Undergraduate · Berkeley EECS
UC Berkeley's Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences BS is offered by the College of Engineering, and the EECS department's page says students interested in EECS should apply directly to the major on the University of California Application for Admission. Berkeley is test-free, so SAT and ACT scores are not used in admission. Applicants with only the IGCSE or O-levels have not yet met the entry requirements.
Official information · read 3 November 2026, no entry-year label
Taken from the UC Berkeley EECS department's undergraduate pages and the Office of Undergraduate Admissions' first-year, international and policy pages, read on 3 November 2026. The pages carry no entry-year label, so for a 2028-entry application every statement below is evidence for the previous cycle and may change; check Berkeley's pages for the 2028-entry details.
Students interested in EECS should apply directly to the major on the University of California Application for Admission. First-year applicants may also consider applying to the College of Engineering as Engineering Undeclared.
The department offers the EECS BS and the ECE BS through the College of Engineering and the CS BA through the College of Computing, Data Science, and Society, with admissions processes that vary significantly.
UC Berkeley will not use SAT or ACT scores in any part of its application process. Scores submitted are used only for placement or subject credit if the student is admitted.
Students with only the IGCSE or O-level exams have not met the requirements. Berkeley requires the two-year A-level programme with at least three academic exams, the IB diploma, or a similar academic curriculum.
Berkeley says satisfying the minimum requirements is often not enough to be competitive for selection. Engineering applicants are encouraged to take extra mathematics and science.
Official sources
Read on 3 November 2026 on the UC Berkeley EECS department's undergraduate pages and the Office of Undergraduate Admissions' first-year, international and policy pages, which describes 2027 entry. The pages carry no entry-year label. The degree-requirement lists, the compare-majors page, the Personal Insight Questions, the dates and deadlines page and the fees pages were not read and are not stated.
The major
Berkeley's department describes the EECS BS as combining fundamentals of computer science and electrical engineering in one major. Its core technical classes come in the first few semesters, followed by topics from computer science theory to networking and physical systems. The department also offers an ECE BS and, through a different college, a CS BA.
Is it the right major?
The department says technical requirements in computer science are almost identical across its degrees, while breadth requirements and admissions processes vary significantly.
you want electrical engineering and computer science together and are comfortable applying directly to a College of Engineering major.
you want more flexibility to explore other fields with breadth coursework. It is offered by a different college and has a different admissions process.
you want to apply to the College of Engineering without choosing a major at the start, as the page allows for first-year applicants.
Admission and testing
The EECS page says to apply directly to the major on the University of California Application for Admission, and that first-years are admitted directly into the EECS major. Berkeley's admissions pages say it is test-free: SAT and ACT scores are not used in any part of the application process, and scores submitted are used only for placement or subject credit after admission. Its holistic review looks at academic performance, planned 12th grade courses and the pattern of grades over time, among other things. For applicants with British or international curricula, Berkeley says the IGCSE or O-levels alone are not enough. This page states no scores.
A decision framework
This is Avandy's own framework, not Berkeley's.
The two are in different colleges with different admissions processes.
Berkeley requires the full two-year A-level programme with at least three exams or the IB diploma.
The page encourages engineering applicants to do so.
Planning for 2028 entry
Berkeley's pages carry no entry-year label, so nothing on them is confirmed for 2028 entry. Use them to understand the structure of the application, then check Berkeley's own pages for the 2028-entry details.
These are the best guide to what to prepare. Berkeley has not confirmed them for 2028 entry.
This guide has not read them. Check Berkeley for the values that apply to your application year.
Read the EECS and Computer Science pages, check that your A level or IB programme meets Berkeley's rule and plan the extra mathematics and science.
Support
Avandy provides independent academic and admissions support. It is not affiliated with University of California, Berkeley or any of its colleges or departments. Preparation sits within the Avandy Trinity Advisory Model: a Strategic Admissions Consultant, a PhD-level Academic Mentor and a Subject-specific Tutor, working to the actual requirements of each course. Support here is limited to understanding the requirements and planning the applicant's own work; Avandy does not write or edit essays, does not submit any materials and has no partnership with University of California, Berkeley. No outcome is promised.
Questions
Yes. The EECS page says students interested in EECS should apply directly to the major on the University of California Application for Admission.
No. Berkeley says it is test-free and will not use SAT or ACT scores in any part of its application process.
No. Berkeley says students who have only completed the IGCSE or O-level exams have not yet met the requirements for admission.
First-year applicants may also consider applying to the College of Engineering as Engineering Undeclared.
No. They are Berkeley's wording with no entry-year label. Check Berkeley's pages again when Berkeley publishes its 2028-entry requirements.
Students and families
Tell us about the student's curriculum, their A levels or IB subjects, their mathematics and science preparation and the choice between EECS, Computer Science and an undeclared engineering application, the universities on the list, and the intended year of entry. A senior adviser will review the academic profile before recommending how to prepare.
