 115 and so on; check the year)
• No university need-based aid; submit the NIF and sponsor guarantee after admission; ask admissions whether the Gaokao is used

Transfer applicants:

• Fall entry, apply by November 30; 60 semester units, 3.0 GPA, the 7-course pattern; complete the math preparation shown on assist.org
• Mathematics and Applied Mathematics are direct-admission majors: the offer of admission puts you in the major

Sources: UC Berkeley and the University of California, Math: majoring in mathematics; Math: declaring the major; Math: Mathematics major; Math: Applied Mathematics major; Math: high school exam credits; Math: honors; Math: FAQ; Math: undergraduate research; Math: career resources; Math: Putnam competition; L&S: high-demand majors; Admissions: first-year applicants; Admissions: first-year policies; Admissions: international students; Admissions: dates and deadlines; Admissions: transfer students; Admissions: transfer information by college; Admissions: majors; L&S direct admission to major (transfers); Admissions: application FAQs; Admissions: cost; Registrar: 2026-27 fee schedule; Financial Aid: international students; UC: international applicants; UC: additional information by country. Information is for fall 2027 entry (costs are 2026-27 rates). Check UC Berkeley for the latest details.