Berkeley is internationally noted for its academic excellence. Its faculty include seven Nobel laureates, 140 members in the National Academy of Sciences, 77 Faculty Fulbright Scholars, and 235 fellows in the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. In national surveys, Berkeley’s academic departments consistently rank among the top five in the country.By any standard, Berkeley ranks as one of the world’s leading intellectual centers, renowned for the size and quality of its libraries and laboratories, the scope of its research and publications, and the distinction of its faculty and students. Around 5,000 Berkeley undergraduates engage in off-campus public service projects annually. Students study, work, and relax among Neoclassical buildings, wooded glens, and parklands spread across 1,232 scenic acres overlooking the San Francisco Bay. With more than 37,000 students, a distinguished faculty, some 275 degree programs, and alumni in positions of national and international leadership, Berkeley today is a large and complex institution offering students a vast range of scholarly endeavor and a wide arena for personal growth.The campus is surrounded by wooded, rolling hills and by the city of Berkeley (population 116,000). Berkeley has a long history as one of America’s most lively, culturally diverse, and politically adventurous cities. The surrounding San Francisco Bay Area offers culture, entertainment, and natural beauty without rival, much of which is accessible by BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit). Research programs at Berkeley are conducted within teaching departments, institutes, and centers (sometimes referred to as Organized Research Units or ORUs). Institutes and centers are established and administered separately from the teaching units. They are interdisciplinary in nature and organized around the work of a group of faculty and graduate students whose research interests transcend traditional disciplinary boundaries. They do not offer courses of instruction or degrees, although several work in conjunction with interdepartmental instruction programs which lead to bachelor’s or advanced degrees. Institutes and centers provide invaluable experience for graduate students in basic and applied research and greatly enhance Berkeley’s educational program and the overall academic quality of the University.The quality of Berkeley’s student body complements the stature of its faculty. Most students are Californians, but nearly every state and 100 foreign countries are represented. The student body can best be characterized by its diversity; more than half of the students are minorities, helping to produce the wide range of opinion and perspective essential to a great university. [.....]
