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<p>You guys should feel lucky: discouragement of its own undergrads is not the most extreme outcome that a Berkeley department can choose. Certain departments prohibit outright admitting its own undergrads to the grad program except under highly restricted and enumerated circumstances. Chemical Engineering, for example, specifically disallows as a matter of explicit policy admitting its own undergrads unless they have earned an intervening degree or have gained substantial work experience. </p>
<p>*Q. My undergraduate degree is not in chemical engineering but I would like to pursue a M.S. or Ph.D. in chemical engineering. What are my chances of being admitted to your program?</p>
<p>Although nearly all of the best chemical engineers are Berkeley graduates, this department, like most other top chemical engineering departments, feels strongly that its’ undergraduates are better served by pursuing graduate studies in a new and different environment. Thus, unless you have obtained a degree elsewhere or have substantial industrial experience since you graduated from Berkeley, we will not admit you to the department for graduate work.*</p>
<p>[UC</a> Berkeley, Dept of Chemical Engineering](<a href=“http://cheme.berkeley.edu/grad_info/faq.html]UC”>http://cheme.berkeley.edu/grad_info/faq.html)</p>